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Hoisin meatballs in a skillet in sauce with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
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Super Saucy, Sweet & Spicy Hoisin Meatballs

These hoisin meatballs are super saucy, sweet, spicy and oh-so-tender! Make it a meal by spooning the rich and flavorful sauce over some jasmine rice.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian inspired
Keyword Ground Meat, Meatballs
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8
Calories 345kcal

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 650 grams ground beef*
  • 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 3 tablespoons sriracha
  • 4 cloves garlic minced, pressed or mashed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
  • 1 red chili thinly sliced
  • 2 stalks green onion thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot small, grated
  • 1 egg

Sweet & Spicy Hoisin Sauce

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced, pressed or mashed
  • 0.5 tablespoons fresh ginger grated
  • 1 red chili finely minced
  • 1 red pepper cored and sliced thinly
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch or substitute plain flour
  • ¾ cup hoisin sauce
  • ⅔ cup water
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce or more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons sriracha or more to taste

Garnish

  • 2 stalks green onion thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons black and white sesame seeds

Instructions

Mix and shape the meatballs

  • Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix with your hands until incorporated.
  • Use your hands or a scoop to shape them into roughly 25-30 golf ball sized balls.

Prepare the sauce

  • Heat the vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet.
  • Add the garlic, ginger and red chili. Sauté a minute or so until aromatic.
  • Sprinkle in the cornstarch and mix until it's absorbed and there are no more dry white spots.
  • Pour in the hoisin sauce, water, soy sauce and sriracha. Stir to make sure everything is incorporated and press out or whisk any lumps in the starch.
  • Increase heat to high and simmer until the sauce begins to steam (about a minute) and then reduce heat back to medium.

Cook the meatballs

  • Gently drop the meatballs into the sauce. Let simmer a minute to set and then gently rotate so they are fully coated in sauce.
  • Cover and reduce heat to medium then simmer the meatballs for 20 minutes.
  • Taste the sauce and add any additions you think are necessary. More spicy sriracha or salty soy sauce for example. When ready to serve top the meatballs with more sesame seeds and green onion. Serve hot.

Notes

  • * The nutritional information in this recipe is for 80% lean ground beef (i.e. ground beef with 20 grams fat per 100 grams).