Sweet & Spicy Korean BBQ Meatballs
These Korean BBQ Meatballs are the ultimate sweet-and-savory bite, made with tender, juicy, flavorful meatballs coated in a homemade sticky Korean-inspired BBQ sauce. They’re packed with bold flavor from garlic, ginger, soy sauce, a touch of sweetness and just enough heat to keep you coming back for more.
Whether you’re serving them as an easy weeknight dinner over steamed rice, adding them to a party appetizer spread, or making them for game day, these Korean BBQ meatballs are always a crowd-pleaser. This all comes together with simple ingredients when you want something flavorful without a lot of fuss.
This sauce would even be great tossed with air-fried chicken wings!
What you'll need: Serves 4-5
1-1 ½ lb ground beef
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
½ yellow onion, finely diced (or 1 tsp onion powder)
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (or 1 tsp powder)
2 cloves garlic minced (or 2 tsp garlic powder)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce, to taste
Korean BBQ Sauce:
½ cup low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup or brown sugar)
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
½-1 Tablespoon Sriracha sauce, to taste
1 Tablespoon cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water
Garnish:
sesame seeds
finely diced chives
For the sides:
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 lb), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tablespoons sesame oil divided
Jasmine rice as directed from the package
How to make it:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Gently grease a large baking sheet with olive oil or line with parchment paper. Drizzle sweet potatoes with 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil and sprinkle with salt to taste, toss to coat. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway (see step 4).
Make Jasmine rice according to package directions.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, salt and Sriracha. Mix until well combined with your hands. Use a medium cookie scoop to form the meatballs into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. You should have 20-22 meatballs.
Carefully remove the sheet pan of sweet potatoes from the oven to a heat-safe counter/stovetop. Flip the sweet potatoes, toss with the remaining 1 Tbsp sesame oil, and move them all to one side of the pan. Add the meatballs to the other side of the pan. Place the sheet pan back into the oven for 12-15 minutes.
While they're baking, make the Korean BBQ sauce. Combine all of the ingredients, except the cornstarch, in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Make a cornstarch slurry by combining the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until dissolved, then whisk it into the BBQ sauce. Continue to stir and boil for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.
When the sweet potatoes and meatballs are done, place the meatballs into the BBQ sauce and gently toss. Serve with the cooked rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chives.
