Sweet & Savory Baked Meatballs (Easy Wild Game Recipe!

Sweet & Savory Baked Antelope Meatballs

If there’s one thing I’ll never stop talking about, it’s easy, high-protein meals that taste amazing and come together fast. And these Sweet & Savory Baked Antelope Meatballs are officially one of my new favorite wild game recipes.

I made this batch using ground antelope, and oh. my. goodness they turned out sooooo good! They were downright addictive that my family attacked the baking dish the second it came out of the oven, so I couldn’t even get a picture of the final product for y’all. That’s when you know a recipe is a keeper.

One of the best parts of cooking wild game is turning something you harvested yourself into delicious, healthy meals at home. These oven-baked meatballs are simple and packed with protein. They’re perfect for busy weeknights and even better for meal prep (because we all know I live for a good make-ahead meal to save my sanity).

And the glaze? The sweet, tangy, sticky glaze takes these meatballs to an entirely new level. It’s the flavor bomb that turns a simple meatball recipe into a full-blown family favorite.

You’ll need:

For the Meatballs:

2 lbs ground meat (I used ground antelope, but any wild game works!)
1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
1 egg
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Toppings:

1 cup sweet peppers, diced
1 cup sweet onions, diced

Sweet & Tangy Glaze:

½ cup ketchup
½ cup water
⅓ cup brown sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Make the Meatball Mixture: Combine the antelope (or wild game) meat, crushed Ritz crackers, egg, and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix until it comes together. If it’s too moist, just add more crackers until you get the right consistency.
Shape the Meatballs: Form into evenly sized meatballs and place them in a greased glass baking dish.
Add the Peppers & Onions: Sprinkle diced sweet peppers and onions throughout the dish and around the meatballs. They’ll caramelize in the oven and add incredible flavor.
Make the Glaze: Whisk together the ketchup, water, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the glaze evenly over the meatballs.
Bake: Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.
Optional but Life-Changing: During the last 10 minutes, grate fresh parmesan cheese over the top. It melts into the glaze and makes everything NEXT-LEVEL delicious.

Pro Tips:

Works with Any Ground Wild Game: Elk, venison, moose, and antelope all would work perfect in this recipe.

Perfect for Meal Prep: These meatballs reheat like a dream and make easy, high-protein lunches all week.

Easily Customizable: Add different peppers, swap in spicy seasonings, or use gluten-free crackers. I promise you can’t mess this recipe up!

Double the Batch: Trust me, your family will devour these. Make two pans and freeze one.

Kitchen Must-Haves:

If you want to make these baked meatballs a weekly staple (trust me… you will), here are the kitchen tools that make this recipe come together SO easily:

These baked antelope meatballs have officially become a family obsession. They’re sweet, savory, and incredibly simple which is everything I love in a weeknight dinner.

If you try them, PLEASE tag me! I love seeing your wild game recipes come to life in your kitchen… assuming your family doesn’t devour them before you can get a photo.