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 meatballs are the best! They combine the fun of eating meatballs with the extra fun of a sweet, sticky sauce. My kids adore them and love helping me make them.
But just as importantly, the grownups love them too! The meatballs themselves are very well seasoned - their flavor is quite complex, and the Asian-style glaze greatly enhances them.
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Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make these meatballs. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: I like to use lean ground beef in this recipe (85/15). I find that ground beef that is leaner tends to be too dry.
- Cilantro: If you dislike cilantro, you can use parsley instead. Though it really does add a unique flavor to the meat.
- Garlic and ginger: You can mince them yourself, which would be the best option. But it's also fine to use the stuff that comes in a jar.
- Red pepper flakes: They don't make the meatballs very spicy. They merely add a hint of spice.
- Soy sauce: I use reduced-sodium soy sauce in most of my recipes. If you need this recipe to be gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free alternative.
- Sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil is very flavorful. If you'd rather avoid heating sesame oil, you can simply omit it.
- Cornstarch: Just a little to thicken the sauce.
- 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 as soon as the sauce thickens but leave it on the burner to keep it 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!
Expert Tips
- To ensure 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, you can simply use dried spices. In the video below, I used what I had on hand: garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. So, as you can see, even when I make my own recipes, I tweak them according to what I have.
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. An 85/15 ratio is the leanest you should go.
Yes, you can. The meatballs are very tasty even without sauce. However, they ARE considerably better with the sauce, so I highly recommend that you make it.
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 a little bit of avocado oil, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, a little black pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic, 1 teaspoon of ginger, and - off heat - a teaspoon of sesame oil.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, in the microwave at 50% power. They are also good cold! I love to snack on them. You can also freeze these meatballs in freezer bags for up to three months.
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Recipe Card
Easy Asian Meatballs
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 your 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.
Video
Notes
- To ensure 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, you can use dried spices. In the video below, I used what I had on hand: Garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. So, as you can see, even when I make my own recipes, I tweak them according to what I have!
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power. They are also good cold! You can also freeze these meatballs in freezer bags for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Cathy Chapman
Very tasty, the sesame oil, soy mixture is great in most asian recipes. I served it over jasmine rice, yum 🙂
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm glad you enjoyed these meatballs, Cathy! Thanks for the review and for sharing how you served them.
Alicia
Amazing recipe. The sauce came out so tasty and perfect. Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Alicia! Thank you for taking the time to write a comment.
Ruth
The sauce is too salty for my taste, in spite of using low-sodium soy sauce. I added water, chile sauce, more honey, and cornstarch. It turned out very well. Thank you for sharing.
Vered DeLeeuw
Thanks for the feedback, Ruth!
Alvah
Had the odd, yet wonderful, situation where I only had wagyu beef available. The drippings were incredible over white rice. Highly recommend.
Also, I subbed red pepper for freshly cracked black pepper. Got the job done.
Vered DeLeeuw
Sounds amazing, Alvah! Thank you for the comment!
Lily
Is there any way this recipe can be made in advance?
Vered DeLeeuw
Yes. You can make these meatballs, then keep them in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power.
Darlene H.
I tried this recipe, and it was really good; however, next time, I won't flavor the ground beef with soy sauce. The soy sauce in the meatballs' sauce is enough.
I made this recipe without sesame oil since I didn't have any. I would make it again as it was quick and easy and tasted good. I just gotta make sure I have a bottle of sesame oil.
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you enjoyed these meatballs, Darlene! I think you'll find that sesame oil greatly enhances their flavor.