Sweet and Sticky Asian Meatballs
Tender, flavorful, and easy-to-make, these beef meatballs are extra delicious simmered in a sweet and sticky homemade pan sauce. Serve with rice, veggies, and toasted sesame seeds for a build-your-own bowl dinner.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup thinly-sliced green onions white parts
- 1 large egg
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound lean ground beef
For the Sauce and for Serving:
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- thinly-sliced green onions (green parts) and toasted sesame seeds for garnish
- rice, edamame, steamed broccoli, or other veggies for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, green onions, egg, garlic, soy sauce, kosher salt, red and black pepper. Use a fork to mix these together well.1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup thinly-sliced green onions, 1 large egg, 3 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Add ground beef to the bowl. Continue using the fork to very gently pull the breadcrumb mixture through the meat, until it is pretty even. Try not to overwork.1 pound lean ground beef
- Scoop the mixture into meatballs of about 2 Tablespoons each and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. You can roll them gently between your hands to smooth them out, or skip this step if you don’t mind a “rustic” shape.
- Bake the meatballs for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through to an interior temperature of 160°F.
- While the meatballs are in the oven, prepare the sauce. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the water, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger, and an optional pinch of red pepper flakes. (Omit or reduce the red pepper if serving kids.)3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 4 cloves garlic, 3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce, 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, pinch red pepper flakes
- Whisk together into a smooth sauce and bring it to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and let the sauce bubble for 4-5 minutes. It should thicken up a bit.
- When meatballs are cooked through, add them to the skillet and toss to coat with the sauce. (If a lot of fat was rendered while they baked, you can roll the meatballs on a paper towel before adding them to the sauce.) Keep warm over low heat as you finish preparing your rice, edamame, broccoli, and any other sides.
- Serve with rice, meatballs, plenty of sauce, veggies, and a sprinkling of thinly-sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds on top. Enjoy!thinly-sliced green onions (green parts) and toasted sesame seeds, rice, edamame, steamed broccoli, or other veggies
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Notes
- Sauce: If you want it to thicken up more and quickly, whisk in a slurry of 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 teaspoon cool water. If it becomes too thick and you want to thin it back out, whisk in 1 Tablespoon of water at a time.
- Nutritional Info: is an estimate based on the meatballs and using all of the sauce, so of course it will vary depending on what you serve with them and how much of the sauce you consume.
- Recipe: Adapted from Little Spice Jar.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 380 kcal, Carbohydrates: 41 g, Protein: 29 g, Fat: 11 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g, Trans Fat: 0.4 g, Cholesterol: 112 mg, Sodium: 1361 mg, Potassium: 587 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 31 g, Vitamin A: 142 IU, Vitamin C: 3 mg, Calcium: 79 mg, Iron: 4 mg