Description
Sweet and spicy Korean BBQ meatballs get a kick from gochujang (Korean chili paste) and a soy-ginger glaze that takes this recipe to the next level.
Ingredients
Scale
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean-style chili paste)
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Cooked white or brown rice, for serving (optional)
For the glaze:
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Make the meatballs: Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, pepper, salt, 3 green onions, 2 cloves garlic, egg and 1 tablespoon gochujang until well mixed. Roll into 1-inch balls; place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 20-25 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 4 cloves garlic, soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon gochujang, rice wine vinegar, vegetable oil and red pepper flakes to a boil. Whisk cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together in a separate small bowl until well combined; stir into boiling sauce until just combined.
- Reduce heat to medium; simmer and stir constantly 8-10 minutes until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and gently stir to coat. Serve meatballs warm topped with remaining 1 green onion, sesame seeds and cooked rice, if desired.
Notes
- This recipe makes a generous amount of sauce. This is great if you plan to serve the meatballs over rice, as the rice will absorb some of the sauce into a yum-yumminess. BUT, if you plan to serve these on their own or as more of an appetizer, feel free to halve the sauce recipe (directions stay the same).