Sesame Meatballs are a fun Asian-style twist on a classic meatball recipe! An easy sweet and tangy sauce coats these flavor-packed meatballs. This is a great weeknight dinner idea, and a delicious family favorite!
Make sure to try my Swedish Meatball Recipe too!
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These Easy Homemade Sesame Meatballs Are A Fun Twist On A Classic!
Aren’t recipes that double as a dinner and an appetizer just the best? (Hint: Um, yes!) These Sesame Meatballs can be served individually with fun little toothpicks as a snack, or you can just leave them in a big bowl and have everybody make themselves a plate for dinner – whatever you’re in the mood for!
No matter when/how you choose to serve them, you will inevitably fall in love with these tangy, homemade meatballs. Made with both pork and beef, seasoned with fresh ginger, and slathered in a spicy-sweet sauce, how could you not?
Here Are Some More Easy Meatball Recipes You Might Like:
- German Meatballs
- Easy Baked Meatballs
- Cheesy Crock Pot Meatballs
- Chicken Parm Meatballs
- Breakfast Meatballs
What You’ll Need
So, what goes into these homemade sesame meatballs? There are quite a few ingredients, but don’t let that scare you. This recipe is super easy!
For the Meatballs
- Meat: This recipe uses 1 pound each of ground beef and ground pork.
- Sesame Oil: Adds sesame flavor to the meatballs.
- Breadcrumbs: I like to use Panko, but use whatever style of breadcrumbs that you like.
- Seasoning: This recipe uses kosher salt and ground ginger.
- Eggs: To bind the ingredients together.
- Garlic: Minced.
- Onion: I used 1/2 a cup of grated yellow onion.
For the Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce: Adds a sweet and spicy element to the sauce.
- Soy Sauce: I used low sodium soy sauce for these meatballs.
- Ketchup: Adds tanginess to the sauce.
- Light Brown Sugar: To add a little sweetness to the sauce.
- Peanut Butter: Use a creamy peanut butter rather than a crunchy one.
- Sesame Oil
- Spice: Toss in some minced fresh ginger.
- Sriracha Sauce: For another spicy-sweet kick!
- Garlic
- Optional Garnishes: Toasted sesame seeds and/or sliced scallions work well.
How to Make Sesame Meatballs
These sesame meatballs come together in a snap. First, you’ll mold the meatball mixture into 1-inch balls and bake them. After that, all you have to do is mix the sauce over the stovetop and then pour it over the cooked meatballs!
Preheat Oven to 450°F: Line a large baking sheet with sides with foil and coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Mix Meatball Ingredients: In a large bowl combine the beef, pork, sesame oil, breadcrumbs, salt, ginger, eggs, garlic, and onion. Mix with hands until combined, but not over-mixed. Form into 1- inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, or until cooked through.
Start the Sauce: While the meatballs are cooking comobine the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, ginger, sriracha, and garlic in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine and heat over medium until warmed through.
Serve and Enjoy: When the meatballs are done, place in a large bowl and toss with the sauce.
Tips for the Best Homemade Meatballs
Looking for tips on how to prepare the best sesame meatballs? I’ve got a few:
- Slow Cooker Method: Alternately, you can place all the cooked meatballs into a slow cooker, mix together the sauce ingredients in a bowl, pour it over the meatballs, and cook on low for 2 hours.
- Meat Substitutions: You can also make these meatballs with ground chicken or ground turkey if you prefer.
- Meatball Shortcut: I highly recommend making your own meatballs because they come out so tender and juicy, but, if you’re short on time, you can definitely heat up some frozen meatballs and dunk them in the sauce instead.
Serving Suggestions
Stuck on what to serve with your meatballs? No worries! I’ve got you covered:
- Rice: Boil a quick pot of brown or white rice to go with these delicious meatballs!
- Roasted Vegetables: Squash, broccoli, and/or asparagus would all be good options.
- Pasta: Mix some pasta into this tasty sauce! Any long noodles (ramen, rice, spaghetti, etc.) will work.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Refrigerate leftover meatballs in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Warm them in a saucepan on the stovetop until they reach the desired temperature – you may need to add a splash of water to the sauce if it becomes too thick.
Can I Freeze Sesame Meatballs?
Definitely! Freeze the meatballs in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Let them thaw overnight in the fridge before eating again.
Sesame Meatballs
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: about 45 meatballs 1x
- Category: Beef
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
Tired of always serving meatballs in marinara sauce? Make Sesame Meatballs instead. These homemade beef and pork meatballs are served in a tangy, spicy-sweet sauce that will blow your mind!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 cup Panko or breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup grated yellow onion
For the Sauce:
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with sides with foil and coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the beef, pork, sesame oil, breadcrumbs, salt, ginger, eggs, garlic, and onion. Mix with hands until combined, but not over-mixed. Form into 1- inch meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until cooked through.
- While the meatballs are cooking combine the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, peanut butter, brown sugar, ginger, sriracha, and garlic in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine and heat over medium until warmed through.
- When the meatballs are done, place in a large bowl and toss with the sauce.
- Alternately you can place all the cooked meatballs into a slow cooker, mix together the sauce ingredients in a bowl, pour over meatballs and cook on low for 2 hours.
Keywords: sesame meatballs, easy meatball recipe
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This recipe is good. I didn’t have ground pork or Sriracha. I just used ground beef. The recipe doesn’t say when to add peanut butter. I doubled the sauce. Do not doubled the peanut butter if you double sauce, the sauce will taste more like peanut butter than sesame.
★★★★