Description
Juicy, cheesy, and loaded with smoky flavor, these Bourbon BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs are the ultimate comfort food! Perfectly browned meatballs simmered in bourbon BBQ sauce, topped with crispy bacon and melty cheddar, all tucked into toasted sub rolls. This crowd-pleasing sandwich is a delicious twist on your classic meatball sub.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (80/20 lean-to-fat ratio)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup bourbon BBQ sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 sub rolls
8 slices crispy bacon
Optional: chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix gently to combine.
Form mixture into 1.5-inch meatballs (about 16–20 total).
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides for about 5–7 minutes.
Return all meatballs to skillet if needed, pour in bourbon BBQ sauce, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring gently.
While simmering, slice sub rolls lengthwise, keeping a hinge. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes until golden.
Fill each toasted roll with 4–5 meatballs and spoon extra sauce over top.
Add ¼ cup shredded cheddar and 2 slices of crispy bacon per sub.
Return to oven for 2–3 minutes to melt cheese.
Serve hot with extra BBQ sauce on the side, if desired.
Notes
Want a spicy kick? Add a dash of cayenne to your meatball mix or use spicy BBQ sauce.
Don’t overwork your meat mixture—keep it light for juicy meatballs!
These meatballs are also amazing over mashed potatoes or rice if you want to skip the bun.
For meal prep, cook and freeze the meatballs in sauce. Toast the rolls and reheat when ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Sandwiches
- Method: Stovetop + Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sub
- Calories: 760 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 1020 mg
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Cholesterol: 135 mg