Bacon Wrapped Meatballs (sweet and spicy)

4.80 from 5 votes. Tap stars to vote

Bacon Wrapped Meatballs (sweet and spicy)

Homemade chicken and pork meatballs wrapped in bacon with a spicy bite and a touch of maple syrup sweetness. Bacon Wrapped Meatballs are one of our most popular appetizers!

Prep Time45

Cook Time30

Chilling time1

Total Time2 15

Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Snack, Super Bowl Food

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Nancy Mock

Equipment

35 toothpicks, soaked in water for at least 1 hour

Ingredients

For the meat mixture:

1 pound ground chicken
1 pound ground pork
½ cup diced onion
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

To coat the meatballs:

1 pound smoked bacon strips
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup Vermont maple syrup

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Shape the meatballs:

Set a wire rack into a baking sheet and cover the rack with foil. Poke holes through the foil in several places.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together by hand the 1 pound ground chicken, 1 pound ground pork, ½ cup diced onion, ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Mix just until ingredients are evenly combined.
Use a cookie scoop or your hands to roll the meat mixture into 1½-inch balls.

Wrap the meatballs:

Cut the 1 pound smoked bacon strips into thirds.
Wrap a section of bacon around each meatball and skewer it in place with a soaked toothpick. Place it on the foil-covered rack.
Repeat with the remaining bacon pieces and meatballs.
Cover the meatballs loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Coat the meatballs:

Preheat oven to 375° F. When the oven is hot, take the meatballs from the fridge.
In a shallow dish mix together the ¾ cup packed light brown sugar and the ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Roll each bacon-wrapped meatball in the brown sugar mixture, pressing the sugar to the surface to thoroughly coat each one. Place the coated meatballs back onto the foil-covered rack.
Sprinkle leftover cayenne sugar over the tops of the meatballs. Drizzle ¼ cup Vermont maple syrup over the tops of the meatballs, about ½ teaspoon on each one.

Bake:

Bake the meatballs for about 30 minutes, until they're cooked through to an internal temperature of 160° F.
Use tongs to place the meatballs on a serving platter, and serve them while they're hot.
Makes about 35 bacon-wrapped meatballs.

Notes

Soak the toothpicks in water for an hour before skewering the meatballs. This will keep the toothpicks from burning in the oven.
Keep the bacon very cold until you're ready to wrap the meatballs. This will make it easier to separate and maneuver the strips.
The meatballs are quite spicy - to bring the heat down use less cayenne pepper in the sugar mixture.

Nutrition