These Asian meatballs will be a new family favorite! Beef meatballs are baked until tender then coated in a sweet and savory sticky sauce and perfect for dinner.
Saucy Asian Meatballs
Asian-style meatballs are similar to my garlic honey meatballs, firecracker meatballs and teriyaki meatballs in that they’re juicy seasoned beef meatballs smothered in a sweet and sticky sauce. Every bite explodes with flavor!
This Asian meatballs recipe uses lean ground beef but you can use a combination of ground pork and beef, or even swap for ground chicken or turkey. You could even use frozen meatballs like I do in my Hawaiian meatballs recipe to save some time!
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Ground beef: I like to use lean ground beef that is 80/20. You could try a mixture of ground beef and ground pork sausage if preferred.
- Chopped cilantro: Fresh chopped cilantro adds a fresh citrusy taste, you could use parsley instead.
- Egg: One large egg is needed to help bind everything together.
- Minced garlic: Adds the perfect flavor to these meatballs.
- Minced ginger: The perfect warm flavor that compliments Asian dishes.
- Salt and pepper: Enhances the flavor the meatballs.
- Hot sauce: Optional but will add a small zesty kick.
Asian Sauce Ingredients
- Honey: If you don’t have honey on hand, brown sugar will work too.
- Soy sauce: You can substitute coconut aminos for soy sauce as a gluten-free alternative.
- Minced garlic: Fresh is great, but if you need to use jarred or ground garlic you can.
- Ginger: Fresh ginger is the best, but you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger for every teaspoon of freshly minced ginger.
How to Make Asian Meatballs
- Combine meatball ingredients: Combine the meat, egg, cilantro, garlic, ginger, salt and black pepper in a bowl then stir until just combined being careful not to over mix. Add a couple dashes of hot sauce if desired.
- Bake: Form mixture into 1 1/2″ balls and place on the pan. I like to use a medium cookie scoop for evenly sized meatballs. Bake at 400°F on a parchment lined baking sheet for 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through so the bottoms don’t brown. When fully cooked, remove meatballs and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess grease.
- Prepare sauce: In a medium saucepan combine the soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger. Bring to a light simmer over medium heat. Cook until sauce has thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Add the cooked meatballs into the sauce and stir until coated.
- Serve: Serve over rice and garnish wiht scallions, slivered carrots, or sesame seeds!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Do not overmix the meat. For tender meatballs that aren’t too dense or dry, you want to combine the mixture just enough.
- No fillers are needed: But if you find that your meatball mixture seems too wet you can add some Panko or bread crumbs.
- For a spicy meatball, drop in a few dashes of hot sauce.
- Use a cookie scoop for even-sized meatballs. They need to be uniform sizes to bake evenly.
- Rotate the meatballs halfway through the bake time so they don’t just brown on one side, alternately follow directions for my easy air fryer meatballs.
- To pan-fry them, cook meatballs in a large skillet on the stovetop in about 2 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. They should take about 7-10 minutes to cook through.
How to Serve Asian Beef Meatballs
If I make these as part of my game day appetizer spread I’ll usually include a few varieties of meatballs like my beef meatball recipe or sweet and sour meatballs. I always make extra sauce, too!
For dinner, serve these with white rice or if we are extra hungry this fried rice. They are also great with just a salad or side of broccoli!
Storage
- Store: Store leftovers of your cooked Asian meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through.
- Freeze: Freeze cooked meatballs in sauce in an airtight container or ziploc bag. Reheat in the microwave or a slow cooker on low for a few hours.
- Make ahead: Freeze uncooked meatballs by flash freezing them on a parchment lined baking sheet then transfer to a freezer safe storage bag. Bake from frozen and follow directions for sauce.
For more Asian inspired dishes try P.F. Chang’s Mongolian beef, homemade egg rolls or Korean ground beef bowl.
More Meatball Recipes
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Saucy Asian Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound 80% lean ground beef
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 large egg , beaten
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- hot sauce , optional
Sauce
- ¼ cup light soy sauce , or coconut aminos
- ¼ cup honey , or brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
For serving: rice, green onions, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Combine meatballs. In a bowl add 1 pound ground beef, 1 egg, 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 teaspoons garlic, 2 teaspoons ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir just until combined, do not over mix. Add a couple dashes of hot sauce if desired.
- Use a medium cookie scoop or spoon to scoop the meat. Then form into 1 1/2" balls and place on the pan. Bake uncovered for 12-15 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle. Turn halfway through if desired, so the bottoms don't brown. When fully cooked, remove meatballs and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess grease.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 2 teaspoons garlic and 2 teaspoons ginger. Bring to a light simmer over medium heat. Cook until it has turned into a thick glaze, about 3-5 minutes. Whisk constantly. Remove from heat. Then add meatballs into the sauce and stir until coated.
- Serve over rice. Top with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, 30 Minute Meals, Appetizers, Asian, Beef, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Mini appetizers, Nut-Free, Super Bowl
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
We were craving some Asian food and decided to try this recipe, didn’t regret trying it at all. It was delicious, the sauce and the meatballs are so savory and tasted amazing!
I can’t get enough of that delicious sticky sauce! I made it with ground turkey, and it was delish!!
So happy to hear you loved it, Erin!
These look amazing! Thanks for sharing!