Every time I've made any meat with BBQ sauce, it doesn't matter if I use the crock pot, oven or stove top, the sauce always turns out really runny. I've tried countless recipes and it doesn't matter if it's homemade or store bought. It's always like the meat is swimming in BBQ soup instead of sauce. I want to make meatballs but want to consistency of something thick and that actually sticks to the meat. I really want to make little cocktail meatballs. Anyone know what I could be doing wrong or have their own recipe that they know will stay thick?
Cook the meatballs before you put them in the sauce. The run off from the meat is "watering down" your sauce.
I do, but first let me tell you what I've learned....just cook the meat and brush on the sauce at the end. Cooking meat IN the sauce (like in a crockpot certainly makes for a thin, runny, BBQ water. Especially in a crockpot!
Now for your request for a cocktail meatball recipe--I've got a great O. and you cannot mess this O. up! When you're mixing the sauce...add more ketchup if it looks like you need extra.....
This is an awesome family recipe we've used for years. The original recipe (from family reunions) calls for 4 lbs. ground beef but I'll cut that in half for you!
2 lbs. ground meat (leaner is better)
1/2 small can Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 avg bottle of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar (white or red wine)
1-1/2 to 2 cups ketchup
1 large onion, chopped fine
Mix beef, milk and breadcrumbs. Roll into small balls and place in 13x9 baking dish. (It will feel sticky due to the condensed milk)
Mix in separate bowl: ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, sugar and chopped onions.
Pour sauce over meatballs. bake at 350 for about an 60-75 mins, stirring halfway.
Watch them disappear! These are really yummy! Hope you like them.
a leaner meat will produce less grease and therefore thicker sauce. and try adding grape jelly to the sauce (not for thickness, just for yumminess).
See what Beth wrote.
When you pour off the juices, pour them in a pyrex measuring cup and place it in your frig. The grease will float to the top. Use a fork to lift off the grease. Use the "juice" in soup or gravy or in mashed potatoes instead of water.
Good luck to you and yours.
Are you mixing it with flour? That may help.
I reduce bulls eye so it tastes like the sauce at Applebee's by cooking on med low in a pot without the lid. Don't put the lid on because all the moisture will stay in the sauce and it will just get thin and runny. Oh, I don't cookwith crock pots but I'm sure that if you could take the lid off or leave it cracked for the last couple of hours and watch it it would help.
Don't add as much sauce.
All your answers have been great so far. We do as Beth suggested... cook the meat first then add the sauce.
Also, depending what kind of flavor you are going for you could always add some tomatoe paste to your sauce to help thicken it as weel. But, as another mom suggested too, a jelly will help sweeten it, and a tom paste would give it more of a tangy taste. So, decided what "flavor" you are going for before adding extra ingredients.
Good luck!
