Sweet and savory, these Asian Chicken Meatballs are the perfect appetizer or easy weeknight dinner! Tender meatballs are infused with fresh ginger and garlic, then coated in a sticky honey-soy glaze.
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In our house, meatballs aren’t just a dinner idea — they’re a whole vibe! When we whip up a batch of these Asian chicken meatballs, the kids are instantly at the table, forks in hand, waiting for that first bite. While we love them served over rice for dinner, they also make for an impressive appetizer when served on toothpicks. The sticky soy glaze is my favorite part — it’s the perfect finishing touch that keeps everyone begging for the recipe!
What Makes These Asian Chicken Meatballs So Great?
- Balanced Flavors: Made with fresh ginger, garlic, honey, sriracha, and soy sauce, the sweet and savory glaze is pure magic!
- Quick and Easy: Everything comes together in just over half an hour with simple to follow steps.
- Party or Potluck Ready: Keep them warm in a crockpot and watch how quick they disappear!
- Versatile: Serve them as an appetizer or make it a meal with rice, noodles, or veggies on the side.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare the meatballs in advance and bake them when you’re ready. Bonus: They also freeze great!
Ingredients Needed
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for Asian meatballs. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Ground Chicken: You can use ground turkey instead. Just note that the texture and flavor may vary slightly. I don’t recommend ground beef with this recipe as it will overwhelm the other flavors.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are coarser than traditional breadcrumbs and will create the perfect texture.
- Egg: Don’t skip this ingredient! It’s helps to bind everything together so the meatballs don’t fall apart.
- Ginger: Don’t swap the fresh ginger for dried ground ginger, the flavors will not pop in the same way.
- Sesame Oil: You can use regular or toasted sesame oil, but for flavor reasons, I do not recommend swapping it for regular oil.
- Soy Sauce: Coconut aminos or tamari will also work very well.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is slightly sweet and gives great balance, but plain white vinegar can be used instead.
- Sriracha: Add more or less to adjust how spicy the sauce is. If you don’t have sriracha, any hot sauce will do in a pinch.
- Honey: Just like the sriracha sauce, you can add more or less honey to control the sweetness.
- Cornstarch and Water: These get mixed together to create a cornstarch slurry, then stirred into the sauce to create a thick and glossy consistency.
How to Make Asian Chicken Meatballs
Bold flavors in bite-sized form? Yes, please! Pro Tip: Prepare the meatballs in advance and bake them when ready for a stress-free dinner. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions.
- Mix: Add all the ingredients for the meatballs to a bowl and mix to combine. I usually use my hands for this step!
- Shape: Use a large cookie scoop (and your hands) to form the meatballs and place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake the meatballs for about 15 minutes.
- Make the Sauce: I like to do this while the meatballs are in the oven. Simply whisk together all of the sauce ingredients, heat in a skillet, then mix in the cornstarch slurry to thicken it.
- Combine and Serve: Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and toss until they’re all evenly coated. Then serve the meatballs right away and enjoy!
Chef’s Tips & Variations
- Uniform Size: Use a large cookie scoop to ensure all meatballs are the same size for even cooking. If you make your meatballs thicker than about 1 1/2 inches, it will be difficult to cook them evenly.
- Add Veggies: Finely diced carrots, water chestnuts, or cauliflower and stir it into the meatball mixture.
- Spicy: Turn up the heat by adding more sriracha to the sauce or sprinkling on some crushed red pepper flakes as a garnish.
- Double the Sauce: Sometimes we will make extra sauce and toss in some steamed veggies with the meatballs and serve it all over a rice bowl.
- Air Fryer Method: Cook the meatballs in an air fryer at 400°F for about 10 minutes for a crispy exterior.
How to Serve Asian Chicken Meatballs
- Rice or Noodles: Make these meatballs a meal with a side of rice and air fryer asian roasted broccoli! Or, if you feel like going the extra mile, plate them beside these pan fried noodles.
- Lettuce Wraps: We also love them served in lettuce wraps, with a little mango slaw added on top. This makes a great lunch option with any leftover meatballs!
- Appetizer: Serve these meatballs with toothpicks for an easy to grab bite. You can also keep them hot in a crockpot (set to warm), giving them a stir occasionally.
Make Ahead Tips
- Storing Uncooked Meatballs: Prepare the meatballs, but do not cook them. Instead cover, and refrigerate them for up to 48 hours. When ready to cook them, follow the recipe as directed!
- Freezing Cooked Meatballs: The meatballs freeze wonderfully! Cool the meatballs completely and then freeze them on a cookie sheet in an even layer for 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, bake the meatballs from frozen at 400°F for 10 minutes (or heat in the microwave). Whip up a fresh batch of sauce and toss the warmed meatballs in!
Yield: 4 servings
Asian Chicken Meatballs
These sweet and savory Asian Chicken Meatballs are infused with fresh ginger and garlic, then baked and coated in a sticky honey-soy glaze. Perfect as an appetizer or served with rice for a quick and easy dinner!
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken, or turkey
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoon chopped green onions
For the sauce
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
Optional Garnishes
- sesame seeds
- chopped green onions
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients: ground chicken, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, grated ginger, egg, salt, pepper, and green onions. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Using a large cookie scoop (2 or 3 tablespoons sized) and your hands, shape the meatball mixture into balls and arrange them evenly on the prepared baking tray. Bake the meatballs for 15 to 18 minutes, until they are cooked through.
- While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and whisk together soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sriracha sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then whisk in the cornstarch slurry (2 teaspoons cornstarch + 2 teaspoons water mixed together). Continue simmering, whisking constantly, just until the sauce thickens.
- Add the baked meatballs to the sauce, tossing until they are well coated. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve immediately!
Notes
Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop, or in the microwave under a dampened paper towel, until just heated through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 270kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 144mg, Sodium: 1033mg, Potassium: 713mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 101IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 2mg
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