Smoked Meatball Sandwiches feature deeply flavored smoked meatballs served with a smoky marinara and melted cheese for an unforgettable sandwich. These meatballs are delicious on their own or piled into a roll for a hearty dinner.
Recipe Inspiration
Our neighbor Josh taught us how to make enormous, flavorful meatballs that stay juicy when smoked. We adapted his approach to create smaller meatballs ideal for sandwiches—about one-third the size of his originals—while retaining the same rich texture and smoky taste.
Josh generously shared his recipe, and with a few tweaks—swapping in a pork-and-beef blend and using a bacon paste as a binder—we arrived at smaller, sandwich-ready meatballs that honor his original creation.
How to Make Smoked Meatballs for the Best Meatball Sandwiches
- Mix equal parts ground pork and ground beef (hot Italian sausage works well for extra flavor). Add a bacon paste to bind the mixture instead of using the full amount of eggs. Combine dense bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, chopped garlic, chopped parsley, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix gently and form 2-inch meatballs.
- Smoke the meatballs at 250°F until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Warm the smoked meatballs in smoked marinara, load 3–4 meatballs into a roll with extra sauce, top with shredded mozzarella, and broil briefly until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasty.
These sandwiches are indulgent: juicy smoked meatballs bathed in rich smoked marinara and finished with gooey mozzarella. They’re simple to make and deliver big flavor.
Make them and you’ll understand why we love this recipe.
Smoked Meatball Sandwich Recipe
Smoked Meatball Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 3 pieces of bacon (to make bacon paste)
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups dense bread, shredded into crumbs
- 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
For 1 Sandwich
- 1 Banh Mi roll or your favorite sub roll
- 1/4 cup marinara sauce (smoked marinara recommended)
- 3–4 smoked meatballs
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
For the Smoked Meatballs
- Preheat your smoker to 250°F and use fruit wood for a mild, sweet smoke.
- Pulse the bacon in a food processor until it becomes a paste.
- In a large bowl, combine the bacon paste with the remaining meatball ingredients. Mix gently and form 2-inch meatballs.
- Place the meatballs directly on the smoker and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
For the Smoked Meatball Sandwich
- Warm the marinara in a medium saucepan and gently add the smoked meatballs to heat through.
- Turn your oven broiler to high.
- Assemble the sandwich: spoon sauce into the roll, add 3–4 meatballs, top with shredded mozzarella, and broil 2–4 minutes until the cheese melts and the bread toasts. Serve immediately.
Notes
If you want oversized meatballs like Josh’s originals, roll them to about baseball size and smoke until they reach 165°F internally. Larger meatballs will take longer—often up to an additional hour—so plan accordingly.
*For the smoked marinara sauce, use a smoked tomato sauce to reinforce the smoky profile of the sandwich.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 7g |
Protein: 9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Wine Pairing for Meatball Sandwiches
Choose a wine with enough body and acidity to match the smoky meat and the tomato-based sauce. Classic Italian reds such as Barbera, Chianti, Nero d’Avola, or Nebbiolo pair well with meatballs and marinara.
For a regional twist, a Pacific Northwest Tempranillo works nicely: it offers ripe fruit and richness balanced by good acidity to stand up to the sauce and melted cheese.
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