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If you’re looking for a meatball recipe that’s both incredibly delicious and easy to make, look no further than these Drunken Whiskey Bourbon Meatballs! Tender, juicy, made with a blend of ground beef or pork, and tossed with a glossy whiskey-infused sauce, these drunk meatballs make the ideal appetizer or main meal over mashed potatoes or rice.
Table of Contents
About these drunken meatballs
While I love TGI Friday’s meatballs, you know what I love even more?! Full control over ingredients, reducing meal expenses, and enjoying mouth-watering food straight from my kitchen! These Drunken Whiskey Bourbon Meatballs are soft and moist, packed with herbs and spices, and tossed in a thick Jack Daniel’s whiskey-infused glaze.
The glaze is slightly sweet with a touch of boozy flavor, and a subtle kick of heat. Baking the meatballs instantly makes this drunken meatballs recipe a healthier option for the family.
Enjoy your bourbon meatballs as party appetizers or a main meal served over pasta, mashed potato, or rice.
Why this recipe for drunk meatballs works
You won’t get drunk on these bourbon meatballs, but you may get hooked! Here’s why you’ll love this dish:
- Healthy. Baking the meatballs and having full control of the ingredients makes this a nutritious recipe.
- Restaurant-quality! Enjoy restaurant-quality bourbon whiskey meatballs without the expense of eating out.
- Make ahead. Make the meatballs and glaze in advance to reduce the recipe time.
- Appetizer or main meal! Serve these whiskey meatballs as delicious party appetizers or a hearty family meal.
Ingredients for bourbon meatballs
Bourbon meatballs appetizer is loaded with flavor, soft, moist, and saucy! Here’s everything you need:
Meatball ingredients
- Ground chicken – I don’t recommend using all ground chicken breast!
- Substitution: Ground turkey, ground pork, or ground beef. This will change the taste of the meatballs but the recipe will still be great!
- Garlic cloves – Minced. For the bourbon whiskey meatballs and the glaze.
- Yellow onion – Finely diced. For the drunken meatballs and the glaze.
- Substitution: Shallots.
- Curly parsley leaves – Washed, dried, and minced.
- Panko bread crumbs – Homemade breadcrumbs can also be used.
- Cayenne pepper – For a kick of heat in the bourbon glazed meatballs and the glaze. Increase or decrease to suit your preference.
- Dried oregano – Freshly juiced.
- Poultry seasoning
- Kosher salt and black pepper – Popular savory dish staples!
- Substitution: Flaky sea salt works great too!
- Large egg – Helps to bind the meatball mixture.
- Buttermilk – Adds moisture for ultra-juicy meatballs.
- Substitution: Sour cream or half-and-half.
- Chicken stock – Unsalted
- Substitution: Unsalted vegetable stock or beef stock.
- Pineapple juice – Bottled or juice from canned pineapple pieces.
- Teriyaki sauce
- Reduced sodium soy sauce
- Dark brown sugar
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed is best, but bottled juice can be used in a pinch.
- Jack Daniels whiskey – The alcohol burns away from the heat of the cooking, leaving you with irresistible bourbon flavor.
- Substitution: Use your favorite brand of whiskey.
- Cornstarch – Helps to thicken the glaze.
Variations of these football meatballs
- Ground chicken. Use ground pork, ground beef, or ground turkey for a slightly different flavor to these bourbon cocktail meatballs.
- Spice level. Increase the cayenne pepper in the meatball mixture and glaze for an extra kick of heat or omit it completely!
- Whisky. You can omit the alcohol if you wish. A non-alcoholic substitute, such as Lyre’s American Malt can be used or you can increase the pineapple juice and add apple cider vinegar.
How to make whiskey meatballs
Tips for making jack daniels meatballs
- Ground meat. Use ground chicken, NOT all ground chicken breast! Trust me, all ground chicken breast will result in dry and crumbling meatballs, which you don’t want.
- Glaze. Extra glaze can be used to coat chicken breast, tofu, pork, beef ribs…pretty much anything! Make it a day ahead to reduce overall recipe time.
- Quality ingredients. For the best flavor and results, always use high-quality ingredients.
FAQs: frequently asked questions
What binds meatballs together?
This bourbon meatball recipe uses egg and Panko breadcrumbs as binding agents, preventing the Jack Daniels meatballs from falling apart.
Why add milk when making meatballs?
Milk or buttermilk adds flavor and moisture to this drunken meatball recipe to help the meatballs keep their shape.
Should meatballs be fried or cooked in sauce?
Simmering meatballs in a sauce can increase flavor and moisture, although you can easily bake or fry your meatballs instead.
Is it better to bake or fry meatballs before putting in sauce?
Baking or frying meatballs creates an outer crust on the meatballs which helps them keep shape and not fall apart. Cooking the meatballs in sauce adds a lot of extra flavor, but the meatballs may be softer.
Do you have to brown meatballs before baking them?
No. Meatballs can be baked raw without browning them.
Serving whiskey bourbon meatballs
The best thing about these saucy meatballs is their versatility in serving!
How to serve bourbon meatball appetizer?
Serve these drunken meatballs in a fondue pot with the burner lit to keep the meatballs warm. Or if you are looking to transport the meatballs to a potluck or party, add them to a crock pot or slow cooker to keep them warm.
What to serve this bourbon meatballs recipe?
Turn these whiskey meatballs into a hearty and comforting meal by serving them over mashed potato, noodles, or rice.
Storing bourbon whiskey meatballs
How long will meatballs keep?
- Store leftover bourbon whiskey meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator with leftover glaze for 3 days.
- Make the bourbon sauce for meatballs a day in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Can you freeze them?
Yes! Allow the meatballs to cool completely and then store them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and reheat.
Reheating instructions
Reheat leftover glazed meatballs in a saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through. Glaze that has been made in advance can be reheated over low heat until warmed before tossing freshly baked meatballs in the glaze.
These crazy-delicious drunken meatballs are sticky and boozy – perfect for potlucks and parties or as hearty family meals that everyone will love!
Cheyanne
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More meatballs recipes!
Jack Daniels Glazed Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- Meatballs:
- 1 pound Ground Chicken (preferably NOT all ground chicken breast)
- 3 Cloves Garlic – minced
- ½ Small Yellow Onion – finely diced (about ½ cup)
- 3 TBS Curly Parsley Leaves - Minced
- ½ Cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ½ tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Poultry Seasoning
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Large Egg – beaten
- 2 TBS Buttermilk
- Glaze: (yields roughly 1 cup)
- ¾ Cup Unsalted Chicken Stock
- 1 Cup Pineapple Juice
- 1/3 Cup Teriyaki Sauce
- 1 ½ TBS Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar , packed
- 3 TBS Lemon Juice
- ¼ Cup Yellow Onion – finely diced (about a quarter of a medium sized onion)
- 3 Cloves Garlic - minced
- ¼ Cup Jack Daniels Whiskey
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 TBS + 1 tsp Cornstarch
Instructions
- For the Glaze: In a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the stock, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar. Bring contents to a boil.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for the Cornstarch.
- Immediately reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer glaze, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 1 hour.
- Mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water. Slowly whisk into the glaze. Continue to simmer until thickened to desired consistency, about 5 additional minutes.
- Meanwhile, Make the Meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all of the meatball ingredients. Use your hands to mix ingredients together, being sure NOT to over mix the meatballs. For medium sized meatballs, scoop 2 tablespoons of chicken mixture into hands and form into a ball. Place onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into a meatball reads 165 degrees F.
- Toss the meatballs with the glaze.
- Serve immediately with additional glaze on the side for dipping.
Notes
*Glaze can be made a day in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Reheat in a small saucepan over medium low heat until warmed throughout, stirring occasionally. Toss with hot meatballs.
*Glazed meatballs will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to three days.
*To reheat glazed meatballs: Place in a medium sized saucepan over medium low heat and cook, stirring occasionally until warmed throughout.
Nutrition
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Teresa
This was my first visit to your site and saw these and just had to let you know these were amazing. Friday’s has always been one my three go-to restaurants for casual dining. I am curious, do you have a recipe for their rice pilaf? I didn’t know I liked rice until I tried theirs and I can’t find a copycat for it anywhere.
Cheyanne
Hi Teresa,
I’m so thrilled to hear you enjoyed the meatballs!! Thank you for coming back and letting me know how it went over!
Unfortunately, I do not have a copycat recipe for their rice pilaf. And, in full disclosure, I’ve never actually tried their rice. However, from glancing at it on their site, it looks as though they just cook jasmine rice pilaf-style with garlic and finely diced yellow onions, and then stir in diced red bell pepper and fresh minced parsley before serving. I would say you can probably easily recreate it at home. I’d prepare your favorite jasmine rice pilaf recipe (make sure you use broth, onion and garlic when cooking it) and then stir in the bell peppers and parsley. Hopefully that gets you close to theirs! Sorry I couldn’t provide a recipe for you!!
All the best,
Cheyanne
Samantha Treadway
What othee meat do you suggest i use with the ground chicken? Ground turkey?
Cheyanne
Hi Samantha,
You can absolutely substitute ground turkey if desired! Cheers!!
Linda Harris
Hi I was wondering if you could do these with ground beef?
Cheyanne Bany
Hi Linda,
While I have never tried using ground beef for these meatballs myself, I don’t see why it couldn’t be substituted for the ground chicken. If you try it, let me know how it goes! Thank you so much for stopping by! Cheers!
RoadLord
Alright, these look great, probably gonna make ’em today!
One thing, though:
I really enjoyed your tale of the quest for flat-leaf parsley, then I notice your recipe calls for CURLY!
Is that right? ‘Cause I’m totally gonna use flat-leaf anyway, LOL!
Cheyanne Bany
RoadLord- Thank you for stopping by and actually enjoying my rambling on about my “quest”. 🙂 The recipe calls for curly, because that is all I could find during the very strange parsley shortage that went on around the Orlando area. You can most certainly use flat-leaf! I would have! However, flat-leaf is slightly more potent. So if you don’t want a lot of parsley flavor, you might want to cut the amount a tad. Cheers and thank you so much for stopping by!!
annie@ciaochowbambina
Yes! I am all about boozy sticky meatballs! Delicious!
Cheyanne Bany
Annie, you and me both Girlie! You can’t really go wrong with booze and meatballs, right?! 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by (and loving a boozy glazed meatball as much as I do). Cheers!
Sophia
These look amazing! We are a brand new blog and would love love love if you took a look around our blog! There is a recipe for Crunchy Chickpeas that we think you might like. http://www.almondandoat.com
Cheyanne Bany
Sophia, Thanks for stopping by and welcome to the food blog-e-sphere 🙂 I’m a newbie blogger too (still in my first year), and I am all for supporting one another! I will definately go check out your blog! Cheers!
Rachel (LittleChefBigAppetite)
I would eat all of these in one sitting!
Cheyanne Bany
Rachel, LOL… I had to refrain myself from doing just that! Well, and I knew Boy (husband) would kill me if I didn’t save him any 😉 Thank you so much for stopping by! Cheers!!
April @ Girl Gone Gourmet
Um, yes please! These look like the perfect Friday (at home!) happy hour treat 🙂
Cheyanne Bany
April, totally the perfect way to start the weekend. A little Jack for the Glaze and a little Jack for your drink (if you are 21 and older of course! Lol) cheers… literally! 🙂
Tammy Renea
Take that, TGI Fridays!!! haha This is a great post and recipe and that’s a good man you got there!
Cheyanne Bany
Tammy, your comments always have me giggling! Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving me with a huge smile on my face! **and of course for proving great writting and recipes on your own blog, that I drool over and love!!** ♡Cheers, pretty lady!
Gaila
OMG! that looks sooo good!!! Delicious! Bravo!
Cheyanne Bany
Gaila, Thanks girl! I’ll totally accept that praise 🙂 Mostly because the glaze with these chicken meatballs is just that good 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and Cheers!
Mary
That glaze is glistening with gooey Jack Daniels sauce looks delicious
Cheyanne Bany
Mary, Glaze rocks the house. Definately wayyyy better than TGI Fridays… just don’t tell them I said that! 🙂 xoxo
Karrie@TastyEverAfter
Oh no you did not!! Jack Daniel’s glazed anything is a big thumbs up in my book. I’ll put this glaze on top of itself and eat it! But I’ll probably try it with these lovely meatballs first. P.S. Your Hubby is too sweet driving all around town to get you the correct parsley. P.S.S. I bought up all the flat leafed parsley and I’m not sorry…
Cheyanne Bany
Karrie, I could totally drink the glaze alone too.. so freggin’ good! I did happen to lick my fingers clean, multiple times 🙂 If you lived in Orlando still, I would totally believe that you bought up all the dang parsley! lol. Cheers, chick-a-dee!!