Korean Meatballs
These award-winning Korean Meatballs are sweet, spicy and so flavorful! Serve them over rice for dinner, or as an irresistible appetizer.
I’m pretty uptight about food waste. I cringe every time I find a half full but expired condiment in the door of the fridge that needs to be thrown away.
I try to keep a list on my phone that lists the ingredients I have in the fridge, and the date that they will expire, so that when I am meal planning, I can be sure to incorporate them.
Right now, the two things staring at me begging to be used are miso and gochujang (Korean chili paste).
The miso I’m getting through pretty efficiently by making a fresh batch of miso ginger dressing almost every week.
And the gochujang I actually bought to make salad dressing for an Asian shrimp salad. But of course, the 1-1/2 tablespoons needed barely put a dent in the gocjujang tub.
One of my kitchen mottos seems to be “when in doubt, make meatballs.” I love everything from General Tso’s meatballs to Greek chicken meatballs, but the Korean meatballs I’m sharing today are my current favorite.
What you’ll need for Korean meatballs:
- ground beef – you will need 1 pound of ground meat. I used beef, but I talk about alternatives below! Feel free to save your beef for taco mac and cheese and make these meatballs with turkey instead.
- green onions – you will need thinly sliced green onions both for the meatball mixture and a garnish. If it’s game day, make a batch of healthy buffalo chicken dip and use the extra onions on top of that, too!
- garlic – I’m incapable of making a meatball without garlic. Garlic lovers – don’t miss my garlic dip recipe!
- ginger – minced fresh ginger (not the dried kind) is essential for any Asian meatball, and my orange ginger chicken.
- egg – you need 1 egg to act as a binder for the meatball mixture.
- breadcrumbs – I use panko breadcrumbs, which also serve as a binder.
- gochjuang – this Korean chili paste is the star of this recipe, appearing in both the meatball mixture and the glaze.
- salt and pepper – for seasoning the Korean BBQ meatballs. I used ground white pepper because I like it’s flavor for Asian dishes, but ground black pepper works fine, too.
- canola oil – you’ll need this for pan-frying the Korean meatballs. Vegetable oil also works.
- apricot preserves – for sweetening the glaze. I talk about alternatives below.
- rice vinegar – this adds a kick of acid to the glaze for this Korean meatball recipe. White vinegar works fine, too.
- soy sauce – this seasons the glaze, because we aren’t using salt in it. Soy sauce is also the secret ingredient in my homemade gravy.
- toasted sesame seeds – optional, but I love them as a garnish.
What is gochujang, and why do I need it for Korean BBQ meatballs?
Gochujang is a fermented red chili paste that is used often in Korean cooking. It’s made from chili powder, rice, soybean powder and other ingredients. It is savory, sweet and spicy all at the same time.
It is can be quite thick and kind of have the consistency of tomato paste, although some brands are a little thinner.
In my opinion, it is actually pretty versatile, and has a nice spicy and smoky flavor. A little bit goes a long way toward giving an otherwise boring dish a little Korean flair.
Can I use a different type of meat for this Korean meatball recipe?
Absolutely. You are not required to make these Korean BBQ meatballs with beef.
Feel free to use to make this Korean meatball recipe with ground pork, chicken, or turkey. You could actually just make my turkey meatball recipe air fryer (omit the oregano) and change up the sauce if you wanted.
Heck, you could even use my black bean meatball recipe with this glaze!
You could even use a combination of several different types of meat in this Korean BBQ meatball recipe. Whatever you prefer is what you should use for these meatballs.
Try Korean meatballs on top of tomato ramen or over kimchi fried rice for a fun dinner, or serve them alongside phyllo cup appetizers as part of a party snack spread.
What if I don’t have apricot preserves for these Korean style meatballs?
You don’t need to buy a jar of apricot preserves just for these gochujang meatballs, especially if you don’t plan to use it again (after all, that’s just more food waste!).
You can use just about any kind of jam, jelly or preserves that you might have on hand in place of the apricot preserves in these Korean style meatballs.
People have told me they’ve made these Korean meatballs with peach, grape and even strawberry jam/jelly/preserves, and they turn out great every time.
If you have strawberry preserves, you can make strawberry mules to go with your Korean BBQ meatballs! Try some heart jam cookies for dessert, too!
In the end, you probably won’t be able to tell what flavor of preserves you use for this Korean meatball recipe (since the gochujang takes a front seat in the flavor department). The preserves just add sweetness and texture to the sauce.
These gochujang meatballs are award winning!
Back when I wrote this Korean meatball recipe in 2013, it was chosen as the winner of Food 52’s “Best Spicy Recipe” contest. Pretty cool, right?
Korean Meatballs
These award-winning Korean Meatballs are sweet, spicy and so flavorful! Serve them over rice for dinner, or as an irresistible appetizer.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 3 green onions, very thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, for pan-frying
For the Glaze:
- 1/3 cup apricot preserves
- 2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
For the Garnish:
- Sliced green onion
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the Meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, stir together onions, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, gochujang, ginger, salt and pepper. Add beef and stir (or mix with hands) until just combined. Do not overmix. Using hands, gently form into golf ball-sized meatballs.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. In batches, transfer meatballs to skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until browned on all sides, turning occasionally. Transfer meatballs to rimmed baking pan and transfer to oven. Bake 10 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, make the Glaze: In small saucepot, whisk together preserves, gochujang, vinegar and soy sauce. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened, stirring frequently.
- To serve, brush meatballs with glaze and sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 5 meatballsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 571Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 1661mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 36g
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
We didn’t have any preserves for the glaze so we substituted honey and it was delicious! Â Will definitely put these in a regular rotation! Thank you!
Love that idea! Use what you got, that’s what I always do, too. So glad you liked this recipe.
Can these be made ahead and frozen ?
Hi Deb! Yes, freezing then will be just fine.
I was intrigued to see a ground beef entree recipe with Asian flavors.  I’ve made this recipe twice for dinner since I discovered it and have recommended it to family and friends! It makes for an easy, tasty dinner (I served with rice and steamed broccoli). And gochujang was super easy to find at my grocery store!Â
I’m so glad to hear this recipe is a hit for you! I also serve these with rice and broccoli.
Is there a way to make these, but less spicy? I cook for my 93yo mom. Thank you!
Hi Suz! The gochujang is what gives most of the Korean flavor, but also most of the spice. If you wanted to substitute tomato paste for the gochujang, you could! It will still have an Asian flavor from the soy sauce and ginger, but shouldn’t be spicy.
Made these ahead for SUPER BOWL tonight. They are so good thank youÂ
I’m so glad to hear these were a hit, Debbie!
Hello… I have a general question regarding Korean recipes calling for sesame seed oil. Can you tell me if the recipes typically use regular or toasted sesame seed oil or if it isn’t specified, which would you typically use
Thanks so much
Hi Nick – there isn’t any sesame oil in this recipe. If I’m making somebody else’s recipe, I typically use whatever the recipe calls for.
Hi Lori… I made your meatballs, per your recipe, in my Vortex air fryer. I cooked them at 375 for 8 minutes and flipped them and cooked them for another 5. I then put together the glaze in a small saucepan and then transferred the glaze and meatballs to a frypan to glaze them on my stovetop. They were off the charts delicious. I always take pictures of my finished foods to share with friends, family and strangers and everyone I showed was awed. Actually, they looked almost as good as yours!
With regard to sesame oil, I wasn’t referring to this recipe. You seem to be quite knowledgeable with your ingredients and I was asking a general question regarding sesame oil looking for your advice since I’m just getting started with Asian cooking.
Thanks
Hi Nick – I’m so glad to hear these turned out so well. I actually got an air fryer for Christmas, and now I want to try to make meatballs in it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi I was on here looking for gojuchang recipes because like you, I have a giant tub in the fridge staring back at me. The meatballs look delicious, can’t wait to try them. Just wanted to let you know I laughed out loud at the Nickelback incident hahahah. Thanks for sharing!
Good luck using up your gochujang! It can be a daunting but delicious project. And I really learned my lesson after that Nickelback incident. When I’m cooking now, I either put on NPR or Spotify. Zero chance of Nickelback!
I can SO relate to the Nickleback-radio-meat-hands story. I have BEEN THERE! That’s so funny. I just stumbled upon this blog because I was thinking about making some kind of korean meatball. Looks great. cheers!
hahaha yes! This blog post is now almost four years old, and I’m STILL hearing Nickeback on the radio. WHY, UNIVERSE, WHY?!?!?
In all seriousness, I’m so glad you found me, Adriane, and I hope this meatball recipe is a hit for you!
Just made these this evening! Deeeelish!!!
So glad to hear you liked them, Alison! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I love to try it.. But what is the other substitute for apricot preserves if it is not available here in my place.. I’m Tintin from thailand.
Hi Tintin! You can use just about any kind of jam, jelly or preserves in place of the apricot preserves. So far, people have told me they’ve made them with peach, grape, and even strawberry jam/jelly/preserves! Whatever you can find!
What are apricot preserves? Is that like apricot jam?
Hi Cayden – I believe it’s very similar to jam (and you could certainly use jam in this recipe). I used Smucker’s brand preserves.
Hi. I love your recipes. I’ve made the meatballs several times and they are delicious. Just curious do you use the entire green onion or just the green parts? Thanks, I’m making these today.
Hi Chris! Thanks for stopping by. I use the whole onions. Enjoy!
Eddie, thank you SO MUCH for all of these awesome ideas. 2 months later, that tub of gochujang is still lurking in the back of my fridge, trying to intimidate me. I’m going to try ALL of your ideas though – thanks!
You can use gochujang is soooo many things! I like salad dressing, like if you make a Hoi Sin dressing for Chinese Chicken Salad throw some in. Add some to give teriyaki chicken some kick. My favorite to add it to: Chili, yep good old bean and ground beef chili, gives it a great depth/layer of flavor.
You can use gochujang is soooo many things! I like salad dressing, like if you make a Hoi Sin dressing for Chinese Chicken Salad throw some in. Add some to give teriyaki chicken some kick. My favorite to add it to: Chili, yep good old bean and ground beef chili, gives it a great depth/layer of flavor.
Eddie, thank you SO MUCH for all of these awesome ideas. 2 months later, that tub of gochujang is still lurking in the back of my fridge, trying to intimidate me. I’m going to try ALL of your ideas though – thanks!
These meatballs ARE amazing! SPICY but so delicious! Thx for posting on Pinterest 🙂
Thanks so much, Suzanne. Now I just have to find about 10 more recipes with gochujang, because there’s still so much of it left 🙂
The meatballs look and sound delicious and I love how you built a recipe from the one ingredient, The photo’s are amazing too!
You’re welcome, Paige. Thanks for reading!
These meatballs look delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.blogspot.com