Easy, Saucy Asian Meatballs

These delicious, well-seasoned Asian meatballs are coated in a marvelous sauce – sticky, with just a hint of sweetness, and very flavorful.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 293kcal

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.

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.