Grilled Meatballs with a Cherry Cola Asian Sauce take less than 15 minutes to grill. Form the meatballs ahead of time and grill it at your BBQ.
When we grill, Jason is definitely the outside guy and I am the in charge of anything inside, like making the sauce or marinade. We decided to try something new and make this awesome Grilled Meatballs Recipe.
I didn’t want a normal ketchup-based BBQ sauce to go with those. Instead, it had to be something a bit different. I started with the core ingredients in Cherry Cola BBQ Sauce and experimented. What I came up with was DELISH! The final product has a bit of a kick to it thanks to the Asian Sweet Chili Sauce. It isn’t too spicy – but there is hint. I wanted to mention it just in case you wanted to adjust.
🍲 Preparation
This sauce took no time to make and stores very well in the refrigerator. I didn’t make it ahead this time and wish I had because it also thickens beautifully overnight in the fridge!
Step One: Combine the onion and the oil in a pan to sauté until they turn golden brown. This took about seven minutes.
Step Two: Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and let simmer for up to 45 minutes. This process helps the delicious concoction thicken.
Step Three: Combine all the ingredients and gently mix with your hands.
Step Four: Once you’ve mixed everything, form them into 1 -1 ½ inch balls and set aside for the grill.
Note: Add breadcrumbs instead of Panko if you like. We tried both in the past and gravitate to the Panko in our cooking!
🔥 Grilling Instructions
Step One: Heat the grill to 325 degrees.
Step Two: Once the grill is up to temperature, place the meatballs on the grill for five minutes and turn them over. Brush with the Asian Sauce.
Step Three: Keep the meatballs on for another five minutes. Turn them over and brush on more sauce. They should be cooked through at this point. Use a wireless meat thermometer to make sure the temperature has reached 165 degrees.
Step Four: Remove and serve.
💡 Recipe Tips
Monitor the temperature closely. You don’t want the meatballs to overcook and become too hard! It is very easy – and fast – for them to go from a medium cook temperature to overcooked very fast.
Brushing on the Asian Sauce. For a spectacular basting, brush 2-3 times in the last few minutes of grilling. Brushing more than once allows the sugar to thicken and really start to mesh with the meatball rather than just falling off into the coals. Brushing and waiting for a few seconds before brushing again is key to a nice, thick sauce and delicious meatballs.
Use a GrillGrate. This is optional, but I find it very useful. Usually, I like to use this to leave sear marks on my steaks. In this case, it served two purposes: 1) It eliminated hot spots on the grill, so the grill surface cooked evenly; and 2) It minimized the sauce from dripping into the coals, causing flare ups.
Related Recipes
Smoky Grilled Meatloaf – This is an easy recipe that I like to grill using disposable aluminum pans. It makes cleanup a breeze. The richness of the smoke flavor takes this classic recipe to new heights.
Grilled Taco Stuffed Peppers – If you have never grilled stuffed peppers, today is the day. These have a taco seasoning and are silly-easy to grill. I made a bunch of extra for my work lunches. They reheated fantastic
Grilled Beer Brat Chili – This is fun recipe that makes a large serving and is virtually dump-and-go. I use this for football games when friends come over to eat as it doesn’t require a lot of attention while it is on the grill.
Grilled Meatballs with a Tangy Chili Asian Sauce
Ingredients
Cherry Cola Asian Sauce
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Onion large, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 bottle Sweet Chili Sauce 12oz bottle
- 1 jar Cherry Jam 12oz jar
- 1 cup Cherry Cola
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
Grilled Meatballs
- 1 lb Ground Beef 80% lean
- 1/3 cup Milk
- 1 Egg whisked
- 1/2 cup Panko Crumbs
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
Instructions
Cherry Cola Asian Sauce
- Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook until golden brown
- Add garlic and cook an additional one minute
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Once it boils, simmer on low for 45 minutes.
- Allow to cool
Grilled Meatballs
- Heat grill to 325
- Combine all the ingredients and form into 1- 1 1/2 inch balls
- Grill for five minutes. Brush on the Asian Sauce and turn over.
- Grill for an additional five minutes and brush on more Asian Sauce.
- Grill until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
Notes
Nutrition
