Asian Chicken Meatballs
These Asian Style Chicken Meatballs are baked and tossed in a sweet and spicy Asian inspired sauce. You can serve these as an appetizer and eat with toothpicks or try adding rice and veggies to make it an easy dinner meal!
If you’re looking for more easy, asian inspired meals try my Vietnamese Meatballs and my Teriyaki Meatballs!
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Asian Style Chicken Meatballs
Who doesn’t love meatballs? They are easy to make, versatile and can be made in advance and frozen for quick weeknight meals. These Asian Style Chicken Meatballs are smothered in a sweet and spicy Asian inspired sauce. The sauce is made up of of soy sauce, honey, Sriracha, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.
Serve as an appetizer or as a meal with some sticky white rice or vegetable fried rice. One of my favorite ways to serve these meatballs are as lettuce wraps with some julienne veggies!
If you’re not a fan of ground chicken you can always use ground pork, beef or turkey instead.
These saucy meatballs are sweet and spicy thanks to the honey and Sriracha in the sauce. Serve any extra sauce in a ramekin for dipping.
Garnish with extra sesame seeds and fresh chopped parsley.
What’s in these Asian Meatballs?
For the Meatballs:
- Ground Chicken- Ground chicken is low in fat and takes on the asian flavors of this recipe well.
- Panko Breadcrumbs- Panko is used to help the meatballs stick together and for added moisture. The juice from the meat will soak into the panko as it is being cooked and trap the juice inside the meatball.
- Garlic & Onion- Flavor the meatballs. You can use either minced fresh garlic or add granulated garlic!
- Egg- Is used as a binder to help the meatballs stay together.
- Seasonings: Salt & Pepper, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes & Parsley help to season the meatball throughout.
For the Sauce:
- Soy Sauce- For umami and flavor. I recommend using low sodium soy sauce.
- Honey- Honey will balance the umami and spicy flavors in the sauce.
- Sesame Oil- I love the taste of sesame oil in this sauce. It has a nutty and toasty flavor.
- Sriracha- Sriracha is great for spice. Add to taste in case you are sensitive to spice.
- Rice Wine Vinegar- Acid in the rice wine vinegar will balance out the taste of the sauce.
How to Make Asian Style Chicken Meatballs
For the Meatballs:
- Mix ingredients: In a large bowl add ground chicken, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, egg, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and parsley. Using your hands mix to combine.
- Portion out 14 meatballs: (Working with slightly wet hands helps the dough from sticking.) You can make smaller meatballs if these are going to be for appetizers.
- Bake: Place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes or until caramelized on the outside and cooked through. Make sure to flip half way through cooking.
- Take out of the oven: Toss the cooked meatballs in the sweet and spicy Asian sauce. Note: If you are freezing the meatballs do not toss with sauce until ready to serve.
- Garnish & Serve: Top with extra parsley and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
For the Sauce:
- Saute the garlic: Heat the oil in a saucepan, add garlic and cook for one minute.
- Add the remaining ingredients: Add the soy sauce, honey, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sesame oil, sriracha and rice wine vinegar. Cook for about 2-3 minutes while simmering.
- Serve: Take off heat and toss the meatballs into the sauce.
Can you freeze these meatballs?
Yep! Place the cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 to 4 months. Once you are ready to eat them, thaw in the fridge and reheat in a low oven or in the microwave. Then, toss with freshly made sauce.
Tips for the Best Chicken Meatballs
- Don’t over handle your meatball mixture. This includes when you mix it and when you are rolling the meat into balls. Be gentle and try not to over work it or else the meatballs could become tough.
- Baking your meatballs will result in an evenly cooked meatball. If you like them crunchier on the outside, you can broil them right at the end for a minute or so. Plus, baking them is less messy and so much healthier than frying them!
What to serve with Asian Chicken Meatballs
- Chow mein noodles
- Lo mein
- Vegetable Fried Rice
- Garlic Fried Rice
- White, brown or cauliflower rice
- Steamed or Air Fryer Vegetables
- Chinese Broccoli Stir Fry
More Asian Inspired Recipes to Try
- Sticky Tender Asian Chicken Thighs
- 30 Minute Asian Turkey Meatballs
- Easy Grilled Asian Chicken
- Super Sticky Asian Chicken Bites
- Asian Style Sloppy Joes
Asian Style Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
Asian Style Meatballs
- 16 ounces 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons onion minced
- 1 whole egg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon parsley chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sweet and Spicy Asian Sauce
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Instructions
Asian Style Chicken Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl add all of the meatball ingredients starting at the chicken and ending at the parsley. Mix to combine. Make sure not to over mix.
- Grease a baking sheet with oil.
- Portion out 14 meatballs. (Working with slightly wet hands helps the dough from sticking.)
- Place meatballs on the oiled baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes or until caramelized on the outside and cooked through. Make sure to flip half way through cooking.
- Take out of the oven and toss the cooked meatballs in the sweet and spicy Asian sauce.
- Garnish with extra parsley and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
- Note: If you are freezing the meatballs do not toss with sauce until ready to serve.
Sweet and Spicy Asian Sauce
- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook for one minute.
- Add soy sauce, honey, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, sesame oil, sriracha and rice wine vinegar.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes until simmering. Take off the heat until ready to toss with meatballs.