Asian Meatballs

An easy recipe for delicious, well-seasoned healthy beef Asian meatballs with a marvelous sauce – sticky, with just a hint of sweetness, and very flavorful.

Asian meatballs are the best. They combine the fun of eating meatballs with the extra fun of a sweet, sticky sauce. My kids adore them, but the grownups love them too!

Eating meatballs is so much fun, don’t you think? Delightful little morsels of meat, so flavorful, easy to make and even easier to enjoy. And I especially love the flavor of these.

The meatballs themselves are very well seasoned and just delicious. And the Asian-style glaze is marvelous – sticky, just a little sweet, and very, very flavorful.

The ingredients you’ll need

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:

1. Ground beef
2. Cilantro
3. Garlic and ginger
4. Red pepper flakes
5. Soy sauce (or a gluten-free alternative)
6. Sesame oil
7. Cornstarch
8. Honey
9. Hot sauce

How to make Asian meatballs

It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

1. Start by mixing the meatballs ingredients and shaping into 24 small meatballs.
2. Bake them for 10 minutes at 400°F.
3. While they bake, heat the sauce ingredients in a saucepan until they thicken.
4. Add the meatballs to the sauce and turn to coat.

Are these Asian meatballs healthy?

I believe they are. let’s address a few possible issues with this recipe.

Red meat concerns

Current dietary advice is to limit red meat. But fresh unprocessed meat is very nutritious.

As long as one doesn’t overindulge, or have a specific issue that requires them to limit saturated fat (which is generally not harmful), I believe that beef does have a place in a healthy diet.

Of course, you can always opt for chicken or seafood instead. These chicken meatballs are excellent.

Soy sauce

It’s true that soy sauce is not paleo, but after reading about it, I’ve come to the conclusion that I actually don’t mind it in moderation. Though if you need a follow a gluten-free diet, you’ll obviously need to use an alternative.

Honey

The sauce has just a hint of sweetness because I wanted to keep these meatballs low carb. And also because I simply don’t like very sweet sauces with savory food.

You can double the amount of honey if you’d like, but the carb count will obviously be higher if you do.

What side dishes go with them?

You can serve them over rice, cauliflower rice, or spaghetti squash. They are also good with shirataki noodles.

When I serve these Asian meatballs over spaghetti squash, I give the entire dish an Asian flavor by cooking a small spaghetti squash in the microwave, then sauteing the spaghetti squash strands in a large skillet.

I add a little bit of avocado oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, a little black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, and – off heat – 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

What about leftovers?

Keep leftovers of these Asian meatballs in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, in the microwave on 50% power. They are also good cold!

More meatball recipes that you might enjoy

I have many excellent recipes for meatballs. Cheese-stuffed meatballs, spicy meatballs, and pork meatballs are just a few of the meatballs I prepare regularly for my family.

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4.97 from 180 votes

Asian Meatballs

An easy recipe for delicious, well-seasoned healthy beef Asian meatballs with a marvelous sauce. 

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: ground beef, meatballs

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 295kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger root
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or use a gluten-free alternative and add salt as needed)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup light soy sauce (or use a gluten-free alternative and add salt as needed)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (use organic to avoid GMOs)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger root
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the meatballs ingredients in a medium bowl and use your hands to combine. Shape into 24 meatballs, each weighing about 20 grams. Bake 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in the remaining ingredients, except for the sesame oil, until well-combined. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens into a rich glaze, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the sesame oil.
• Transfer the baked meatballs into the saucepan. Gently turn them in the sauce until well-coated. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFO Nutrition info is approximate. It is calculated using the SparkPeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Please read the disclaimers in our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Please verify they are before using.

Nutrition Facts

Asian Meatballs

Amount Per Serving (6 meatballs)

Calories 295 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Sodium 795mg35%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 22g44%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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