Korean Meatballs are juicy, tender, and packed with bold Korean-inspired flavor. Made with ground beef, gochujang, ginger, and green onions, and brushed with a sweet and savory glaze, they’re perfect for easy weeknight dinners, meal prep, or entertaining.
So flavorful and easy. Made these with ground turkey. Served over jasmine rice with a side of the Korean cucumber salad. Yum! A hit we will be making again soon.
Every time I make these easy Korean Meatballs, they disappear almost as quickly as they hit the table. The tender beef meatballs are seasoned with ginger, green onions, and gochujang and glazed with the most irresistible sweet, sticky, and savory Korean glaze.
Honestly, I just wanted any excuse to make our Korean cucumber salad, and this is how these Asian meatballs came to be! Pair them with jasmine rice and kimchi along with the cucumber salad, and you’ll have a flavorful meal in no time flat.
Why You’ll Love These Korean Meatballs!
Big, bold flavor. Sweet, savory, spicy, and tangy, these meatballs deliver restaurant-worthy flavor with simple pantry ingredients.
Easy enough for weeknights. The meatballs bake in the oven while the glaze simmers on the stove, making dinner come together quickly with minimal hands-on time.
Perfect for meal prep. Make a couple of batches ahead for easy lunches and dinners throughout the week. They reheat nicely and are freezer-friendly, too!
So versatile! Serve the meatballs over rice, noodles, or in lettuce wraps.
Adaptable. Try this with ground turkey, chicken, or plant-based meat like Impossible Burger. It is easily gluten-free-adaptable- use GF liquid aminos and GF panko.
Korean Meatball Recipe Ingredients
- Ground meat: Ground beef creates juicy, savory meatballs. Substitute with ground turkey, chicken, pork, or plant-based ground “meat” like Impossible Burger.
- Gochujang paste: Korean fermented chili paste adds savory depth, gentle heat, and a subtle sweetness. Adjust the amount to your desired spice level.
- Green onions and fresh ginger: Bring freshness and aromatic flavor to balance the richness of the beef.
- Large egg: Helps bind the meatballs while keeping them moist and tender.
- Panko breadcrumbs: For a lighter, more delicate texture than traditional breadcrumbs. Sub with GF panko!
- Lite soy sauce and toasted sesame oil: Soy sauce adds umami, while toasted sesame oil adds rich, nutty flavor. Sub with GF liquid aminos.
- Salt and black pepper: To enhance and balance all of the flavors.
- Glaze: Rice wine vinegar (unseasoned), lite soy sauce, gochujang paste, and apricot preserves (or pure maple syrup) create a sweet, savory, tangy, and subtly spicy glaze. Sub with GF liquid aminos.
- Garnishes: Sesame seeds, cilantro, and chopped green onions add freshness, crunch, and beautiful color.
How to Make Korean Meatballs
1. Preheat. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lay foil on a baking sheet, covering the sides too, and top with a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Make the meatball mixture. Add salt, green onions, ginger, gochujang paste, egg, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, and sesame oil to a large bowl and mix. Fold in ground beef until just combined. Over-mixing can toughen the meat.
3. Chill. Transfer the meat mixture to the fridge to chill for 20 minutes.
4. Shape the meatballs. Use a 1/4-cup, or #16 scoop or disher, to shape the mixture into 22 meatballs, about 50-55 grams (1 3/4 ounces) each.
5. Bake. Arrange the meatballs on the lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes. When done, the internal temperature should register 165°F. Alternatively, you can bake these on a rack or pan-sear.
6. Make the glaze. In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, gochujang paste, and apricot jam (or maple syrup). Transfer to a small saucepan on the stovetop and bring to a boil, simmering for 5 minutes. Stir until reduced and thickened. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
7. Glaze and garnish. Brush the cooked meatballs with the warm glaze. Garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro, and chopped scallions.
Chef’s Tips
- Don’t over-mix the meat. Mix until just combined to keep the meatballs tender. Over-mixing can toughen the meat.
- Chill before baking. A 20-minute rest in the fridge helps the meatballs hold their shape and bake more evenly.
- Use a cookie scoop. I recommend a 2-ounce cookie scoop (¼ cup) for evenly sized meatballs that cook at the same rate.
- Use an instant-read thermometer. This is the easiest way to ensure perfectly juicy meatballs. Aim for an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Simmer the glaze until syrupy. The glaze should reduce and thicken, but keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Glaze the meatballs while they’re hot. They’ll absorb more flavor than if they’ve cooled.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the Korean Meatballs over steamed rice (or over noodles or in lettuce wraps) with Korean cucumber salad, kimchi, pickled daikon radish, and pickled onions. Serve with a side of sautéed bok choy, roasted broccoli, asparagus stir-fry, or scallion pancakes.
You could also serve the meatballs as an appetizer with toothpicks!
Storage
Store leftover Korean Meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes or in a covered skillet with a splash of water until warmed through. If possible, reheat the glaze separately and brush it on just before serving.
For more Korean dishes, try our Korean Bulgogi Beef, Korean BBQ Chicken, or Sticky Asian Chicken Wings.
More Meatball Recipes You Might Like
After you try this Korean Meatballs recipe, let us know how it turns out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Tonia
Korean Meatballs Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 22 meatballs 1x
- Category: Asian, beef recipes, Dinner, easy dinner idea, weeknight dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Asian Recipe, Korean
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, high protein, Low-Carb
Description
This Korean Meatballs recipe features juicy beef meatballs flavored with gochujang, ginger, garlic, and green onions, then glazed with a sweet and savory Korean sauce. Perfect for dinner or meal prep.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 3/4 cup green onions, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 3 tablespoons gochujang paste (adjust to taste)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or use GF panko)
- 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds ground beef (or sub ground lamb, pork, or turkey)
Glaze
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (unseasoned)
- 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 3 tablespoons apricot preserves or 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Mix Meatballs. In a large bowl, mix green onions, ginger, gochujang paste, egg, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper. Fold in ground beef gently; mix with a fork until just combined. Do not overmix; this can toughen the meat.
- Chill for 20 minutes.
- Shape. Using a 1/4-cup (2-ounce cookie scoop) shape the mixture into 22 meatballs, about 50-55 grams each.Â
- Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet (bottom and sides covered with foil and lay parchment on top for easiest cleanup) at 425°F for 15 minutes; internal temperature should register 165°F. (Can also bake on a rack or pan-sear for extra deep flavor.)
- Make glaze. Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, gochjang paste, and apricot jam or maple syrup. Heat glaze in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring until reduced and slightly thickened- it will thicken as it cools.
- Finish. Remove meatballs from the oven and brush with warm glaze. Garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro, and chopped green onions.
- Serve. Enjoy over jasmine rice, along with Korean cucumber salad, kimchi, pickled daikon radish, or pickled onions.Â
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 235
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 585 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.7 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 31.6 g
- Cholesterol: 104.1 mg
This recipe is fantastic and well worth the effort. I made some homemade gochujang paste, as I couldn’t find one that was gluten free. I served it with the Korean Cucumber Salad, jasmine rice, and some kimchi. Delicious!
Oh I love it Karon! I need to try that. Glad you enjoyed and your efforts were worth it!
So flavorful and easy. Made these with ground turkey. Served over jasmine rice with a side of the Korean cucumber salad. Yum-a hit we will be making again soon.
Great to hear Joan!
This was excellent! I messed up and put the preserves in the meatball mixture, but it kind of melted out and didn’t hurt the meatballs except for making them very soft. I used more preserves in the glaze, as directed, and that came out perfectly. I served with rice, some lettuce leaves for wrapping, and your Korean cucumber salad. Yummy!
Oh! Glad it worked out Alice. Appreciate your review!
This is a great meatball recipe to change things up. My husband loves anything with Ginger!I like to have meatballs in the freezer, so I made these GF and froze them unglazed for lots of delicious, future meals!
Perfect Marianne, glad you liked them! Thanks for your helpful review.