Description
These Korean BBQ Meatballs are a flavorful and easy-to-make dish featuring juicy beef meatballs coated in a sweet and spicy Korean BBQ glaze. Perfect as an appetizer or main course, these meatballs bring the delicious taste of Korean cuisine to your table with a balance of savory, sweet, and spicy notes.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Korean BBQ Glaze
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (cornstarch slurry)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easy.
- Mix meatball ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, finely chopped green onions, minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper. Mix gently until just combined to ensure tender meatballs.
- Form meatballs: Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs, making approximately 20, and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake meatballs: Bake in the preheated oven for 15–18 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked through and browned on the outside.
- Prepare glaze: While the meatballs bake, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, gochujang, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Thicken glaze: Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for an additional 1–2 minutes until the glaze thickens to a sauce-like consistency.
- Coat meatballs: Toss the baked meatballs gently in the warm Korean BBQ glaze until well coated.
- Serve: Serve the glazed meatballs hot, garnished with extra green onions or sesame seeds if desired. Great as an appetizer or over rice as a main dish.
Notes
- These meatballs make a wonderful appetizer or can be served as a main course over steamed rice.
- Adjust the spice level by adding more gochujang or a pinch of red pepper flakes for extra heat.
- Can be made ahead of time and reheated with the sauce without losing flavor or texture.
- For gluten-free option, substitute breadcrumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs and ensure soy sauce is gluten-free.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
