Spice up game-day with these Dr. Pepper meatballs

Sweet and tangy thanks to the combination of ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and Dr. Pepper, with a smell that sets stomachs growling, these Dr. Pepper meatballs are the perfect game-day treat.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of ketchup
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 can Dr. Pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 lbs. frozen meatballs

Instructions

1. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a dutch oven and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
2. Cook sauce over medium heat and stir constantly until everything is all blended together (about five minutes or so).
3. Add in meatballs, you can use fresh or frozen (no thawing necessary), and stir to coat.
4. Continue to cook over medium heat and bring sauce to a light boil. Stir the meatballs gently every so often, being careful not to break up the meatballs.
5. Simmer for about 20 minutes (or so) until the sauce is reduced and coats the meatballs well.
6. Serve Dr. Pepper Meatballs over rice, riced cauliflower and nestle some meatballs along with the sauce on top. If you are serving these for a party or, put them on a platter with toothpicks!

Store Dr. Pepper meatball leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat in the microwave.

Tips for making Dr. Pepper meatballs

You can use regular Dr. Pepper, Generic Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper or even Dr. Pepper Zero. You could also use Coke. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could try another soda flavor!

In this recipe both fresh or frozen meatball options are already cooked. But you could make this with uncooked meatballs because the heat and time are plenty long enough to get them done. Just be a little more careful in stirring because they are gonna break apart easier and they will be tempted to stick to the bottom of the pot.

For a different flavor, substitute the ketchup for your favorite BBQ sauce. You can’t go wrong with Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce.

If you like, add a garnish of chopped fresh parsley or green onion.

For heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes. For a more savory flavor, add a teaspoon of onion powder.