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Takeout-style Weeknight Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs – inspired by classic Mongolian beef. Easy homemade chicken and ginger meatballs, tossed in a sweet, spicy, and extra sticky honey garlic soy sauce. Then served over rice and topped with plenty of sesame seeds for a deliciously fun dinner. Make the meatballs even better with a creamy garlic dipping sauce. Quicker than any take-out meal…and made a little more wholesome too.
Thursday night takeout-style food at home! What if we made this a weekly series? It could be fun, especially since we all know how much my family loves Chinese, Thai, and Korean-inspired dinners. Plus, I have so much fun with a “takeout” inspired meal. It’s always a nice change from our usual pasta and pizza nights.
Creighton has been asking me to make Mongolian beef for some time now. Really anything beef (or lamb). He’s kind of a guys-guy, he wants at least a little beef in every meal.
Since I have a Mongolian beef recipe in the new cookbook, I wondered if there was a fun spin I could take on the quick and easy recipe. Meatballs are something I usually make with a more Italian-style sauce. But a sweet and spicy Mongolian-inspired meatball sounded fun. And like the perfect simple twist on the very popular restaurant entree, Mongolian beef.
Mongolian beef is a very simple dish consisting of thinly sliced steak, stir-fried with garlic, and ginger, then tossed in a sweet soy-based sauce. It’s not usually too spicy, just a touch, but a little sweet and tangy.
The sauce is the key. It’s usually topped with green onions (scallions) and paired with vegetables, then served over rice.
For the meatballs, instead of using steak, I made ginger chicken meatballs.
Here are the details
For the meat, I used ground chicken, but ground pork or ground beef will work just as well. I seasoned them up with plenty of green onions, ginger, and a splash of soy (well, I like to use tamari, which is gluten-free soy sauce). Then I rolled them through cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) to give them a little breading before pan-searing in a skillet.
Similar to how I make this orange chicken, but with meatballs.
While the meatballs cook, mix up the sauce, which is simply soy sauce mixed with honey and water. I then made a quick cornstarch slurry to use to thicken the sauce.
Once the meatballs are seared, pull them out of the skillet, then toss in lots of broccoli. I love to use broccoli here, but bell peppers, asparagus, or even brussels sprouts would all be delicious.
Pan-fry the broccoli for a few minutes, then add the garlic, ginger, and a pinch of chili flakes. Pour over the sauce and add the meatballs back.
Simmer the sauce a few minutes, then pour in the cornstarch slurry and let the sauce cook until it coats the meatballs.
Grab your bowls full of rice and spoon the meatballs and sauce over top. Next, add lots of fresh green onions and sesame seeds.
So quick and easy, but the flavor is perfect. I made mine a little less sweet than the traditional sauce and added double the ginger. Totally delicious.
Here’s a tip, double the recipe and save the leftovers for quick and easy lunches. The meatballs would also be great atop a chopped salad or served over rice noodles.
They’re great as party appetizers too, so the serving options are endless! Of course, around here we love them over rice with lots of vegetables. It’s our kind of “comfort” food.
Looking for other weeknight dinners? Here are my favorites:
Ginger Sesame Chicken and Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Lastly, if you make these Weeknight Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Weeknight Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 536 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey, chicken, or beef
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 green onions, chopped
- black pepper
- 1/4 cup avocado or sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets (about a cup and a half of florets)
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- chili flakes
- 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1. To make the meatballs. Combine the meat, 1 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce, 1 tablespoon ginger, green onions, and a pinch of pepper in a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls. The mix will be wet. 2. Place 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Dredge the meatballs in cornstarch to coat. Take the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix with 2 tablespoons water, set aside.3. To make the sauce. In a glass jar, whisk together 1/2 cup tamari/soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/3 cup water. 4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs, cook until seared all around, about 8 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the skillet.5. To the skillet, add the broccoli and cook until lightly charring, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and chili flakes, cook 1-2 minutes. Pour in the tamari/honey sauce. Bring to a boil, boil 3-4 minutes, then add the chicken. Toss with the sauce and cook until the sauce starts to thicken. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and cook another 2-3 minutes, until the sauce coats the meatballs.6. Serve the meatballs and sauce over steamed rice with sesame seeds, green onions, and dipping sauce (recipe in notes).
Notes
Sweet/Creamy Dipping Sauce: combine 1/2 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon tamari/soy sauce, and 1 clove garlic in a bowl. Thin with 1-2 tablespoons water.
This post was originally published on March 17, 2022
Would I be able to use arrowroot starch as a sub for corn starch?
Turned out amazing! I typically use low sodium soy sauce so it wasn’t too salty like some of the other commenters mentioned but I would definitely recommend putting the meatballs on some sort of parchment paper or transferring the rolled balls directly into the hot pan. Mine got stuck on a plate 🙁
Hi Tara,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try!! Have the best day:) xx
Hi Amanda,
Yes, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I thought it was pretty good, but like some others I would have roasted the broccoli then just toss in at end
Low sodium tamari cut down on salt
Context!
Hey there,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it!! Have the best week:) xTieghan
The recipe was good but the sauce was waaaaaaaaaaaay too salty. I also made my life a bit easier by adding the garlic, ginger and chili flakes to the soy sauce mixture and adding it all together into the broccoli and meatballs. I also used a beef/pork mix for the meatballs. Next time I will definitley add less soy sauce and more water or even maybe some mirin to help the salt/sweet balance.
Hi Holly,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it!! Sorry about the salt! Have the best week:) xTieghan
I hard disagree — I loved the salty punch to balance out the sweet of the sauce!
So easy, unique, and delicious!! Will definitely be making again!
Hey Rachael,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it!! Have the best week:) xTieghan
The recipe was pretty good and easy to follow! The sauce turns out a little salty and strong, so if you would like things a little less salty, I would recommend only putting the meatballs in the sauce and serving the broccoli on the side. This would make it easier to add more sauce if you’d like, or stick with just a little less 🙂
Hey Ally,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Sorry to hear your sauce was salty. Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Easy recipe to follow but the sauce was too salty!
Hi Jenn,
So sorry about the salt, thanks for giving the recipe a try! xxTieghan
My toddler… my 18 month old absolutely HOUSED this meal. We both loved it! So good.
Hey Jessica,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Hi there!
Could I make meatballs the day before, store them in the fridge and then cook them the next night?
Thanks!
Hey Tory,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, let me know if you give it a try! xT
This recipe was great. It was not necessarily “quick and easy” but it was pretty dang good once you were done! Frying them on the stovetop was extremely messy and a little painful with the oil popping up everywhere but that’s to no fault of this recipe- that’s just how it goes.
I didn’t make it with fresh ginger and used some powdered instead, maybe a teaspoon or half a teaspoon. It was comparable! The meatballs were perfectly sticky, a little crisp on the outside, the sauce was incredible. Totally will make again, but next time I’ll wear long sleeves 🙂
Hey Sami,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
This was definitely not one of my favs. Broccoli ended up mushy with the amount of time it cooked and overall not as good of flavor as most of your amazing recipes. It was a quick make and good for a weeknight meal.
Hi Christin,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for making it. Please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Mine was just okay. I had a really hard time keeping the meatballs together in the pan. I also found the taste of ginger too overwhelming and the sauce to be overpowering. Maybe my portions were off a bit. It was nice to try a new dish though and instructions were very easy to follow!
Hey Hillary,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, sorry to hear you didn’t love it! xTieghan
Mine came out okay. I’m going to try making this again, but bake meatballs in the oven instead of cooking them in the skillet. My meatballs broke into pieces on a pan :/.
Hey there,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear about your meatballs. xTieghan
This recipe is so delicious! I used ground turkey and Brussels sprouts. It turn out perfectly! I plan to make these for dinner again next week!
Hi Jean,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xx
We made this for dinner last night using extra lean turkey breast for the meatballs, fresh broccoli, and leftover take-out rice, and it was delicious! Loved the flavor and intensity of the sauce! Another great recipe, Tieghan!
Hey Leah,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xx
I made this yesterday for a church supper and people liked it so much that they wanted the recipe before they left! We tripled the recipe using ground turkey (93% fat free), and the meatballs turned out so well. Very moist and full of flavor. I used sesame oil for the oil. Instead of dredging them in the cornstarch, I dusted them lightly with a sifter onto the baking sheet where I had placed them after they were formed. Then I simply picked each up and made sure that the cornstarch had made a light dusting around each meatball (tossed each hand-to-hand, and my hands themselves were dusted with cornstarch). This seemed to work well and they were ready for being cooked and browned in the skillet with sesame oil. After each batch (I had 3 batches as I was tripling the recipe), I placed them in the oven so they would remain warm to later be tossed with the broccoli and sauce.
I used about 8 cups of fresh broccoli, but I will use much more the next time I make it. I also used jasmine brown rice for the rice – a terrific choice. Then, we layered the rice on the bottom of a large oval Dutch oven and the tossed meatballs/broccoli/sauce. At the last moment after traveling to the event where they were to be served, I drizzled some of the dipping sauce (so it would already be present, leaving the rest in a bowl next to the Dutch oven) and sprinkled the thinly sliced green onions over the top.
People loved the dish, and as mentioned, they wanted the recipe before they left for home. It really is great! I did not think it was a quick recipe to make, but I will definitely make it again, especially for company. The flavors are so good and I think the ginger and garlic are exactly in the right proportions. If you adapt the recipe to make it for more people by clicking on the number of people you plan to serve, know that while the amounts of the ingredients will change in the top portion of the recipe in adaptation to the number you want to serve, the amounts do not likewise adapt in the recipe’s instructions. I had to figure that out! So, just print off the original recipe for 4 people, and adapt it on paper before you begin to cook. I also would not cook the broccoli for such a long time. It was cooked more than I think people are used to in today’s world. But a great recipe, wonderful flavors, and I loved pairing it with the Jasmine Brown Rice!
Hey Linda,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Thanks so much for sharing your notes and feedback. ?xTieghan