Barbecue-Glazed Beef Meatballs

Why it works

Crushed tortilla chips soak up the meat juices and bind the mix the way breadcrumbs would, and mixing only until combined keeps the meatballs tender. Basting partway through lets the barbecue sauce set into a glaze without scorching.

Associated with

American home cooking

Meatballs reached American kitchens largely through European cooking traditions. This version binds the beef with crushed tortilla chips and bastes it with barbecue sauce, a condiment rooted in American barbecue.

Skill level

Easy

One bowl and one tray; the main skill is a gentle hand and a thermometer check.

You'll practice: Mix ground meat only until combined, Shape even meatballs, Bake and baste on one tray, Check doneness with a food thermometer

Allergens

Contains: egg.

Check the barbecue sauce label for soy, wheat and fish (anchovy in Worcestershire), and the tortilla chip label for wheat.

Diets

Vegetarian: Doesn't fit as writtenPescatarian: Doesn't fit as writtenVegan: Doesn't fit as writtenDairy: See the allergen linesEgg: See the allergen linesGluten: See the allergen lines

Occasions

• Everyday dinners and casual gatherings · everyday dish

  A family main course or party bite; we found no holiday tied to it. It does not fit Lenten abstinence days because beef is meat.

Course: main-dish · Technique: bake · Time: 30-to-60-minutes, make-ahead, freezer-friendly

Food safety

• The mixture holds raw beef and raw egg: do not taste it, and wash your hands, bowl and tools after shaping.
• Baste with a clean brush or spoon from sauce poured into its own bowl, not from the jar.
• Check the center of the largest meatballs with a food thermometer: 160 °F (71 °C).
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 165 °F (74 °C).

We make no statement about cross-contact in your kitchen or in packaged ingredients. Check the barbecue sauce, ketchup and tortilla chip labels.

Swap notes

• ground beef (80% lean) · vegetarian

  Works with changes

  Use: plant-based ground meat, same weight

  What changes: Follow the package guidance for doneness.; Choose a barbecue sauce without Worcestershire made with anchovy.; The egg stays, so this is ovo-vegetarian.

  Not a swap: A barbecue sauce that lists Worcestershire sauce made with anchovy.

• ground beef (80% lean) · halal.general

  Works with changes

  Use: halal-certified ground beef

  What changes: No change to the method.

  Not a swap: Beef without certification, where your school requires it.

• ground beef (80% lean) · kosher.mainstream

  Works with changes

  Use: kosher ground beef, with certified chips, sauces and spices

  What changes: No change to the method; no dairy is listed.

  Not a swap: Cheese or other dairy in the mix or glaze.

• garlic powder

  Works with changes

  Use: more smoked paprika in place of the garlic and onion powder, with a barbecue sauce whose label lists no onion, garlic or high-fructose corn syrup

  What changes: Less savory; the smoked paprika and cayenne still season the mix.

  Not a swap: Ordinary ketchup and barbecue sauce, which usually contain onion and corn syrup.

• light brown sugar

  Works with changes

  Use: half the brown sugar and a reduced-sugar barbecue sauce

  What changes: Less sweet and less sticky.

  Not a swap: Honey or maple syrup in place of the brown sugar, which adds sugar back.

• salt

  Works with changes

  Use: half the salt and unsalted tortilla chips

  What changes: Less salty; the sauce still seasons the outside.

  Not a swap: Salted seasoning blends, which add sodium back.

These notes don't change the amounts, allergens or nutrition shown for this recipe.