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These saucy Asian meatballs are the perfect blend of flavors and are drenched in the most insanely delicious sauce! Perfect for dinner or even an appetizer, they will certainly get a “WOW!” at your next get-together!

If delicious meatballs are your thing then you’ve come to the right place! I love meatballs so of course, I think you should try these Quick and Easy Air Fryer Meatballs, these Swedish Meatballs and Noodles, and also these amazing Buffalo Chicken Meatballs!

Asian meatballs in a bowl.

Saucy Asian Meatballs

Meatballs are SOO GOOD and these saucy Asian meatballs are the cream of the crop! Not only do they have the most delicious and savory taste but their texture is absolute perfection. They are so juicy and soft when you bite into them! And, I love that they are garnished with some sesame seeds and green onions. This not only makes them look especially fancy but it is the perfect topper to add a little bit of extra taste and texture.

I am so confident that you will love these meatballs that I am going to tell you now to double the recipe. Do it from the start and then you will be thanking yourself later! These meatballs are going to fly off of your table so fast! Everyone loves these and for good reason. Make it a feast by adding in some rice, this homemade lemonade, and eating these delicious cookies for dessert!

What’s In Saucy Asian Meatballs?

These saucy Asian meatballs look fancy but they are SO simple! You just need a few staple ingredients and you are on your way to biting into this tender dish! See the recipe card below for a list of exact measurements.

  • Meat: You can use ground pork or ground beef for this recipe!
  • Sesame oil: I love the nutty and savory flavor that this brings to this recipe. My favorite one to use is this sesame oil.
  • Panko: If you don’t have any panko crumbs then you can use regular breadcrumbs instead.
  • Ground ginger: Make sure that you use ground ginger in the recipe to get the most flavor out of the spice.
  • Eggs: These help everything to bind together so that you can form the ingredients into a ball. It also adds moisture and keeps the meatballs tender.
  • Minced garlic: Anytime garlic is added to a recipe, I can’t get enough of it! This is the perfect amount and adds some great flavor to these meatballs.
  • Green onions: I like to thinly slice up the green onions so that I can be sure to get the taste in each bite!
  • Optional garnish: You can use some toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions.

Asian Sauce Ingredients

  • Hoisin sauce: This flavor brings in some saltiness and tanginess to the sauce! My favorite one to use is this hoisin sauce.
  • Rice vinegar: Unlike other vinegars, rice vinegar is a mellow taste that is sweet. I like to buy this rice vinegar.
  • Garlic cloves: If you don’t have any fresh garlic cloves to mince then you can use the minced garlic that you have in your fridge! 1/2 tsp equals about 1 clove of garlic.
  • Soy sauce: This soy sauce also brings in a salty flavor!
  • Sesame oil: I really like how this sesame oil mixes into the sauce and adds in an earthy and nutty flavor.
  • Ground ginger: Peppery in flavor, ground ginger really brings this sauce to life!

Let’s Make Some Meatballs!

These saucy Asian meatballs only take about 20 minutes from start to finish! So go ahead and get cooking, you are going to love the result!

  1. Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 400.
  2. Mix and form into balls: In a large bowl, mix together meatball ingredients until well-combined. Shape into balls (I made mine about 1.5 inches, which yielded about 35 meatballs, but 1 inch is probably standard), and then place them on a greased baking sheet or in a 9ร—13 baking dish. 
  3. Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until meatballs are golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.
  4. Make sauce: While the meatballs are baking, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until blended. Once meatballs have finished cooking, then you can either dip each meatball individually (using a toothpick) in the sauce mixture. Or you can pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently stir them until covered.
  5. Serve: Serve warm, and sprinkle with additional garnish if desired.
4 pictures showing steps on how to make and form meatballs.

Tips for Making the BEST Meatballs

Saucy Asian meatballs are super simple and easy to make! I have come up with a few tips that will make these meatballs foolproof!

  • Don’t overcook: If you overcook meatballs then they become tough and chewy. Make sure to keep and eye on them and take them out just after they are no longer pink. Then they will be juicy and fall apart in your mouth tender!
  • Be gentle: When you are forming your meatballs, don’t pack the mixture too tight. You just want to gently and quickly form the meatballs. Just forming them enough so that they hold their shape. If you pack them too tightly then they will be tough and rubbery.
  • Cold ingredients: When you are mixing everything together, you want to mix them as cold ingredients. So make sure to take everything out of the fridge just before you start cooking. This helps the fat from melting before you cook the meatballs!
A toothpick being poked into a meatball.

How to Store Leftovers

These saucy Asian meatballs make fantastic leftovers! Or, you can cook them up, freeze them and eat them later!

  • Refrigerator: Once the meatballs have cooled then place them in an airtight container. Put it in your fridge and they will last 3-4 days.
  • Freezer: Let your meatballs and sauce cool down and place them in an airtight container or a ziplock bag that is labeled with the date. These will last about 3-4 months in the freezer!
  • Reheat: To reheat your leftovers, place them in the microwave and heat them up for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. If you have frozen meatballs, let them thaw overnight in the fridge and heat them up in the same way. Enjoy!

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Saucy Asian Meatballs

4.84 from 6 votes
By: Alyssa Rivers
are the perfect blend of flavors and are drenched in the most insanely delicious sauce! Perfect for dinner or even an appetizer, they will certainly get a "WOW!" at your next get together!ย 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Servings: 35 Meatballs

Ingredients 

  • 2 pounds ground pork or ground beef
  • 2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 cup Panko or breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 Cup thinly-sliced green onions
  • Optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions

Asian Sauce Ingredients:

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • In a large bowl, mix together meatball ingredients until well-combined. Shape into balls (I made mine about 1.5 inches, which yielded about 35 meatballs, but 1 inch is probably standard), and place on a greased baking sheet or in a 9ร—13 baking dish.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until meatballs are golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.
  • While the meatballs are baking, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until blended. Once meatballs have finished cooking, you can either dip each meatball individually (using a toothpick) in the sauce mixture. Or you can pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently stir them until covered.
  • Serve warm, and sprinkle with additional garnish if desired.

Video

Notes

Updated on October 31, 2021
Originally Posted on October 23, 2012

Nutrition

Calories: 99kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 186mgPotassium: 94mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 28IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian American
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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25 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These were amazing. I made them with pork and poured the sauce and meatballs over pasta. Normally I would use rice but I had the pasta on hand. I made enough to freeze and Iโ€™m glad I did!! Highly recommend!!!

  2. These look and sound delicious. You say it makes 35 meatballs, but how many are in one serving? Thanks

    1. This is so delicious, I can’t wait for you to try it! If you are serving the meatballs as your meal, with additional sides, I would say about 6-7 meatballs per person.

  3. 4 stars
    My son really likes these. We make them ahead and they freeze well to prep ahead for his lunches at work. Put in container with some rice, throw some fruit in the bag and he is ready to go. Thanks!

  4. These aren’t bad, but they’re not good. Right off the bar, missing seasoning in the meatballs. Added a bit of salt and soy sauce to the mix, still way underseasoned. The sauce lacks something, too. Not a total loss, but won’t make them again.