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–+ servings
meatballs in a brown sauce on a plate with sesame seeds and green onions

Sticky Asian Meatballs

Sticky Asian meatballs made with juicy beef and coated in a sweet, savoury hoisin glaze. Perfect for piling over rice, noodles, or serving as an easy appetizer.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 15 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 15 Meatballs

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

For the Sticky Sauce

  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup hoisin sauce
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • ½ tsp red repper flakes optional

Cornstarch Slurry

  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water

For Garnishing

  • ¼ cup green onions chopped
  • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, panko, egg, garlic, onion, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger, salt, and pepper. Mix just until combined.
    raw ground beef mixture with minced garlic and onion in a large glass bowl.
  • Roll the mixture into 1 to 1½-inch meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
    15 raw large meatballs spaced out on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are browned and reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
    15 cooked large meatballs on a parchment lined tray.
  • Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer.
    minced garlic, chili flakes and brown liquid in a cast iron skillet on a burner.
  • Stir together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Pour it into the simmering sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
    brown liquid with minced garlic boiling in a cast iron skillet on a burner.
  • Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and gently toss until evenly coated.
    sticky large meatballs in a brown sauce in a cast iron skillet.
  • Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve hot over rice, noodles, or as an appetizer.
    sticky asian meatballs with sesame seeds and green onions on a plate.

Notes

Use 80/20 ground beef if possible. A little extra fat keeps the meatballs juicy and flavourful.
Mix gently. Overworking the meat mixture can lead to dense, tough meatballs instead of tender ones.
Cook the sauce until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This is what gives the meatballs that irresistible sticky glaze.
Like a little heat? Add an extra pinch of red pepper flakes to balance the sweetness of the sauce.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavours get even better overnight.
If the sauce thickens too much after chilling, simply add a splash of water while reheating to loosen it back up.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Meatball | Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 1004mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
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