Do you need something quick, saucy, and flavorful? These Slow Cooker BBQ Bacon-Ranch Meatballs are perfect for an appetizer, a tailgate snack, or dinner!
Slow Cooker BBQ Bacon Ranch Meatballs
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This combination of barbecue sauce, bacon, ranch, and ground beef seems like a masterpiece, doesn’t it? Not quite everyone in my house agreed…
We got in a big struggle of wills at our house over these meatballs. I thought for sure these Slow Cooker BBQ Bacon-Ranch Meatballs would be a huge hit. And they were. With my husband. And with my friends. But not with my almost-5-year-old.
He claims he doesn’t like meatballs (lies).
Or bacon (lies).
Or ranch (lies – seriously, have you ever met a 5-year-old who didn’t like ranch?).
Or BBQ sauce (that one might be true).
So the Pre-Kindergartner wouldn’t eat it. (Yes, he’s a Pre-Kindergartner. Not a Pre-Schooler. It’s a big distinction. And he will make sure you know it.)
But. All the adults loved these meatballs. And I suspect that if I had just called these Bacon-Ranch Meatballs, the Pre-K’er would have liked them as well. Instead, he got plain meatballs out of the freezer. With a piece of bacon and some ranch on the side. Sigh.
Also, in hindsight? I sort of knew this was coming and I should have left some meatballs plain to begin with.
For those of you who don’t mind different sauces being mixed together, you are going to love these meatballs!
Enjoy!
Free Printable Ground Beef Buyer’s Guide
Have you ever gotten confused at the grocery store when you’re trying to pick out ground beef for tonight’s dinner? We can help! This Ground Beef Buyer’s Guide has everything you need to know about buying ground beef, plus you can download a free printable cheat sheet to keep handy in your kitchen or your purse!
Tools for Cooking with Ground Beef
Every kitchen needs a few basic tools… These are ones that I use all the time when I’m cooking with ground beef!
- 5-Quart Saute Pan
- Mix and Chop
- 6-Quart Slow Cooker
- Instant-Read Digital Thermometer
- Probe-Style Digital Thermometer
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Printable Recipe Card for Slow Cooker BBQ Bacon Ranch Meatballs
Slow Cooker BBQ-Ranch Meatballs
Ingredients
- 32- ounce bag frozen homestyle meatballs
- 6 slices bacon about 1/2 pound
- 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
- 1 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Place frozen meatballs in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Chop bacon into roughly bite-size pieces and add to slow cooker. (Do not cook the bacon first.)
- In a small bowl, combine barbecue sauce and ranch dressing. Mix well.
- Pour sauce over meatballs and bacon, mix to coat meatballs with the sauce.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, until the meatballs are heated through.
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Hi, I’m sorry about all the flooding, but glad you and family are safe. I enjoyed your video about storm and recipes.
I just want to ask, for the BBQ ranch meatballs, doesn’t the bacon get all soggy?, or I guess it is just for the flavor. I do want to try it, sounds really good.
Thanks for recipe.
Oh, how I feel your pain. My son was the pickiest of eaters ever! He wouldn’t touch beef or pork (except for bacon) or any veggie. He would only eat Chicken Nuggets from McDonald’s. He would literally gag if you tried to get him to try the tiniest of bites. There is hope, his tastes did change as he got older (almost to his senior year in high school, before we saw any change). Be patient, there is hope for your son. I have pinned the recipe….he may try it..he does eat beef now!
It seems like my son’s tastes change from morning to evening sometimes! Crazy kid. We just keep trying new things and the old things again and again!
Hi, Mary! Yes, the flooding was kind of a pain, but we are all safe and sound! The bacon does not get crisp in this recipe. It is mainly there for the flavor, but it can be eaten with the meatballs! It’s not soggy, but it’s not crisp like you would eat bacon and eggs. It’s just tender. I hope you enjoy the meatballs!