Description
These Crockpot Guinness Glazed Meatballs are a hearty and flavorful dish combining tender ground beef meatballs with a rich, tangy Guinness and tomato-based glaze. Perfect for a comforting meal, the meatballs are first baked to lock in juices, then slow-cooked in a crockpot with a robust sauce infused with Guinness beer, barbecue sauce, and spices, offering a perfect balance of savory and slightly sweet flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs:
- 2 lbs. extra lean ground beef
- ¾ cups seasoned dried bread crumbs
- ½ cup minced onion
- â…“ cup Guinness beer
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sauce:
- ½ tablespoon oil
- ½ cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 ½ cups Guinness beer
- 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
- ½ cup barbeque sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon thyme
Garnish:
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare sheet pan: Preheat your oven to 375℉. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper to prevent the meatballs from sticking and to ensure even cooking.
- Make and bake meatballs: In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the ground beef, seasoned bread crumbs, minced onion, Guinness beer, minced garlic, eggs, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper using your hands or a large spoon. Shape the mixture into 1 ½ inch meatballs and place them evenly spaced on the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 15 minutes until partially cooked, then transfer the meatballs into your crockpot.
- Sauté aromatics: While the meatballs bake, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic cloves and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the onion softens and becomes translucent, enhancing the flavor base of your sauce.
- Prepare Guinness glaze: Whisk in the Guinness beer, tomato paste, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and thyme into the sautéed onions and garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes to meld the flavors and thicken the sauce slightly.
- Slow cook in crockpot: Pour the prepared Guinness glaze over the partially baked meatballs in the crockpot. Set the crockpot to low and cook the meatballs for 2 to 3 hours until they are tender and fully infused with the rich flavors of the sauce.
- Garnish and serve: Once cooked through, sprinkle chopped parsley over the meatballs to add freshness and color. Serve the meatballs hot, ideally over mashed potatoes for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Notes
- Using extra lean ground beef helps reduce fat but still keeps the meatballs tender.
- Partially baking the meatballs before slow cooking ensures they hold together and develop a nice crust.
- The Guinness beer adds a rich, malty flavor and depth to both the meatballs and sauce.
- If you don’t have Guinness, a stout beer substitute can be used but will alter the flavor slightly.
- For thicker sauce, simmer the glaze longer before adding to the crockpot.
- These meatballs freeze well for make-ahead meals.
- Serving over creamy mashed potatoes or buttered noodles balances the robust sauce beautifully.
