Description
These Mongolian Meatballs are a flavorful and easy dinner option featuring tender beef meatballs baked to perfection and coated in a sweet and savory soy-based glaze, inspired by classic Asian flavors. Perfect served over rice or noodles.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (for cooking)
Sauce:
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- â…“ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (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, egg, breadcrumbs, sliced green onions, minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until just combined to keep the meatballs tender.
- Form meatballs: Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and arrange them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake meatballs: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the meatballs for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are fully cooked through and no longer pink inside.
- Prepare the sauce: While the meatballs bake, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Thicken the sauce: Stir in the cornstarch slurry and continue cooking for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- Coat meatballs in sauce: Remove the meatballs from the oven and add them directly to the saucepan. Stir gently to coat the meatballs in the savory sauce, then simmer together for another 2–3 minutes to meld flavors.
- Serve: Garnish with extra sliced green onions or sesame seeds if desired, and serve hot over steamed rice or noodles for a complete meal.
Notes
- For a lighter variation, substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef.
- Add heat to the sauce with red pepper flakes or a splash of sriracha for a spicy kick.
- Leftover meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat well.
