Satisfy your cravings for Asian flavors with these easy and delicious Asian meatballs, topped with a savory sauce. Perfect for a weeknight dinner or as a party appetizer!
Baked golden-brown spheres glistening with a sticky-sweet glaze. The crisp, caramelized exterior gives way to a soft, succulent interior packed with savory garlic, ginger and a hint of spicy heat. The sweetness of mirin dances with the salty depth of soy sauce, creating a flavor profile that's complex and addictive.
I don't have many meatball recipes and usually I just "wing it" when I am making them with whatever I have on hand, but my whole family thought this was one of the best asian meatball recipes that had ever had...so this time I wrote it down!
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Ingredients for Asian Meatballs
There is a good chance that you already have most of these items in your pantry!.
- Ground pork - use ground pork for a more authentic taste. You can substitute ground chicken if you like, although they won't be as good. I really try to limit the amount of pork that I eat, but this is one recipe where I always stick to pork!
- Egg & breadcrumbs - can't really make meatballs without them! Make sure to use plain unseasoned breadcrumbs (preferably panko breadcrumbs)
- Garlic & ginger - you really are going to want to use freshly minced for both and the measurements for these asian meatballs are based on using fresh. I know that a lot of people use jarred garlic & ginger because it is easier (and I admit - it is!), but the jarred versions tend to not be as flavorful and aromatic. If you absolutely must use jarred, you might want to add a little extra.
- Chili flakes or crushed red pepper - adds a little heat to the meatballs. I usually use twice as much as I am listing in this recipe, but I like spicy foods. Play with the amount you add to suit your taste.
- Soy sauce, mirin (where to buy) and sesame oil - the main ingredients for the sauce (along with fresh ginger)
- Sliced green onions - used both in the meatballs and for garnish. You should always have these in your house considering how easy it is to regrow green onions!
- Cornstarch - essential to thicken the sauce
- Garnishes - sesame seeds, sliced green onions, sliced cucumbers or cooked rice
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make them
Combine the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl
Stir until completely combined, but do not overmix!
Form mixture in to 20 meatballs and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes.
While the meatballs are cooking, place all the ingredients for the sauce except the sesame oil in a saucepan and whisk.
Bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Toss the cooked meatballs in the sauce and serve with white or brown rice.
Note: ground pork must be cooked to a minimum temperature of 160 °F (71.1 °C) for safety. Use a digital meat thermometer (aff) to ensure the proper temperature.
Substitutions & variations
- The meat: you can substitute ground chicken for the pork, but you will want to increase the amount of breadcrumbs that you add because ground chicken tends to be "wetter" than ground pork. I wouldn't recommend using lean ground beef or turkey (the turkey would be too dry and the beef flavor might overwhelm the spice/seasonings).
- This recipe makes the perfect amount of sauce to coat the meatballs, but not enough to "drown" your rice in sauce. If you, like my husband, likes extra sauce, consider doubling the sauce recipe.
- You can substitute sake, a dry sherry or a sweet marsala wine for the mirin if you don't want to buy a bottle. You can also use dry white wine or rice vinegar, but then you would need to add about a tablespoon of sugar as well.
- If you are gluten-free, you can easily substitute coconut aminos or tamari for the soy sauce and cauliflower rice for the regular rice (along with any other substitutions you normally make)
Storage
Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Top tip
You can easily make these ahead of time. Just mix and form the meatballs. Freeze unbaked meatballs on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag for longer storage. Bake frozen meatballs for an extra 5-10 minutes.
Related
Looking for more Asian-inspired recipes like this? Try these:
Easy Asian Meatballs with Sauce
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground pork
- ½ tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, plain
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 green onions sliced
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup mirin
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
For serving and garnish
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- green onions, sliced
- cucumber slices
- cooked white or jasmine rice
Instructions
Make the meatballs
- Preheat your oven to 375F
- Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl and stir until well combined. Do not overmix!
- Roll the mixture in to 20 meatballs and place on a foil-lined baking tray
- Bake the meatballs for 25-30 minutes or until fully cooked
Make the sauce
- While the meatballs are cooking, combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT the sesame oil in a saucepan.
- Whisk the mixture well to make sure there are no lumps from the cornstarch.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat,
- Simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the sesame oil
Serve
- Toss the meatballs with the sauce to coat thoroughly
- Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds
- Serve over rice with sliced cucumbers
Video
Notes
Notes:
You can substitute ground chicken for the ground pork but you will want to add more breadcrumbs as ground chicken is "wetter" than ground pork. Adjust the sweetness of the sauce by adding more or less mirin. If you can't find mirin at your store you can buy it online or substitute sake, a dry sherry or a sweet marsala wine. You can also use dry white wine, but then you would need to add about a tablespoon of sugar If the sauce is still too thin after simmering, make a slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water and add it to the sauce and cook for another minute (DO NOT just add cornstarch to the hot sauce as it will clump. Make the slurry!) Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Asian meatballs:
Food safety
A few last things:
- With ground pork, cook to a minimum temperature of 160 °F (71.1 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
