Quick and easy one pot Asian meatballs recipe, homemade with simple ingredients in less than 1 hour. Inspired by Korean flavors, they have a sweet and spicy flavor and are packed with Gochujang paste. These can be served as cocktail party appetizer or enjoy with fried rice for dinner.
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I am going to start off by saying this is not an authentic Korean recipe. It's inspired by Asian flavors and has been westernized to suit my family's taste buds. That being said, it's still so mouthwatering and delicious that it ends up in our weekly meal plan rotations a lot. For more ideas with Asian flavors, try my Crockpot Sesame Chicken (One Pot), Crockpot Orange Chicken, or this Asian Cabbage Salad (One Bowl).
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Key ingredients for Korean meatballs
- Ground beef- The higher quality meat you use, the better taste you will get.
- Breadcrumbs- I like to use Panko, but you can even use homemade.
- Garlic- Adds a nice aroma and flavor to the overall dish.
- Green onions- Brings in some color while giving extra flavor.
- Spices- Including ginger, red chili powder, salt, pepper,
- Gochujang paste- this is a fermented Korean chili paste.
- Oil- You will need both sesame oil and another of your choice, such as vegetable, corn, or canola.
- Egg- Use a large one for best results.
- Soy sauce- I recommend low sodium of your favorite brand.
- Brown sugar- Adds a bit of sweetness to the mix.
- Vinegar- Balances the sweetness and adds distinct flavor.
- Cornstarch- Mixed with water to thicken sauces.
Variations
- Add frozen vegetables- Like peas, carrots, or your favorite veggie mix.
- Make it quick and easy- By using premade frozen meatballs you can buy at the store. In my opinion they aren't as tasty, but it does in a pinch. You will need to add to the overall cooking time, however.
- Give it some spice- With added jalepenos, hot sauce, or red chili flakes.
- Use other ground meat- Such as turkey, chicken, or pork.
- Switch up the flavor profile with different spices- Like Italian seasoning, taco seasoning, paprika, garlic salt, or Cajun seasoning.
How to make easy one pot asian meatballs recipe from scratch?
- In a Ziploc bag- Mix together beef, breadcrumbs, green onions, garlic, ginger, gochujang, spices, oil, and egg.
- Form mixture into small balls- Then place on a tray sprayed with oil.
- Fry meatballs in oil- Until fully cooked, then remove and place on prepared tray.
- Make glaze by mixing together- Soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, vinegar, sesame oil, gochujang paste, red chili powder, salt, and pepper in a saucepan.
- Cook and bring to a boil- Then slowly mix in prepared cornstarch slurry.
- Allow sauce to thicken- Then reduce heat and add in meatballs to coat.
- Garnish- Then serve and enjoy.
What to serve with them?
- Rice- You can serve boiled/steamed jasmine or basmati rice. You can even try this Cauliflower Fried Rice (One Pot) or quinoa as a rice alternative.
- Vegetables- Like these Oven Roasted Carrots (One Pan),Oven Roasted Broccoli (One Pan), or Oven Roasted Asparagus (One Pan).
- Salad- An easy option would be this Asian Cucumber Salad (One Bowl) or Asian Cabbage Salad (One Bowl).
- Noodles- You can also serve these over your favorite pasta or Zoodles.
Tips and techniques
- Adjust brown sugar- According to what sweetness level you prefer.
- Use low sodium ingredients- Especially for the soy sauce, because that can get really salty.
- Use a Ziploc bag to mix ingredients- Because it makes cleanup quick and easy at the end.
- Toast sesame seeds before adding- Because it adds great aroma and flavor.
- Plain Panko crumbs are recommended- Unless you want to alter the overall flavor.
- Absorb excess oil from meatballs- By placing them on a tray lined with paper towels.
- Use fresh, not powdered, garlic and ginger- To get the best and freshest flavors.
- Don't overcrowd the pan- When making meatballs or they won't cook evenly or well.
Recipe FAQs
What if the sauce is too thin?
Simply add more cornstarch slurry a little at a time until you reach a desired consistency. If it is too thick, add in water a little at a time.
How do I keep these warm for serving?
Just put them in a slow cooker set to "Low." You can add a splash of water to prevent burning if it will be in there awhile.
How big should the meatballs be?
Usually you want them to be about 2 inches in diameter. Any bigger than that and it's hard to eat them. The bigger the meatball, the longer it will need to cook.
Storage
- Refrigerate- Store in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze- Allow to cool, then place in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge, reheat, and enjoy.
- Reheat- In the microwave or over the stovetop.
- Make ahead- This can easily be made several days before needed if kept in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer.
More one pot Asian dinner ideas
- Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli Recipe
- Instant Pot Chinese Chicken (Shredded)
- Chicken Pad Thai (One Pot)
- Szechuan Chicken (One Pot)
- Honey Sesame Chicken (One Pot)
Recipe
One Pot Asian Meatballs (Korean)
Quick and easy one pot Asian meatballs recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Inspired by Korean flavors, they have a sweet and spicy flavor and are packed with Gochujang paste. These can be served as cocktail party appetizer or enjoy with fried rice for dinner.
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Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound Ground beef
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 Green onions Thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon Garlic Finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Freshly grated
- 2 tablespoon Gochujang paste This is fermented Korean chili paste
- ¼ teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 3-4 tablespoon Oil Vegetable, canola or corn
- 1 Egg Large
Asian Korean BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup Soy sauce Low sodium
- ½-3/4 cup Brown sugar Adjust according to your sweetness preference. I have even gone as low as ⅓ cup sometimes but never lower than that.
- 2 tablespoon Garlic Finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Freshly grated
- 1 tablespoon Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon Gochujang paste
- ¼ teaspoon Red chili powder
- Salt To taste
- Pepper To taste
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Water
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon Sesame seeds Preferably toasted
- 1 Green onion Thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a Ziploc bag, add ground beef, breadcrumbs, green onions, garlic, ginger, gochujang, red chili powder, salt, pepper, oil and egg. Seal and mix until combined. You can do this in a bowl but using a Ziploc bag makes clean up so much faster. One less bowl to wash.
- Scoop out small portions of the mixture and roll them into small balls and place them on a tray sprayed with oil.
- Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan and pan fry the meatballs in medium heat until fully cooked. Do this in batches and don't over-crowd the pan!
- Remove the meatballs and place them on a tray, lined with paper towels.
- Prepare the Korean glaze now by adding soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, vinegar, sesame oil, gochujang paste, red chili powder, salt and pepper in a non-stick saucepan.
- Cook on medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Make a cornstarch slurry by mixing together cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add it into the boiling sauce.
- Mix everything together for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Then, reduce heat.
- Add meatballs in the saucepan and toss them around until they are fully coated. Do this in batches and do not over-crowd the saucepan!
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
- I highly recommend toasting your sesame seeds before adding them as a garnish because it adds so much flavor and aroma.
- Use a Ziploc bag to prepare the meatball mixture because you can discard it at the end and it makes cleanup so quick and easy.
- Please use fresh garlic and ginger rather than their powder versions because the flavors are so much fresher and the aromas are unbelievable.
- Make sure to place your pan-fried meatballs in a tray lined with with paper towels so as to absorb excess oil.
- Use plain panko breadcrumbs and not the flavored kind because that will alter the flavor.
- Read additional tips and variations above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 6gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 797mgPotassium: 118mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 51IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1mg
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
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