Korean Meatballs
December is a busy month when it comes to entertaining. There are dinner parties, soirées, charity events, cocktail parties 🍸, plus Christmas and New Year’s Eve! For these occasions, you need bouchées and hors d’oeuvres.
I have a few dozen recipes that are ideal to serve at any event 🥳. There’s Croquetas de Jamón (Ham Croquettes), Caprese Skewers, Sardine Cups, Stuffed Dates with Gorgonzola, Gougères, and many more including this new one… Korean Meatballs!
These tasty little guys are quick and easy to make. They can be prepared ahead which is perfect when hosting a party. Another plus about this recipe is you can increase the level of spiciness. Although great as little bouchées, these meatballs can be served over rice 🍚 as a meal…
This version is semi-mild which is probably more appropriate when entertaining a group. On the other hand, if you know everyone’s tolerance to heat 🔥, you can bring it up a few notches by increasing the amount of gochujang and sweet chili sauce.
Let’s talk about gochujang…
It’s a Korean condiment made from fermented red chili peppers. This thick, sticky paste is spicy with a slight sweetness to it. It’s often used in meat dishes, like these Korean Meatballs, in stews and soups. You can easily find it at any Asian supermarket or online 💻.
Another condiment that gives a punch is Sweet Chili Sauce. Its taste is sweet, spicy and sour… all at once! It’s a popular sauce used in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. You can buy 🛒 it premade in most supermarkets but if you want to make it from scratch, here’s the link… Sweet Chili Sauce
As I mentioned above, most of the recipe can be made ahead of time. After the meatballs are baked, I transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra fat. Then I place them on a clean plate or container to allow them to cool before transferring to the fridge. When I’m ready to serve, I take them out an hour 🕐 before.
The sauce is very quick to make ⏳. After whisking all the ingredients, it simmers for 5 minutes. From there, the meatballs are transferred to the skillet then tossed around so they’re coated with the sauce. It takes just 2 to 4 minutes to warm them up before serving.
These Korean Meatballs are always a crowd pleaser 👨👩👧👦! Besides being quick to make, these flavorful little guys are a great hors d’oeuvre to serve at your next party. Don’t stress out with your menu by making these incredible bouchées!
Bon Appétit! 🍽
Check out these other delicious hors d’oeuvre, tapas & bouchée recipes… 😀
– Sausalito Smoked Salmon Dip
– Russian Deviled Eggs • Oeufs à la Russe
– Cognac Chicken Liver Pâté
– Crab Rangoon
– Brie en Croûte
– Duxelles Bruschetta
– Spanakopita
– Asian Cucumber Salmon Rolls
– Clams Casino
and for even more party recipes 🥳🎉, click on this link… Recipe Category • Hors d’Oeuvres/Antipasto, Canapés/Dips
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Korean Meatballs
Hover to scale
Ingredients
MEATBALLS
- 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
- 1 large free-range egg, beaten
- 3 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
- 2 large (about 3 tbsp.) green onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp. gochujang, or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
SAUCE
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp. gochujang, or more to taste
- 1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. sweet chili sauce see Recipe
- 1/3 cup pineapple juice
- 1 tbsp. ginger, minced
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1/4 cup browns sugar
- 1/2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds, for garnish optional
Directions
MEATBALLS
- In a bowl, add all the ingredients and mix until nicely blended. Cover with plastic wrap making sure it touches the surface and chill for 1 hour or up to 1 day.
- Preheat oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil lightly greased.
- Using a portioning scoop, form meat mixture into 1-inch balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF, rotating the tray halfway through cooking.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
SAUCE
- In a shallow skillet over medium heat, add all the ingredients. Whisk until mixed and simmer for 5 minutes – if it bubbles too much, reduce the heat.
- Add meatballs and evenly spoon sauce over to coat. Remove from the heat and transfer the meatballs on a serving plate.
- Place a toothpick in each meatball, sprinkle on some toasted sesame seeds if desired and serve immediately.
Don't forget to rate and comment on this recipe!
Thank you! These were delicious and easy to make. Served them with Jasmine rice.
It’s my pleasure 😀! That’s what I like about this recipe. It can be a nice hors d’oeuvre to serve at your next soirée or a meal. Have a fabulous day Rose 🌞 and thank you for sharing