Subtly sweet with a kick of heat, these Asian Zing Meatballs are easy, delicious, and the perfect weeknight dinner solution!
I prepare these Asian zing meatballs in the crockpot, but you can easily prepare them in the skillet in under 30 minutes if you need to! Below, I share both methods in case you find one better suits your routine than the other. With my babies’ naptime falling a couple of hours before dinner, I find naptime to be the perfect time to get some uninterrupted dinner prep. That being said, slow cooker meals seem more convenient to me!
What’s In the Asian Zing Meatballs?
Here’s what you need to make these delicious meatballs!
- Lean Ground Beef (or turkey)
- Breadcrumbs
- Egg
- Sriracha (or hot sauce of choice)
- Honey
- Soy Sauce
- Stir Fry Sauce (I like to use Gyoza Dipping sauce or General Tso’s Sauce)
- Red Onion
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Garlic
Can I Make my own Stir Fry Sauce?
Absolutely! I often choose to make my own stir fry sauce for this recipe – especially if I don’t have any stir fry sauce on hand and want to avoid a trip to the store! This recipe calls for “stir fry sauce” because it’s not any more likely that you’d have the ingredients to make a sauce than it is for you to actually have an Asian dipping sauce on hand!
If you do not have a stir-fry sauce or Asian dipping sauce on hand, you can also whisk together the following ingredients to substitute for the dipping sauce content:
- Hoisin sauce (2 Tbsp)
- soy sauce (2 Tbsp)
- honey (2 Tbsp)
- rice vinegar (2 Tbsp)
These ingredients in conjunction with the rest of the sauce ingredients will yield similar results to any Asian sauce you would have on hand!
Can I Make These Meatballs on the Stove?
Yes, you sure can! And you can do so in under 30 minutes! Here’s how:
Stovetop Asian Zing Meatballs
- Prepare meatballs and Asian Zing sauce according to recipe instructions (below). Set the sauce aside.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and add meatballs. Brown over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until they are almost entirely cooked through.
- Pour sauce over the top of the meatballs and continue to cook over medium heat, tossing frequently to coat and avoid burning the sauce. Cook for about 2-4 minutes (until sauce has reduced to a glaze).
- Turn off heat, serve, and enjoy!
I prefer to use the crockpot unless I am short on time, but sometimes when I need to make a gametime decision this stovetop recipe modification comes in clutch!
Why the Slow-Cooker?
…all in the name of convenience! I find the 1-step, set, and leave option to be the easiest. And in case you’re new here, easy is ALWAYS my goal! Here are a few pics of the process!
Looking for More?
You’re here because you like Asian Food, Meatballs, or both! And so, here are a few more of my favorite recipes that I think you’ll also enjoy!
- Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
- Spicy Korean Pork Bowls
- Slow Cooker Thai Peach Chicken and Broccoli
- Honey Sriracha Chicken Wraps
- Slow-Cooker Italian Meatballs
Bon Appetit!
Asian Zing Meatballs
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (can also use skillet – directions above)
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey)
- 1/2 C breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/4 c red onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- dash salt
Asian Zing Sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp sriracha sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 c Asian/Stir Fry Sauce (I prefer a Gyoza Dipping sauce or General Tso's Sauce, but any Asian sauce you like will do!)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, use your hands or an electric mixer to combine all meatball ingredients. Then, roll into 1" balls with your hands.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the Asian zing sauce and pour about a third of this sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Arrange all the meatballs into the bottom of the slow cooker and pour the remaining sauce over the top of these. Carefully toss if necessary to coat each meatball!
- Cover and cook on high for 1.5-2 hours, or low for 2.5-4 hours (until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center)! Serve over a bed of Jasmine rice topped with some green onion, sesame seeds, and/or a bit more soy sauce!
Nutrition
Made with love!
Kelsie
