Served as a snack or as an appetizer, Jerk meatball subs are a simple recipe that packs a lot of flavour. Perfect for adults and kids, this recipe will have everyone asking for more.

jerk meatball cupcakes on a cutting board

The first time I made these meatball cupcakes, my kids were not sure about what I was making. They asked what was on the menu for Super Bowl and when they heard the words Jerk Meatball Cupcakes, their brains started imagining a meatball stuffed in an actual cupcake, like a chocolate or vanilla cupcake.

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What is a Meatball Cupcake?

A meatball cupcake is a meatball stuffed in dough and baked in a muffin pan.

The dough for this recipe is pizza dough. Our homemade pizza dough is easy to make and that is usually what we use to make this recipe. But store-bought pizza dough works just as well.

There is sauce and cheese as well in these cupcakes.

What Ingredients Are Used For The Meatballs?

The meatballs are made from ground beef. Lean ground beef is used because it has less fat so the meatballs don’t shrink much.

The sauce used is jerk BBQ sauce. Again we use Grace sauces, but any BBQ sauce can be used, even regular BBQ sauce.

For cheese, these meatballs are topped with a blend of mozzarella and parmesan.

For making the meatballs, the ground beef is mixed with the seasonings (see below), breadcrumbs, and egg.

Jerk Seasonings

There are two different kinds of seasoning we use.

The first is a paste which is mixed into the meat before forming it into meatballs. We like to use Grace Jerk Seasoning. There are two kinds of Grace seasoning, mild and hot, we usually use the mild. But if you prefer hotter, the hot jerk seasoning can also be used.

The second is a blend of herbs and spices that is sprinkled over the meatballs before cooking.

Tools Used For This Recipe

These Jerk Meatball Muffins are made in an air fryer. We use an oven-style air fryer but a basket style works just as well.

To make the meatballs even in size, there are two tools we use.

A medium-sized cookie scoop helps to spoon out the mixture.

And a food scale weighs the meat to ensure that the meatballs are relatively the same size and they will cook evenly.

How To Store Leftover Meatball Cupcakes?

Any leftover meatball cupcakes can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat in the Air Fryer for 5 minutes at 350°F or until heated through.

These can also be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to three months. Reheat from frozen in the air fryer at 300°F until heated through, about 10-15 minutes.

Jerk Meatball Cupcakes can be made ahead of time and frozen. If I am making them ahead of time, I freeze them after assembling them without cooking them through. I don’t put the cheese and BBQ sauce on top before freezing. Then I place them in the freezer on a tray for 30 minutes, before transferring them to a freezer bag or air-tight container. When I am ready to cook them, I air fry them for 10 minutes at 325°F, then top them with the BBQ and cheese. Place them back in the air fryer for an additional 7-8 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted.

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