Meatballs are so easy. All of the ingredients are combined in one bowl and then rolled into delicious little balls of tasty goodness. What could be more simple?
Although Italian meatballs usually get most of the press, there are definitely other options when it comes to seasoning your meatballs.
I have a fabulous Greek meatball recipe here and you are going to love these Korean sweet and spicy meatballs! They can be made with ground chicken, turkey or beef and they reheat well, so they are a wonderful meal prep option!
Let’s get started…
Start by combining 16 ounces of ground chicken with 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, 3 large finely chopped green onions, 3 large finely minced cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons of grated or pasted ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, a large egg and a tablespoon of Korean chili paste or oil in a large bowl.
Note: Like I said above, these meatballs can be made with chicken, turkey or beef, but I think they are best using ground chicken.
Once all of ingredients have been fully combined, form into 20 tablespoon sized meatballs. This is a fairly moist mixture, so I find the easiest way to divide it up is by greasing a tablespoon sized cookie dough scoop and dropping the meatballs onto a parchment lined plate.
Once the meatballs have been formed, add about a quarter of a cup of a neutral oil into a large skillet placed over medium heat. As soon as the oil is warm, carefully add the meatballs and cook until they are golden brown and crisp on the outside and cooked through with no pink and an internal temperature of 165 degrees on the inside.
When the meatballs are cooked through, transfer them onto a paper towel lined plate and mix up this sweet and sticky sauce to glaze your crispy meatballs in…
Combine 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 large finely minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of grated ginger and a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil in a small bowl.
Remove excess oil from the skillet you cooked the meatballs in and return it to medium heat. Add the sauce and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the meatballs and toss until they are all generously coated in that deliciously sticky sauce.
Let the meatballs simmer in the sauce until they are warm and completely glazed in the sweet and sticky goodness and then transfer them over a bowl of noodles or rice and drizzle a little extra sauce over top…
I like to add some green onion and white sesame seeds over each bowl just to make these meatballs look as amazing as they taste, which is really quite amazing…
The ginger and chili oil in these meatballs bring a little kick of spice and the glaze has the perfect amount of sweetness to balance the flavors in a wonderful way. The sauce is sticky and luscious with salty, sweet, tangy and umami filled flavors that you are going to absolutely love.
Sweet & Spicy Korean Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 16 ounces of ground chicken (turkey or beef works too)
- 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
- 3 large green onions, finely chopped
- 3 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons of ginger, grated or pasted
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon of Korean chili oil or paste
- 1/4 cup of a neutral oil (for frying)
Sweet & Sticky Sauce
- 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 large clove of garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon of ginger, grated or pasted
- 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
Instructions
Make the meatballs...
- Combine 16 ounces of ground chicken with 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs, 3 large finely chopped green onions, 3 large finely minced cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons of grated or pasted ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, a large egg and a tablespoon of Korean chili paste or oil in a large bowl
- Form the mixture into 20 tablespoon sized meatballs
- Add about a half cup of a neutral oil in a large skillet placed over medium heat
- Once the oil is warm, carefully place the meatballs into the oil and cook until browned and crispy on all sides and cooked through
- Transfer the cooked meatballs onto a paper towel lined plate
Make the sauce...
- Remove excess oil from the skillet and return it to medium heat
- In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 large finely minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of grated ginger and a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
- Once the sauce is fully combined, add it into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer
- Add the meatballs and toss in the sauce until they are all generously coated
- Allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce until they are warm and completely glazed
- Enjoy!
