Saucy Hoisin Meatballs

This Saucy Hoisin Meatballs Recipe will satisfy your craving for your favorite Asian flavors like Hoisin, Sesame, Garlic and Fresh Ginger. This recipe is a delicious and unique twist on traditional meatballs. You will start by making a super flavor-packed beef meatball and pop them in the oven, while they bake you put together an easy-to-make Hoisin Glaze on the stove top.

It all comes together in the most delicious and crave-worthy way! Perfect served with steamed rice or fried rice and roasted broccoli.

Meatball Ingredients

There is no skimping on flavor with the meatball recipe! Pictured below are all the ingredients you need to make these knock-out meatballs:

Ground Ginger – for the meatballs you will not use a fresh ginger, a dry ginger powder from your spice cabinet is what you want to use. You will use a fresh ginger in the Hoisin Sauce.

Ground Beef – using an 85% lean ground beef is the perfect balance of fat to keep your meatballs juicy and flavorful without being overly greasy!

Homemade Hoisin Glaze Ingredients

We are not going with a bottled sauce here. You will blend a combo of Asian flavored ingredients that make a perfectly balanced Hoisin Glaze for the meatballs. Pictured are the ingredients that you will need:

Hoisin Sauce: is a thick, dark, and sweet sauce that is commonly used in Chinese cuisine. It is made from a blend of soybeans, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and various spices, and has a distinct flavor that is both sweet and savory. It will be in a bottle at the grocery store and can be found in the Asian foods aisle.

Rice Vinegar: there may be two options for rice vinegar at the store- seasoned rice vinegar and rice vinegar. The recipe calls for rice vinegar, but either will work. Note that the seasoned rice vinegar may be a little sweeter.

Sesame Oil: just like the rice vinegar, there may be two options at the grocery store – toasted sesame oil and sesame oil. Both will work!

Sambal Oelek: this is an Asian Chili Paste that can be found in the Asian food aisle of the grocery store. It has a similar flavor to Sriracha without being overly garlicky. It will have a slight kick of heat and a tang of vinegar.

If you buy a bottle of Sambal you can also use it to make:

• Asian Brussels Sprouts with Sambal Aioli
• Easy Beef Ramen
• Instant Pot Beef Ramen
• Ground Beef Bulgogi Bowls
• Crispy Chili Cauliflower

Tips on Using Ginger

There are two ways to get the fresh minced ginger you need for this Hoisin Meatball recipe.

1. Fresh Ginger Nobs – pictured above. My tip here is to use the edge of a spoon to scrap the brown peel from the ginger and then mince or grate the fragrant yellow flesh.
2. ** Our Preferred Method – Dorot Gardens Frozen Ginger Cubes. There is this AMAZING product at the grocery store in the freezer section. They are little cubes of frozen minced ginger. You literally pop the cubes out of the tray and use them as needed. So easy and so convenient!

How To

To make this recipe you will start by making the meatballs, then while they are in the oven you will get the sauce prepared:

• Make the meatballs.
• In a bowl mix together the egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, panko breadcrumbs and all the seasonings. Let sit for a minute or two.
• Add the ground beef and scallions. Lightly combine.
• Form meatballs and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Spray the tops with non-stick spray.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees.

• While they bake make the Hoisin Sauce.
• In a sauce pot heat the vegetable oil over medium low heat.
• Sauté the garlic and ginger for a minute.
• Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, 3-5 minutes.
• Toss the cooked meatballs in the Hoisin Glaze and serve!

Serving

Serve these meatballs for dinner or as an appetizer. Make sure to garnish with sliced green onions/scallions and sesame seeds. Cilantro would even be a delicious garnish!

There are several options menu options to choose from:

Dinner

One popular way is to serve them over a bed of steamed rice (we love to buy the bags of frozen rice either at the grocery store or Trader Joe’s), with Roasted Broccoli.

Alternately, serving the meatballs with Fried Rice and these Asian Brussels Sprouts with Sambal Aioli will be a real knock-out dinner!

Appetizer Style

You can also serve these as appetizer meatballs! Simply make the meatballs smaller. They will only need to bake for about 10 minutes. Toss in the sauce and then place them on a platter with some toothpicks.

Meatball Sub

Serving these Hoisin Sauce Meatballs on a Sub Sandwich is SUPER non-traditional but would be delicious!

On a toasted hoagie bun add the meatballs, some sliced cucumbers and some Asian Slaw or Kimchi.

Storing

These Asian-Style Meatballs will be good in the fridge, in and airtight container for up to 4 days.

To reheat single portions place them on a microwave safe dish and microwave for about 1 min 30 sec. Cutting them in half may help them heat quicker without drying out in the microwave.

To reheat a whole recipe or multiple servings place in an oven proof dish. Heat at 350 degrees, covered with foil, for about 15 minutes.

Recipe Tips

Follow these final tips to make sure your Hoisin Glazed Meatballs are perfect!

1. Use fresh ingredients: Make sure to use fresh garlic, ginger, and scallions for the best flavor.
2. Pick your protein: You can also use ground pork or turkey instead of beef for a different taste.
3. Adjust the spiciness: If you prefer more spice add more red pepper flakes to the meatballs!
4. Use a meat thermometer: To ensure that the meatballs are fully cooked, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The temperature should read 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit.

More Meatball Recipes

---