These spiced-up bison meatballs are egg and dairy free but they really deliver on flavor! Serve them up as an appetizer with a homemade, smoky BBQ sauce or as a main dish in only 30 minutes.
These meatballs are baked in the oven, allowing you to avoid adding oil in the cooking process.
Without the barbecue sauce, these meatballs are low-carb/keto because I don't use breadcrumbs as a filler. So if that is the kind of diet you follow, ditch the sauce and eat them on their own. They have enough spice and flavor to enjoy them that way. Bison meat is also paleo-friendly.
The bison I cook with in our home comes from a local farmer. This is a good way to support local if you can! Check out more of my ground bison recipes.
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Bison vs. Beef
Lower calories. Ground bison is an alternative to ground beef that is lower in fat and calories, but provides similar nutrients.
More protein. As an added bonus, ground bison is actually slightly higher in protein than beef and tastes amazing in recipes where beef is usually the star like in bison burgers, bison meatloaf and these bison meatballs.
Both have protein that is high in quality and provides all nine essential amino acids that our bodies need, making it a complete protein.
Similar flavor. As for flavor, they are said to be very similar, but I personally like the taste and texture of bison more.
Ingredients
- ground bison meat - Ground bison meat is naturally lean and can be found in grocery stores and farmers' markets.
- Worcestershire sauce - A popular addition to ground beef recipes, which also works great in bison. It has a complex flavor from its unique blend of ingredients: including vinegar, molasses, anchovies, and spices.
- ketchup - The sauce starts with a ketchup base—a bit of a shortcut, but it works beautifully.
- apple cider vinegar - To add flavor and tang to the sauce as well as help extend shelf life.
- brown sugar - Adds deeper flavor and sweetness to the sauce and balances out the flavors.
- honey - Honey is a popular ingredient in barbecue sauce for its natural sweetness and improved texture.
- garlic and onion powder - Not pictured.
- liquid smoke - It's a condensed version of smoke produced through the burning of wood. It adds nice, smoky flavor to the BBQ sauce.
*Check ingredient amounts in recipe card.
Chef's Note: If you aren’t following a keto diet, I highly recommend making this easy, zippy barbecue sauce to go with! This recipe makes plenty of it, so you can slather it on and refrigerate the leftovers for another meal. The liquid smoke gives it amazing flavor, so try to pick some up if you can!
How to Make Bison Meatballs
For the Meatballs
Step 1. Form the Ground Bison Meatballs. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Loosely form 1-inch balls with the ground meat and transfer them to the lined baking sheet.
Step 2. Bake. Bake the bison meatballs for 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until fully cooked.
For the Homemade BBQ Sauce
Step 1. Whisk Sauce Ingredients. Whisk the barbecue sauce ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
Step 2. Simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Step 3. Serve. Serve the bison meatballs with the barbecue sauce.
Joss' Tips
- Avoid Over-Mixing: Make sure not to overmix the raw meatball mixture. The less you handle the meat, the more tender they will be.
- Rest Before Cooking: Let the shaped, raw bison meatballs chill in the fridge for 15–30 minutes. This helps them hold their shape during cooking.
- Nail the Shape: Use a small scoop or wet hands to create evenly-sized balls for even cooking and appearance.
Storage & Reheating
- Leftover barbecue sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container or squeeze bottle for up to two weeks.
- Leftover bison meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 3 to 4 days. Meatballs are also freezer friendly. They can be frozen for up to 2 months for best results.
- The raw bison meatballs can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove, in the oven or in the microwave.
Bison Meatballs FAQs
Although there are still some bison grazing in the wild, you will mainly find them on farms in North America. In the US, eastern Montana and the western Dakotas are considered to be the bison heartland. In Canada, you will find a large portion of the herd in Saskatchewan.
If you're serving them as an appetizer, you can try different sauces, such as white BBQ sauce. As a main dish, they can be served with rice, over spaghetti, in a pasta or rice bowl or with vegetable side dishes such as this tomato burrata salad.
More Ground Bison Recipes to Try
If you tried this Bison Meatballs Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Bison Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground bison meat
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup yellow onion - diced
- ¼ cup red bell pepper - diced
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- 2 teaspoons thyme leaves - dried
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley - finely chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
For the BBQ Sauce
- 2 cups ketchup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Do not overmix.
- Loosely form 1-inch balls with the ground meat and transfer them to the lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until fully cooked.
Barbecue Sauce
- Meanwhile, whisk the barbecue sauce ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Serve the meatballs with the BBQ sauce.
Equipment
Notes
- Note on nutrition info: The nutrition information is for the meatballs and does not include the barbecue sauce.
- BBQ sauce storage: Leftover barbecue sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container or squeeze bottle for up to two weeks.
- Meatball storage: Leftover meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 3 to 4 days. They can be frozen for up to 2 months for best results. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat on the stove, in the oven or in the microwave.
- Raw meatball freezer option: The raw meatballs can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Low carb/keto option: Without the barbecue sauce, these meatballs are low-carb/keto because we aren’t using breadcrumbs as a filler. So if that is the kind of diet you follow, ditch the sauce and eat them on their own. They have enough spice and flavor to enjoy them that way. Bison meat is also paleo-friendly.
- Tips:
- Avoid Over-Mixing: Make sure not to overmix the raw meatball mixture. The less you handle the meat, the more tender they will be.
- Rest Before Cooking: Let the shaped, raw bison meatballs chill in the fridge for 15–30 minutes. This helps them hold their shape during cooking.
- Nail the Shape: Use a small scoop or wet hands to create evenly-sized balls for even cooking and appearance.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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