Cheese Stuffed Meatballs (Smoked & Sauced)

These cheese stuffed meatballs are packed with melty Oaxaca cheese, seasoned with BBQ rub, and smoked low and slow until they’re glazed in barbecue sauce. I stuff a beef-and-pork mix with cheese, seal the seams, chill the balls, then smoke them so you get a clean cheese pull instead of a cheese volcano.

Tired of stuffed meatballs that blow out the second you bite into them? These hold their cheese every time.

I’m Christie, a girl who loves to grill, and this is by far my favorite meatball recipe. I’ve smoked up small batches for friends and made big batches by the hundreds to cater events, so I’ve worked out exactly how to keep the cheese inside instead of on your sheet pan.

What are cheesy meatballs?

Cheese stuffed meatballs are exactly what they sound like: a seasoned meatball with a cube of cheese tucked into the center instead of mixed throughout. As the meatball smokes, the cheese melts into a pocket of gooey filling, so every bite has that pull instead of just a hint of cheese flavor mixed into the meat.

The technique is simple, but it takes a little care to get right. Stuff too much cheese in, skip the chill time or smoke over direct heat, and you’ll end up with cheese pooled on your sheet pan instead of inside the meatball. Below, I’ll walk through the method I use to get a clean cheese pull every time.

Ingredients

• Panko Breadcrumbs: With all of my meatball recipes, I start with a combination of panko breadcrumbs and milk. This provides moisture and acts as a binder.
• Milk: Use whole milk for the best flavor, or low-fat milk if you want to reduce calories.
• Meat: This base recipe uses a combination of ground pork and ground beef. For extra flavorful meatballs, use meat that is either 70% lean and 30% fat or 80/20. You can experiment with other meats like chorizo, chicken or Italian sausage.
• Herbs and Garlic: Fresh parsley and fresh garlic cloves add natural brightness.
• Seasonings: My pork rub is a perfect blend for these meatballs. You can play around with the flavor profile and use other blends like taco seasoning or Italian seasoning or simple salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
• Oaxaca Cheese: I usually use Oaxaca because it’s mild and melts clean. Mozzarella is the swap in the variation below. String cheese cut into cubes also works. Use block cheese you can cube, not a fluffy shredded pile, when you want the stuffing to stay inside.
• Sauce: Choose your favorite BBQ sauce or glaze.

See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.

How to make cheese stuffed meatballs

Disclosure: I am a paid ambassador for Cowboy Charcoal.

This recipe will make about 24 meatballs. Refrigerate the meatballs while you heat up your grill.

PRO TIP: You can make the meatballs in advance up to this point and keep them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can also freeze the raw meatballs at this point. Then, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before smoking. 

Adding rub creates layers of flavor inside the meat and on the crust as it forms.

PRO TIP: While the meatballs are smoking, some may start to ooze cheese. If this happens, just rotate the meatballs so the cheese is on top. 

How to serve smoked cheese stuffed meatballs

Remove the meatballs from the grill to a serving plate. Garnish with a little chopped fresh parsley for color. Serve with toothpicks and extra barbecue sauce.

If you’re serving these cheesy, juicy meatballs as a main course, plan on 4 per person, depending on how many sides you have. If you’re serving them as an appetizer, plan on 2 per person.

You can also pile them into a hoagie roll for a meatball sub.

Variations of cheese stuffed meatballs

There are several ways you can make this recipe with just a few tweaks to change the flavor profile. Here are some of my favorite combinations.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Use ground beef and ground sausage. Substitute the BBQ rub with 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Instead of Oaxaca cheese, use a mozzarella cube. Skip the BBQ sauce and serve with marinara sauce. For the garnish, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.

Mexican Meatballs

Use ground beef and ground chorizo. Substitute the BBQ rub with taco seasoning. Instead of fresh parsley, add in cilantro or roasted green chiles or poblano peppers. Use the same cheese. Instead of barbecue sauce, brush with raspberry chipotle sauce.

Thai Meatballs

Use ground beef and pork, but add in 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and use cilantro instead of parsley. Instead of the BBQ rub, use a combination of kosher salt, black pepper, turmeric and lime zest. Replace the barbecue sauce with sweet chili sauce.

How to keep cheese from leaking out of stuffed meatballs

Here’s how I cut down on leaky cheese without changing the 300F degrees smoke.

• Seal the seams: After you tuck in the Oaxaca cube, roll until no cheese peeks out. Fully cover the cheese with meat.
• Don’t overstuff: Stick to about 1/2-inch cubes so the meat wall stays thick enough.
• Chill before smoke: Refrigerate the shaped meatballs while you heat the grill. Cold meat holds the seal better. You can also shape them ahead and keep them in the fridge 2-3 days.
• Start with firm cubes: Cut block Oaxaca into cubes and chill them hard so they stay put while you roll. Block cheese beats shredded for stuffing.
• Indirect heat: Smoke over indirect heat so you’re not blasting one side. If a little cheese starts to ooze, rotate that meatball so the leak faces up.
• Don’t keep poking the center: Cook until the meat is done and the glaze is tacky. Repeated thermometer stabs into the cheese pocket invite leaks.

Storage

Cooked meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. You can then reheat them in the microwave.

You can also freeze cooked meatballs for up to six months in a freezer bag. To reheat them, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then warm them in a microwave or oven. Keep an eye on them though, because the cheese may ooze out, so you may need to rotate them as they’re heating.