If you love a good homemade meatloaf, these Smoked Pepper Jack Meatloaf Meatball Sliders might be even better. They have all the flavors of classic meatloaf — including lots and lots of onion and that sticky sweet meatloaf glaze — but each little meatloaf meatball is stuffed with pepper jack cheese, smoked on the Kamado Joe, and served on a soft Hawaiian roll.
Basically, I took meatloaf and made it potluck food.
I wanted something I could smoke for a party that wasn’t the usual ribs or pulled pork. Meatballs seemed easy enough, but plain meatballs weren’t going to cut it. So these are made more like my favorite meatloaf: plenty of onion, Worcestershire, ketchup and seasonings, with a cube of pepper jack hidden in the center.
Then instead of barbecue sauce, they get brushed with actual meatloaf glaze while they’re on the smoker.
That part is important. Don’t turn these into BBQ meatballs. The sweet and tangy ketchup-based glaze is what makes them taste like little smoked meatloaves.
Ingredients
For the Smoked Meatloaf Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground beef, preferably 80/20 or 85/15 – pork or chicken
- 1 large sweet onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6–8 ounces pepper jack cheese, cut into cubes
For the Meatloaf Glaze
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Black pepper to taste
For the Sliders
- 12 Hawaiian rolls
- Melted butter for brushing
- Additional pepper jack cheese, optional
How to Make Smoked Meatloaf Meatballs
Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl. Let them sit for several minutes so the breadcrumbs can absorb the milk.
Add the ground beef, eggs, cooled onions and garlic, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika.
Use your hands to gently combine everything. Don’t overwork the beef. Mix only until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Stuff Them With Pepper Jack
Cut the pepper jack into small cubes.
Divide the meat mixture into approximately 12 large portions. Flatten one portion in your hand, put a cube of pepper jack in the middle, and form the meat around the cheese.
Make sure you completely seal the cheese inside.
If there’s a crack or thin spot, the cheese will find it. And then you’ll have delicious pepper jack all over your smoker instead of inside your meatball.
Smoking the Meatballs
Set up your Kamado Joe or other smoker for indirect cooking at 275°F.
Place the meatballs directly on the grill grate or put them on a wire rack set over a pan for easier handling.
Smoke until the internal temperature reaches approximately 140–145°F.
While they’re smoking, stir together all of the meatloaf glaze ingredients.
Once the meatballs hit that 140–145°F range, brush them generously with glaze.
Let the first layer get hot and sticky, then brush them again.
Continue cooking until the center of the meatballs reaches 160°F.
That second coating of glaze is worth it. You want a shiny, sticky layer around the outside rather than just a hint of sauce.
Make the Meatloaf Meatball Sliders
Now for the fun part.
Split the Hawaiian rolls and arrange the bottoms in a foil pan or baking dish. Place one smoked meatloaf meatball on each roll.
You can stop there because there’s already pepper jack hiding inside, or add another thin piece of pepper jack over the top if you want them extra cheesy.
Add the tops of the Hawaiian rolls and lightly brush them with melted butter.
Put the entire pan back on the smoker for about 5–10 minutes, just until the rolls are warm and the cheese is melted.
I wouldn’t bake these forever after assembling them. Hawaiian rolls are already soft and sweet. You’re just warming everything together.
Don’t Skip the Extra Glaze
If I’m making these for a potluck, I’m bringing extra meatloaf glaze.
After the sliders are warmed, you can lift the tops and add another small spoonful of glaze to each meatball before serving.
Don’t drown them. You still want to taste the smoke, beef, onion and pepper jack.
Can You Make Them Ahead?
Absolutely, which is another reason these are great party food.
You can prepare the meat mixture and form the stuffed meatballs earlier in the day. Keep them covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to smoke.
You can also completely smoke them ahead of time and reheat them gently before assembling the sliders. Save some glaze for reheating so they don’t dry out.
For the best texture, though, wait to put them on the Hawaiian rolls until shortly before serving. Otherwise the sauce and meat juices can eventually make the bottoms soggy.
What Wood Should You Use?
For beef meatloaf, I like a wood with enough flavor to actually notice it.
Hickory is great here, especially with the sweet glaze. Cherry is another good choice and gives the outside of the meatballs beautiful color.
Or do what I often do and use a combination of hickory and cherry.
You don’t need a ton of smoke. These are relatively small compared with a whole meatloaf, so they’ll pick up smoke flavor quickly.
What to Serve With Meatloaf Meatball Sliders
For a party or potluck, these don’t really need much. They’re already meat, cheese, sauce and bread in one little package.
They’re especially good alongside smoked wings, mac and cheese, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans or a tray of veggies and dip.
And make more than you think you’ll need.
A giant slice of meatloaf feels like dinner. A little meatloaf meatball stuffed with pepper jack and sitting on a Hawaiian roll somehow feels like a snack — which means people will happily eat three of them. 😂
