Party Meatballs in Guava Sauce

Party meatballs are made from ground pork and beef, quickly browned in the oven, and finished in a sweet and savory homemade guava sauce. This spin on the classic party meatballs in grape jelly (or cranberry sauce) recipe has a tropical flair thanks to sweet-tart guava paste and homemade sofrito. Party meatballs in guava sauce make a great entree for dinnertime as well. You’ll agree this recipe is versatile, tasty, and easy to make.

What Are Party Meatballs?

Cocktail meatballs, or baby shower meatballs, are an appetizer made with chili sauce and grape jelly. The standard recipe calls for ground beef and very little else. Most people use frozen, bagged meatballs to make cocktail meatballs, while others use homemade. 

I’ll be honest; I’ve never cared for the classic recipe. That chili sauce and Concord grape jelly flavor remind me of family dysfunction. Party meatballs made with frozen meatballs are even worse for me. It really doesn’t take a lot to create a flavorful, tasty party meatball. The effort absolutely pays dividends. But, yes, you can use frozen meatballs for this recipe if you need to. This recipe is a must at all of your gatherings, but especially so if you’re celebrating Juneteenth.

Join me in celebrating Juneteenth with more than 30 other Black culinary creators. Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day, signifying the final emancipation of those enslaved in the US announced in 1865. This year, we are celebrating “Freedom Day” by offering a delightful selection of mains, sides, desserts, and refreshing drinks that are perfect for backyard barbecues and summer gatherings with friends and family.

Join us in honoring the legacy of progress and freedom by cooking and sharing these recipes. Additionally, you can easily follow each participant by using the hashtag #JuneteenthCookout2023 on Instagram.

What Do I Need To Make The Guava Sauce?

To make the guava sauce for party meatballs, you need guava paste, sofrito, beef stock, tomato paste, white wine vinegar, adobo, dried oregano leaves, ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper.  

Where Can I Find Guava Paste?

Guava paste is a preserve made from pulp cooked down with sugar and water. The result is a very thick, sticky, sweet-tart paste. We often bake guava paste into puff pastry, but I also love using it in savory recipes.  

You can find guava paste in most Hispanic food markets. Asian markets will sometimes carry it, too. I’m finding it more and more in mainstream grocery stores here in the States. When in doubt, you can always buy it online. 

You need guava paste for the party meatballs, not guava jam, jelly, or marmalade. The paste is much thicker than the others, making the sauce more velvety and substantial. If you swap the paste out for one of the others, you need to decrease the amount of beef stock and add a small amount of brown sugar to compensate. 

Guava paste comes in 21 or 22-ounce (600-624 grams) cans or 14-ounce (400 grams) square packages. Buy the larger of the two for this recipe. 

I recommend dicing the guava paste before making the guava sauce for your party meatballs. The larger you cut the guava paste, the longer it takes to melt when making the sauce. A 1/2 to 1-inch dice is perfect.

What Do I Need To Make The Meatballs?

To make party meatballs from scratch, you need ground beef, ground pork, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, sofrito, a large egg, Worcestershire sauce, panko breadcrumbs, adobo, sazón, dried oregano leaves, and black pepper. 

Ground chuck is the best ground beef to use when making meatballs. It contains less fat than ground beef, which consists of 70% meat and 30% fat, but it also holds its shape. It contains 20% fat (to 80% beef), which means ground chuck still provides moisture and flavor to your meatballs. Another great ground meat option is ground sirloin, but that’s expensive for meatballs. If you want to pack flavor into your party meatballs, use a combination of ground chuck, ground pork, and ground veal. Even more expensive.

Can I Swap The Pork Out?

If you abstain from pork, you can replace the ground pork in party meatballs with ground beef or ground lamb.

How Do I Make Flavorful Party Meatballs?

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a sauté pan and heat it over medium-high heat. Stir the minced green bell pepper, onion, sofrito, and garlic into the oil once it begins to shimmer in the pan. Sauté these aromatics for 2-3 minutes, or until they look glossy and begin to take on color. 

Transfer the contents of the pan to a bowl or dish and allow them to cool while you prepare the guava sauce. 

Adding raw peppers and onions to your meatballs causes them to become watery during baking or cooking. The water in the vegetables is released into the meatballs, which dilutes the flavors. Quickly sautéing the aromatics before adding them to the meat mixture removes some moisture but enhances their flavors. When you add sautéed aromatics to your meatball mixture, you’re adding more flavor. 

How Do I Make The Guava Sauce?

Add the sofrito for the guava sauce to the same pan you sautéed the aromatics in. Sauté the sofrito for 30 seconds over medium-high heat to bring out its flavor.

Add the guava paste, beef stock, white wine vinegar, tomato paste, adobo, ground cumin, dried oregano leaves, kosher salt, black pepper, and red chili flakes to the pan. Allow this mixture to heat for 1 minute, then use a whisk to stir the newly added ingredients together. 

Allow the guava sauce to cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes. Once the sauce is smooth and bubbly, turn the stove off and allow the sauce to rest while you prepare the meatballs.

How Far Ahead Can I Make The Guava Sauce?

You can make guava sauce 7 to 10 days ahead and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator until needed. 

You can also freeze this guava sauce after preparing it. Allow the guava sauce to cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container to freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw frozen guava sauce in the fridge and stir it well before using it. 

I do this if I know I have a big party coming and want to get a head start on the menu prep. 

How Do I Avoid Making Tough Party Meatballs?

Before you make the meatball mixture, prepare the pan you will bake the meatballs on. Place a cooling rack inside a sheet pan, then lightly grease the cooling rack with nonstick spray. Set this setup aside for now. 

Whisk together the egg and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Add the ground beef, ground pork, aromatics, breadcrumbs, and spices to a separate large mixing bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the rest of the ingredients in the larger bowl.

Use your hands to gently mix the ground meat mixture just until it is combined. Tough meatballs are the result of over-mixing. Minimal handling of the meatball mixture will prevent them from becoming tough as they bake. The binders- breadcrumbs and the egg- help retain the moisture in the meatloaf and keep it tender, but handling it as little as possible helps significantly. 

What’s The Easiest Way To Ensure My Meatballs Are All The Same Size?

The most efficient way to ensure party meatballs are uniform in size is to scoop them with a portion scoop. A portion scoop, also known as an ice cream or cookie scoop, measures the meatball mixture evenly so you don’t have to weigh out your meat mixture or guess the proper amount. 

Use a #40 portion scoop to scoop up the meat mixture. This size portion scoop gives you meatballs with a pre-cooked weight of .86 ounces or 24 grams. This is the perfect size for party meatballs. If you want meatballs for dinner, use a #30 portion scoop, which will give you meatballs that weigh 1 1/4 ounce or 35 grams. 

Scoop up some meat mixture and level it off with your hand. Drop the meatball onto the rack and continue scooping the rest of the meat mixture.

Once the meat mixture is formed into balls, gently form them into a uniform shape by rolling them between the palms of your hands. Remember, don’t be too rough with them, or they’ll become tough during baking. 

Why Is It Better To Bake The Meatballs On A Rack?

Baking meatballs on a rack is to give the rendered grease somewhere to go. If you brown the meatballs directly on the pan, they will swim in the grease they produce. You can bake the meatballs directly on a greased sheetpan if you don’t have a cooling rack or one that fits over a pan. I recommend draining them on a paper towel-lined platter before adding them to the sauce if you do go that route. 

Turn the kitchen exhaust fan on because the grease may smoke a little in the oven. Bake party meatballs in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 12 minutes or until golden brown. The internal temperature of fully cooked meatballs is 165°F (70°C). It’s okay if your meatballs are a little below this temperature since they’re going to continue cooking in the slow cooker. 

How Do I Finish The Party Meatballs?

Pour half of the guava sauce into the ceramic insert of a slow cooker.

Once the party meatballs are done baking, use a pair of tongs to put them into the sauce in the slow cooker. Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs in the slow cooker and stir them gently to ensure each meatball is coated in the guava sauce.

Place the lid on the slow cooker and set the temperature to warm until you’re ready to serve the party meatballs.

How Many Meatballs Do I Need To Feed My Party Guests?

Usually, 4 party meatballs per person is the recommended serving size. This recipe makes 48 meatballs, which serves 12. You can easily double the meat mixture in this recipe and have enough sauce to coat them. I prefer my meatballs really saucy, so I like the meat-to-sauce ratio as is. 

If you’re making these party meatballs to serve as an entree, you’ll serve 6 per person. Don’t forget to make them larger if you’re serving them as a main course. 

How Long Can I Keep Them Warm In The Slow Cooker?

Some people think you can leave meatballs in a slow cooker for 24 hours, but why would you do that? The longer the meatballs are kept warm, the tougher they’ll be. I recommend only keeping the party meatballs in the slow cooker on warm for 4 to 6 hours. 

If you make them ahead, just put the slow cooker insert into the fridge with the lid on. Thirty minutes before you start warming them, pull the ceramic insert out of the fridge. You need to allow the ceramic time to warm up, or it could shatter when you heat it. After 30 minutes of warming at room temperature, turn the slow cooker on to low to heat the meatballs. Once the meatballs are warmed through, you can decrease the temperature to warm to hold them for your event. 

How Do I Serve Them?

Garnish party meatballs with chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, chopped flat-leaf parsley, or serve them without garnish.

Place a container full of skewers or cocktail forks next to the slow cooker, along with a ladle for scooping up the meatballs. Allow your guests to serve themselves to take the work off of you. 

If you’re serving these as a main course for dinner, they taste great with Arroz con Gandules and grilled vegetables. 

Looking For A Full Meal?

These dishes offer a luxurious twist on traditional cookout recipes. Gourmet options, including Beef Ribs with Blackberry Whiskey BBQ Sauce, Margarita Infused Watermelon, and Blood Orange, Beetroot, Walnut, Feta Salad with Orange Vinaigrette, ensure a lavish and indulgent culinary experience for all who gather around your Juneteenth table.

Create a memorable Juneteenth menu by adding these recipes from other content creators:

Dash of Jazz’s Deviled Egg Dip

Gimme From Scratch’s Blood Orange, Pickled Beets & Feta Salad

Her Mise En Place’s Smoked Macaroni and Cheese

Flights and Foods’s Hibiscus Spritzer

Dash of Jazz’s Margarita Infused Watermelon

Kenneth Temple’s Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Butter Pecan Sauce

How Do I Store Leftovers?

Transfer leftover party meatballs to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. 

To reheat party meatballs, warm them in a slow cooker on low heat for 1 hour, then decrease the temperature to warm until you’re ready to serve. You can also reheat leftover meatballs in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed. 

Can I Freeze Leftover Party Meatballs?

You can freeze party meatballs for three months after preparing them. Allow them to cool completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Thaw the frozen meatballs in the refrigerator and reheat them in the microwave or stovetop.

This tropical take on party meatballs will be the star of your next event. The sweet and savory guava sauce will impress your guests, as will the flavorful, homemade meatballs coated in it. The easy preparation makes this a party staple, so pin this recipe to your party foods board for easy finding. In the comments below, let me know what you think of this Party Meatballs in Guava Sauce recipe.

Party Meatballs in Guava Sauce

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 12 votes

Party meatballs are made from ground pork and beef, quickly browned in the oven, and finished in a sweet and savory homemade guava sauce.

This spin on the classic party meatballs in grape jelly (or cranberry sauce) recipe has a tropical flair thanks to sweet-tart guava paste and homemade sofrito.

Servings: 48 (serves 12 people 4 meatballs each)

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 32 minutes mins

Cook Time 23 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Equipment

• cooling rack
• half sheetpan
• #40 portion scoop (or electric scale)

Ingredients

  

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For the Meatballs

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1/2 small (80 grams or 1/2 cup) green bell pepper minced
• 1/2 small (60 grams or 1/2 cup) white onion minced
• 3 large cloves (20 grams or 2 tablespoons) garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon (20 grams) sofrito
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound (454 grams) ground beef
• 1 pound (454 grams) ground pork
• 3/4 cup (50 grams) panko breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (8 grams) adobo
• 1 teaspoon (4 grams) sazón (or 1 packet)
• 1 teaspoon (1 gram) dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Guava Sauce (Can Be Made 7-10 Days Ahead)

• 1/4 cup (50 grams) sofrito
• 22 ounces (1 pound 6 ounces or 625 grams) guava paste diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) unsalted beef stock
• 2/3 cup (160 milliliters) white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons (12 grams) adobo or to taste
• 1 teaspoon (1 gram) dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt optional
• 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes optional

Instructions 

• Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C).

  Prepare the pan you will bake the meatballs on by placing a cooling rack inside a half-sheet pan. Lightly grease the cooling rack with nonstick spray.

  Set the pan aside for now.

Sauté the Meatball Aromatics

• Add the olive oil to a 4-quart sauté pan and heat it over medium-high heat.

  Stir the minced green bell pepper, onion, sofrito, and garlic into the oil once it begins to shimmer in the pan.
• Sauté the aromatics for 2-3 minutes, or until they look glossy and begin to take on color. 

  Transfer the contents of the pan to a bowl or dish and allow them to cool while you prepare the guava sauce. 

Make the Guava Sauce

• Add the sofrito for the guava sauce to the same pan you sautéed the aromatics in.

  Sauté the sofrito for 30 seconds over medium-high heat to bring out its flavor.
• Add the guava paste, beef stock, white wine vinegar, tomato paste, adobo, dried oregano leaves, kosher salt, ground cumin, black pepper, and red chili flakes to the pan.

  Allow this mixture to heat for 1 minute, then use a whisk to stir the newly added ingredients together. 
• Allow the guava sauce to cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes.

  Once the sauce is smooth and bubbly, turn the stove off and allow the sauce to rest while you prepare the meatballs.

Make, Then Bake the Meatballs

• Whisk together the egg and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.

  Add the ground beef, ground pork, aromatics, breadcrumbs, and spices to a separate large mixing bowl.
• Pour the egg mixture into the rest of the ingredients in the larger bowl.

  Use your hands to gently mix the ground meat mixture just until it is combined.
• Use a #40 portion scoop or weigh out 24 grams (.86 ounces) of meat for each meatball.

  Scoop up some meat mixture and level it off with your hand. Drop the meatball onto the rack and continue scooping the rest of the meat mixture.
• Gently form the balls of meat into a uniform shape by gently rolling them between the palms of your hands.

  Bake the meatballs for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown and thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165°F (70°C). 

Finish the Party Meatballs in Guava Sauce

• Pour half of the guava sauce into the ceramic insert of a slow cooker.

  Use a pair of tongs to put them into the sauce in the slow cooker.
• Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs in the slow cooker and stir them gently to ensure each meatball is coated in the guava sauce.

  Place the lid on the slow cooker and set the temperature to warm until you're ready to serve the party meatballs.
• Keep the party meatballs in the slow cooker on warm for 4 to 6 hours. 

  Place a container full of skewers or cocktail forks next to the slow cooker, along with a ladle for scooping up the meatballs and allow your guests to serve themselves from the slow cooker.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Replace the guava paste with the same weight of guava jam, jelly, or marmalade. Decrease the amount of beef stock to 3/4 cup (175 milliliters) and add 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of brown sugar to the sauce ingredients. 
• Replace the panko breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup (30 grams) plain breadcrumbs. 
• You can use a 4-pound (1.8 kilogram) bag of frozen meatballs for this recipe and omit the meatball ingredients. 
• You can replace the ground pork in party meatballs with ground beef or ground lamb.
• If you want meatballs for dinner, use a #30 portion scoop, which will give you meatballs that weigh 1 1/4 ounce or 35 grams. 
• Garnish party meatballs with chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, chopped flat-leaf parsley, or serve them without garnish.

Tips and Techniques:

• You can find guava paste in most Hispanic food markets. Asian markets will sometimes carry it.
• Minimal handling of the meatball mixture will prevent them from becoming tough as they bake.
• You can bake the meatballs directly on a greased sheetpan if you don't have a cooling rack or one that fits over a pan, however, you should blot the grease from the meatballs with paper towels before coating them in the sauce. 
• The standard party serving is 4 meatballs per person. You can easily double the meat mixture in this recipe and have enough sauce to coat them or double the entire recipe.
• If you're making these party meatballs to serve as an entree, you'll serve 6 per person.
• If you're serving these as a main course for dinner, they taste great with Arroz con Gandules and grilled vegetables. 

Make-Ahead Instructions:

• You can make guava sauce 7 to 10 days ahead and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator until needed. 
• You can also freeze this guava sauce after preparing it:
  1. Allow the guava sauce to cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container to freeze for up to 6 months.
  2. Thaw frozen guava sauce in the fridge and stir it well before using it. 
• To make the recipe ahead:
  1. Prepare the recipe completely and add the meatballs to the cool slow cooker.
  2. Store the slow cooker insert in the fridge with the lid on.
  3. Thirty minutes before you start warming them, pull the ceramic insert out of the fridge. After 30 minutes of warming at room temperature, turn the slow cooker on to low to heat the meatballs.
  4. Once the meatballs are warmed through, you can decrease the temperature to warm to hold them for your event. 

Storage Instructions:

• Transfer leftover party meatballs to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. 
• To reheat party meatballs, warm them in a slow cooker on low heat for 1 hour, then decrease the temperature to warm until you're ready to serve.
• You can also reheat leftover meatballs in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed. 

Freezer Instructions:

• You can freeze party meatballs for three months after preparing them:
  1. Cool the meatballs completely.
  2. Transfer them to a freezer-safe container.
  3. Thaw the frozen meatballs in the refrigerator and reheat them in the microwave or stovetop.

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 87mgPotassium: 140mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 100IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg

Course Appetizer, dinner, Main Course

Cuisine African American, Afro-Caribbean, Caribbean, Puerto Rican, Soul Food

Keyword beef, guava, meatballs, pork

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