Asian Meatballs

These Asian Meatballs are my latest obsession! So succulent, juicy, and coated in a sticky sauce that’s absolutely irresistible!

They’re incredibly versatile too. I use them to make bowl meals, toss them with Asian noodles, or simply serve them as the perfect party appetizer with toothpicks.

Trust me, once you try these, you’ll wonder why you didn’t make them sooner!

Seriously, who doesn’t love meatballs?

From classic Italian Meatballs to decadent Swedish Meatballs, and even other Asian themed spheres like Sweet and Sour Meatballs and Vietnamese Bun Cha, I can’t get enough!

Ingredients Needed

This meatball recipe has two main components:

• Meatballs – Ground turkey, garlic, fresh ginger, egg, panko, soy sauce, cilantro, salt and pepper.
• Sticky sauce – Soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic and sesame oil.

How to Make Asian Meatballs

1. Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, I combine all the ingredients for the meatballs until they’re well incorporated. Then, I roll the mixture into 16-20 equal-sized meatballs and arrange them neatly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

2. Bake: I transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the meatballs for 15-20 minutes at 400°F, or until they’re cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 165°F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.

3. Make the sauce: While the meatballs are baking, I combine all the sauce ingredients together in a skillet. I bring the mixture to a simmer for a few minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly. Once the meatballs are cooked, I add them to the sauce and toss them until they’re well coated.

Alpana’s Tips

1. Choose the Right Meat: When I’m making these meatballs, I always go for ground turkey. It’s a great lean choice. But here’s the thing: I make sure it’s not too lean because I don’t want my meatballs to end up dry. Fat content matters for both flavor and moisture, so I aim for ground turkey that isn’t just breast meat. That way, my meatballs turn out perfectly juicy and flavorful every time!
2. Don’t Overwork the Meat: I mix the ground turkey and other ingredients until they’re just combined. It’s important not to overwork the mixture, otherwise the meatballs can become tough.
3. Test the Seasoning: Here’s a tip I always follow: before making all my meatballs, I cook a small test patty in a pan. I taste it and adjust the seasoning as needed. It’s a simple step that ensures my meatballs are perfectly seasoned every time!
4. Chill: Chilling the meatball mixture makes it easier to form the meatballs.
5. Uniform Size: I use a cookie scoop or spoon to ensure all my meatballs are the same size. It’s key for even cooking!
6. Keep Your Hands Wet: When forming the meatballs, I wet my hands with water. This prevents the mixture from sticking and makes forming the balls easier.

Serving Suggestions

As mentioned earlier, they’re great party appetizers. I serve them with toothpicks and watch my guests gobble them up.

I love them in bowl meals. Fill the bottom of a bowl with rice, then add meatballs along with veggies like carrots, cucumber and edamame.

Top them on your favorite Asian noodles. You can call it Asian spaghetti and meatballs!

You can also make a mighty good Asian themed meatball sub. Add cucumber slices for some crunch.

Variations

1. Korean Variation: Sometimes I add Gochujang (Korean chili paste) for heat and some grated Korean pear for sweetness.
2. Thai Variation: For different flavors, I’ll use fish sauce instead of soy sauce. Then I swap the cilantro in the meatballs with fresh Thai basil, and give everything a squeeze of lime juice when serving.
3. Japanese Variation: For this twist, I replace part of the soy sauce with Mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine) and add a bit of Miso paste for depth.

Whip up these easy Asian meatballs at your next get together, or just your next weeknight dinner. They’re a guaranteed hit!

Make sure to save or pin this recipe so you always know where to find it. Be sure to check our other cracking good Ground Turkey Recipes. And don’t forget to subscribe to GypsyPlate, we’re always cooking up new recipes for you!

Asian Meatballs, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other great meatball recipes!
Chicken Meatball Noodle Soup
Spanish Meatballs (Albondigas)
Creamy Chicken Meatballs
Meatball Minestrone
Greek Keftedes
Greek Soutzoukakia
Meatball Tagine
Meatball Stew

Asian Meatballs

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

These Asian Meatballs are baked to perfection, then tossed with a sweet and sticky sauce. They're so good!

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Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbsp panko
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Sauce

• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ tsp sesame oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for meatballs until well incorporated.
3. Roll the meatballs into 16-20 equal sized meatballs, and arrange them on the baking sheet.
4. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and have an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
5. While the meatballs are baking, combine all sauce ingredients together in a skillet. Bring to a simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
6. Once meatballs are cooked, add them to the sauce and toss until well coated.

Notes

1. Leftovers: Asian baked meatballs are great as leftovers. As they sit for a few days in the refrigerator, all the saucy flavors seep into meatballs, making them extra delicious. Store them in an air tight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat on stovetop or in the microwave.
2. You can also freeze the leftovers for 2-3 months in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat when ready to serve.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 400Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 167mgSodium 1215mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 1gSugar 9gProtein 33g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.