These delicious, well-seasoned Asian meatballs are coated in a marvelous sauce – sticky, with just a hint of sweetness, and very flavorful. I make them with ground beef, but this recipe works beautifully with ground pork, too.
These Asian meatballs combine the fun of eating small meatballs with the extra fun of a sweet, sticky sauce. My kids adore them and love helping me make them. The grownups love them, too! The meatballs are well seasoned - their flavor is quite complex, and the glaze greatly enhances them.
Ingredients
The complete list of ingredients and exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Ground beef: I like to use lean ground beef (85/15). Leaner ground beef is too dry.
- Red pepper flakes: They don't make the meatballs very spicy. They merely add a hint of spice.
- Soy sauce: Or a gluten-free alternative. I use reduced-sodium soy sauce in most of my recipes.
- Sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil is very flavorful. If you'd rather avoid heating sesame oil, you can simply omit it.
- Honey: Just one tablespoon. The sauce is not very sweet, and the dish remains fairly low in carbs (about 7 grams per serving).
- Hot sauce: Just one teaspoon to add a hint of spice without overwhelming the dish.
Variations
- You can use ground pork instead of ground beef. Ground chicken can also work, but if you opt for it, make sure to use ground chicken thighs and not ground chicken breast, which is too dry.
- You can use chopped parsley instead of cilantro. Chopped scallions will also work (green parts only).
- It's fine to use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. You can also add ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
You start by mixing the meatball ingredients and shaping the mixture into 24 small meatballs. Bake them for 10 minutes in a 400°F oven.
While they bake, heat the sauce ingredients in a saucepan until they thicken. Turn the heat off, but leave the saucepan on the burner to keep the glaze warm. Using tongs or a spoon, add the meatballs to the sauce and turn to coat.
Serve immediately. It's fun to eat them with chopsticks!
Featured Comment
These meatballs are amazing! Recipe is straightforward and easy to follow. I didn't have cilantro so I used basil and they were delicious. Will definitely make again. Thank you! - Heather
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Recipe Tips
- To make sure the meatballs are fluffy and tender, work the meat lightly when you mix the ingredients and form the meatballs.
- If you're out of fresh herbs, use dried spices. In the video below, I used what I had on hand: Garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Recipe FAQs
There's no need for fillers or binders in this recipe. The meatballs are great when made with just ground beef and seasonings.
I don't recommend that. It's too dry and can cause the meatballs to be crumbly. An 85/15 ratio is the leanest you should go.
Yes. The meatballs are delicious, even without sauce. However, they're considerably better with the sauce, so I highly recommend making it.
Yes. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% power. They are also good cold! I love to snack on them. You can also freeze these meatballs in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Serving Suggestions
Asian meatballs can be served over rice, cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, or spaghetti squash. They are also very good with shirataki noodles or cauliflower fried rice.
When I serve them over spaghetti squash, I give the entire dish an Asian flavor by cooking spaghetti squash in the microwave and then sauteing the strands in a large skillet. I add avocado oil, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, a pinch of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic, 1 teaspoon of ginger, and - off heat - a teaspoon of sesame oil.
Recipe Card
Easy, Saucy Asian Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 pound lean ground beef - 85/15
- ½ cup cilantro - chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root - minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce - or a gluten-free alternative
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Sauce:
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce - or a gluten-free alternative
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce - such as sriracha
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root - minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper.
- Place the meatball ingredients (ground beef, cilantro, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and sesame oil) in a medium bowl. Use your hands to combine them.
- Shape the mixture into 24 meatballs, each weighing about 20 grams.
- Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake them until they are cooked through, for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in the honey, hot sauce, garlic, and ginger.
- Heat the sauce over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens into a rich glaze. This should take 3-5 minutes. Turn the heat off as soon as the sauce thickens, but leave it on the cooling burner. Stir in the sesame oil.
- Using a large spoon or tongs, transfer the baked meatballs into the saucepan. Gently turn them in the sauce until well-coated.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- To make sure the meatballs are fluffy and tender, work the meat lightly when you mix the ingredients and form the meatballs.
- If you're out of fresh herbs, use dried spices. In the video below, I used what I had on hand: Garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave at 50% power. They are also good cold! You can also freeze these meatballs in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Alice says
love these. question about freezing them: can they be frozen already coated in the sauce?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Alice,
I'm glad you like these meatballs! Yes, they be frozen already coated in the sauce. Thank you for this question! I updated the instructions to say they can be frozen in a freezer-safe container, as that would work better with the sauce than freezer bags.
Brian says
I made a triple batch with 1lb beef, 1lb pork, 1lb venison for a potluck. Wow, I got more requests for the recipe than for any other dish I've ever brought. These were awesome, no leftovers!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Brian! I'm so glad these were a success. I like how you combined several different ground meats.