Smoky Cheesy Meatballs on the Ninja Woodfire

Smoky Cheesy Meatballs on the Ninja Woodfire

Lee - Smoke & Sear
Servings: 4 Total Time: 2 hrs Difficulty: Intermediate Family Friendly Family Friendly Smoke & Sear Fav. Smoke & Sear Fav.
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Juicy Beef Meatballs Smoked to Perfection

Get ready to show off the power of your Ninja Woodfire Grill with these Smoky Cheesy Meatballs. Big, juicy, and stuffed with gooey buffalo mozzarella, these meatballs are pure comfort food with a gourmet twist. Topped with Gouda and paired with bolognaise sauce and pasta, this dish is a winner for BBQ enthusiasts. Perfect for feeding 5–6 people with a bit left over to enjoy later.

Smoky Cheesy Meatballs on the Ninja Woodfire

Beef
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Prep Time 30 mins Cook Time 1.5 hr Total Time 2 hrs
Difficulty: Intermediate Cooking Temp: 125  C Servings: 4 Estimated Cost: £ 25 Calories: Approximately 650 per serving Best Season: Suitable throughout the year
Author: Lee - Smoke & Sear Cooking Method: , Cuisine: , Courses: Recipe Keys: Family Friendly Family Friendly Smoke & Sear Fav. Smoke & Sear Fav.

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

For the Topping:

For Serving:

Instructions

  1. Mix and Shape:

    Combine beef mince, coconut flour, onion, seasoning, garlic paste, eggs, bacon lardons, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly and form into 15 meatballs (100g each). Insert a cube of buffalo mozzarella in the centre of each meatball, sealing well to prevent leaks. Roll in grated Parmesan and place on a baking tray.

  2. Fire Up the Ninja Woodfire:

    Preheat your Ninja Woodfire on the 'Smoker' setting at 125°C. Use cherry wood pellets for a sweet, smoky flavour. Smoke the meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of 60°C, approximately 35 minutes.

  3. Layer the Sauce:

    Place a layer of bolognaise sauce in a disposable foil tray. Arrange the smoked meatballs on top, pour over additional sauce, and top each meatball with half a slice of Gouda. Sprinkle chopped basil over the top.

  4. Final Cook:

    Return the tray to the smoker and continue cooking until the meatballs hit 74°C internally, about 30 minutes.

  5. Air Fry the Sides:

    While the meatballs finish, air fry the garlic ciabatta breadsticks and sugardrop tomatoes for a few minutes.

  6. Serve and Enjoy:

    Serve the smoky meatballs with air-fried breadsticks, tomatoes, and cooked tagliatelle. Garnish with extra Parmesan and basil.

Equipment

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Note

For a spicier kick, add a pinch of chilli flakes to the meatball mix.

These meatballs reheat beautifully, so don’t stress if you’ve got leftovers.

Keywords: smoky meatballs, Ninja Woodfire recipes, cheesy meatballs, BBQ meatballs, family BBQ recipes, smoked meatballs, Gouda recipes
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Lee Bishop - Smoke & Sear

smoke.sear

1,065 24,066

24,000+ on Instagram.
11,000+ on Facebook.
66,000 website users this year.
130,000 page views.

And somehow, the Ninja Woodfire UK Facebook group has now passed 27,000 members, while the UK BBQ Community on WhatsApp has gone past 450 members.

That’s honestly mad.

Smoke & Sear has always just been me cooking outside, filming what I’m doing, sharing the wins, the mistakes, the gear, the fire, the smoke and all the no-bollocks bits in between.

But this year feels like things are starting to properly move.

The big goals are simple.

Keep pushing @fourge.bbq with three good mates and see how far we can take a proper UK BBQ business built around flavour, fire and graft.

Keep supporting the UK BBQ community, helping it grow, connecting more people, and doing what I can to push it forward.

And hopefully find a couple of brands to work with properly long-term. Real content, proper use, honest feedback, recipes, and maybe even stepping into demos a bit more.

To everyone who follows, comments, shares, reads the website, joins the groups, tries a recipe, buys from FOURGE, or just sticks around for the madness — genuinely, thank you.

It’s all a bit ridiculous.

But we’re only getting started 🔥

#SmokeAndSear #FOURGE #UKBBQ #BBQCommunity #OutdoorCooking

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24,000+ on Instagram. 11,000+ on Facebook. 66,000 website users this year. 130,000 page views. And somehow, the Ninja Woodfire UK Facebook group has now passed 27,000 members, while the UK BBQ Community on WhatsApp has gone past 450 members. That’s honestly mad. Smoke & Sear has always just been me cooking outside, filming what I’m doing, sharing the wins, the mistakes, the gear, the fire, the smoke and all the no-bollocks bits in between. But this year feels like things are starting to properly move. The big goals are simple. Keep pushing @fourge.bbq with three good mates and see how far we can take a proper UK BBQ business built around flavour, fire and graft. Keep supporting the UK BBQ community, helping it grow, connecting more people, and doing what I can to push it forward. And hopefully find a couple of brands to work with properly long-term. Real content, proper use, honest feedback, recipes, and maybe even stepping into demos a bit more. To everyone who follows, comments, shares, reads the website, joins the groups, tries a recipe, buys from FOURGE, or just sticks around for the madness — genuinely, thank you. It’s all a bit ridiculous. But we’re only getting started 🔥 #SmokeAndSear #FOURGE #UKBBQ #BBQCommunity #OutdoorCooking

Bit of a special one today ❤️🔥

Olivia and Oakley wanted to take over the Kamado Joe and make their own cooking video . . . so we made smoked & tallow-confit beef cheeks together.

And honestly, this is what it’s all about for me.

Getting kids outside. Around fire. Around food. Learning patience, confidence and where proper food actually comes from.

There is absolutely NO chance I’d have eaten beef cheeks at their age 😅

But when kids get involved in cooking outdoors, they become curious. They want to try things. Learn things. Experience things.

And somewhere between the smoke, the laughs and the chaos . . . core memories get made ❤️

88 15
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Bit of a special one today ❤️🔥 Olivia and Oakley wanted to take over the Kamado Joe and make their own cooking video . . . so we made smoked & tallow-confit beef cheeks together. And honestly, this is what it’s all about for me. Getting kids outside. Around fire. Around food. Learning patience, confidence and where proper food actually comes from. There is absolutely NO chance I’d have eaten beef cheeks at their age 😅 But when kids get involved in cooking outdoors, they become curious. They want to try things. Learn things. Experience things. And somewhere between the smoke, the laughs and the chaos . . . core memories get made ❤️

First proper hike completed ✅

Big shoutout to @lads_project25 for a cracking day out in the Peak District.

This was my first real hike and my first ever visit to the Peak District — and what a place to start.

📍 Higger Tor, Burbage Edge & Padley Gorge Circular
🥾 7.2 miles
⛰️ 1,378ft elevation gain
⏱️ 4 hours 6 minutes
🐾 One very happy, very tired Labrador

12 lads turned up, most of us strangers at the start, but it didn’t feel like that for long. Non-stop chats, proper laughs, some deep conversations, a bit of scrambling, a few boggy moments, and views that made every climb worth it.

Groups like Lads Project matter.

No judgement. No pressure. Just good lads getting outside, keeping active, sharing stories, having a laugh, and supporting each other in a way that feels natural.

If you’re a bloke who’s been thinking about doing something like this, reach out to @lads_project25 and get involved.

Fresh air, good people, and a reminder that sometimes the best conversations happen while walking side by side.

I’ll definitely be joining them again soon.

#LadsProject #PeakDistrict #MensMentalHealth #HikingUK #MensCommunity

60 9
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First proper hike completed ✅ Big shoutout to @lads_project25 for a cracking day out in the Peak District. This was my first real hike and my first ever visit to the Peak District — and what a place to start. 📍 Higger Tor, Burbage Edge & Padley Gorge Circular 🥾 7.2 miles ⛰️ 1,378ft elevation gain ⏱️ 4 hours 6 minutes 🐾 One very happy, very tired Labrador 12 lads turned up, most of us strangers at the start, but it didn’t feel like that for long. Non-stop chats, proper laughs, some deep conversations, a bit of scrambling, a few boggy moments, and views that made every climb worth it. Groups like Lads Project matter. No judgement. No pressure. Just good lads getting outside, keeping active, sharing stories, having a laugh, and supporting each other in a way that feels natural. If you’re a bloke who’s been thinking about doing something like this, reach out to @lads_project25 and get involved. Fresh air, good people, and a reminder that sometimes the best conversations happen while walking side by side. I’ll definitely be joining them again soon. #LadsProject #PeakDistrict #MensMentalHealth #HikingUK #MensCommunity

TEMPER Smoked Pulled Lamb Flatbreads 🔥

2.6kg bone-in lamb shoulder from @thecateringbutcher , hit with TEMPER from @fourge.bbq , smoked low and slow, then pulled into fresh flatbreads with garlic yoghurt, pickled onions, herbs and charred lemon.

Bit more of an involved cook this one, but absolutely worth it.

I also used the @typhur_uk Sync Gold Dual for temps throughout the cook and, to be fair, the Sub-1G connection was solid. No problem getting through the lamb, wrapped in foil, inside the Kamado Joe, through a few walls, while I cracked on writing the full recipe for the website like the BBQ geek I apparently am.

Full recipe is here:

https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/temper-smoked-pulled-lamb-flatbreads/

Enjoy!

103 25
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TEMPER Smoked Pulled Lamb Flatbreads 🔥 2.6kg bone-in lamb shoulder from @thecateringbutcher , hit with TEMPER from @fourge.bbq , smoked low and slow, then pulled into fresh flatbreads with garlic yoghurt, pickled onions, herbs and charred lemon. Bit more of an involved cook this one, but absolutely worth it. I also used the @typhur_uk Sync Gold Dual for temps throughout the cook and, to be fair, the Sub-1G connection was solid. No problem getting through the lamb, wrapped in foil, inside the Kamado Joe, through a few walls, while I cracked on writing the full recipe for the website like the BBQ geek I apparently am. Full recipe is here: https://www.smokeandsear.world/BBQ-recipes/temper-smoked-pulled-lamb-flatbreads/ Enjoy!

DRAGON, edge of the sky.

Flt Lt Tom Nation, the 2026 RAF Typhoon Display Pilot, putting the Typhoon through its paces over Coningsby.

Tom’s name is now on the jet, the black flying suit is on, the helmet has been unveiled, and the 2026 display season is starting to feel very real.

The aircraft, the pilot, the team behind it — all coming together for what looks like it’s going to be an unbelievable season.

Fast, precise, aggressive, controlled . . . and absolutely breathtaking to watch.

@raf_typhoondisplayteam
@eurofighter.typhoon

#RAFTyphoon #TyphoonDisplayTeam #EurofighterTyphoon #RAFConingsby

125 6
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DRAGON, edge of the sky. Flt Lt Tom Nation, the 2026 RAF Typhoon Display Pilot, putting the Typhoon through its paces over Coningsby. Tom’s name is now on the jet, the black flying suit is on, the helmet has been unveiled, and the 2026 display season is starting to feel very real. The aircraft, the pilot, the team behind it — all coming together for what looks like it’s going to be an unbelievable season. Fast, precise, aggressive, controlled . . . and absolutely breathtaking to watch. @raf_typhoondisplayteam @eurofighter.typhoon #RAFTyphoon #TyphoonDisplayTeam #EurofighterTyphoon #RAFConingsby