An easy recipe for delicious, well-seasoned Asian meatballs with a marvelous sauce – sticky, with just a hint of sweetness, and very flavorful.
I make them with ground beef, but the same recipe works beautifully with ground pork as well.
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 you'll need to make these Asian 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 leaner than that 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. However, if you're out of fresh herbs, you can simply use dried spices.
In the video below, I used what I had on hand, which was 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.
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: Only 1 tablespoon. The sauce is not very sweet, and the dish remains fairly low in carbs (about 7 grams per serving).
Hot sauce: Just 1 teaspoon, to add a hint of spice without overwhelming the dish.
Instructions
Making these Asian meatballs is easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
You start by mixing the meatball ingredients and shaping the mixture into 24 small meatballs.
Now, 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 slotted spoon, add the meatballs to the sauce and turn to coat.
Expert tip
To ensure the meatballs are fluffy and tender, work the meat lightly - both when you mix the ingredients together and when you form the meatballs.
Frequently asked questions
There's actually no need for any fillers or binders in this recipe. The meatballs are great when made with just 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 it. However, they ARE considerably better with the sauce, so I do highly recommend that you make it.
Variations
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you'd like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
- You can use ground pork instead of ground beef. Ground chicken might 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 garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. Try using ½ teaspoon. You can also add some onion powder if you'd like.
Serving suggestions
You can serve these tasty meatballs over rice, cauliflower rice, or spaghetti squash. They are also very good with shirataki noodles and with cauliflower fried rice.
When I serve them over spaghetti squash, I give the entire dish an Asian flavor by cooking a small spaghetti squash in the microwave, then sauteing the strands in a large skillet.
I add a little bit of avocado oil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, a little black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, and - off heat - 1 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 on 50% power. They are also good cold! I love to snack on them.
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Recipe card
Asian Meatballs
INGREDIENTS
Meatballs:
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or use a gluten-free alternative)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Sauce:
- ¼ cup light soy sauce (or use a gluten-free alternative)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl and use your hands to combine them. Shape into 24 meatballs, each weighing about 20 grams.
- Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake them for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. 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. 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 slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the baked meatballs into the saucepan. Gently turn them in the sauce until well-coated. Serve immediately.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
NOTES
ADD YOUR OWN NOTES
NUTRITION PER SERVING
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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. 