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korean meatballs on a metal plate garnished with chives.
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4.56 from 183 votes

Korean Meatballs

These Sweet and Spicy Korean Meatballs will change your life. They're made with lean beef, flavored with garlic and Gochujang, baked, no frying and glazed with a spicy apricot glaze.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: apricot, beef, korean meatballs, meatballs
Servings: 36
Calories: 45kcal

Ingredients

For Meatballs

  • pound lean ground beef
  • 4 green onions chopped
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs such as Panko
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoon Gochujang paste or Sriracha
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste

For Spicy Apricot Glaze

  • ½ cup apricot jam
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Gochujang paste or Sriracha

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add all the meatball ingredients and mix with your hands to combine. Form the meatballs into small 1 inch balls. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until done to your liking.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together all the glaze ingredients. Add the meatballs and toss well until all the meatballs are glazed.
  • Garnish with chopped chives if preferred and serve immediately over cooked rice or as an appetizer.

Notes

  1. This recipe will yield about 30 to 36 meatballs, but depends on size of meatballs.
  2. Substitute the beef with ground chicken, turkey, or pork instead of beef.
  3. You can use orange marmalade instead of apricot jam if that's more convenient for you.
  4. Temp the meatballs. You can use an instant-read digital meat thermometer to ensure that your meatballs have reached an internal temperature of at least 160°F (74°C) before taking them out of the oven.
  5. Test the meatballs. A trick to having perfectly seasoned meatballs is to taste the meat mixture before forming it into meatballs. Just cook about a teaspoon of the meat mixture in the microwave or in a pan to taste before forming it into balls. 
  6. Use a cookie scoop. Using a small cookie scoop to portion out the meat mixture is an easy way to make meatballs that are all exactly the same size and shape, which is important for even cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg