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Sheet Pan Sticky Gochujang Chicken Meatballs…easy homemade chicken meatballs with ginger and sesame, tossed in an addicting sweet and spicy Korean-inspired sauce. Serve up bowl style over steamed rice with roasted with broccoli, creamy spicy aioli sauce, and vegetables. Then top with plenty of sesame seeds for a fun and healthy dinner any night of the week. And the best part…these meatballs are made quicker than any take-out meal, and they’re so much healthier too.

Sheet Pan Sticky Korean Chicken Meatballs | halfbakedharvest.com

And here we are again with meatballs. You’ll know my oldest brother is in town when meatballs make yet another appearance here. Along with those Cheesy Gordita Crunch Tacos, meatballs are one of his favorite foods. Put them in a spicy, sticky Korean sauce…oh, ya, even better!

I made these meatballs the other day with him in mind. I have to say, I think I’m just as excited as he is over these Korean-inspired meatballs. Not only are they part of a complete sheet pan dinner. They also take no time to make and are so delicious. Think, saucy, sweet, and spicy, with a touch of tang, and toasty sesame seeds throughout.

I even added a bit of broccoli to round out the meal…and not one, but two sauces.

So you see, the perfect, easy, but fun weeknight dinner.

meatballs before baking

Let’s go through the details.

For the meat, I used ground chicken, but ground pork or turkey will work just as well. I seasoned them up with plenty of green onions, ginger, and garlic. Then oven-baked them on a sheet pan alongside some broccoli for added color. Plus, I just love the idea of a one-pan dinner. And if you can cook your meat and vegetables at the very same time, then why not? I am all about it.

While the meatballs bake, make the sauce. Now here’s the truth, the sauce is really why you should make this recipe. It’s honestly so addicting. Sweet, tangy, a touch spicy, and once boiled down, super sticky. This is a pretty simple mix of Gochujang (Korean chili paste), soy sauce, and sesame oil. The Gochujang adds all the flavor, so you really don’t need much else. I boiled it down on the stove to make it a little stickier, which is perfect for tossing with the meatballs.

meatballs and broccoli after baking

The sauce takes only a few minutes to thicken up on the stove. It’s usually ready by the time the meatballs have finished cooking. Once the sauce has boiled down, I like to make a creamy “special sauce” sauce for drizzling over the meatballs. Just stir a couple of tablespoons of the Gochujang sauce into yogurt or mayo. This sauce is beyond good.

Toss the rest of the sauce with the meatballs and you’re done. Add rice to your bowls, then snuggle in the broccoli and meatballs. Add extra sauce and finish with any and all toppings you’d like. I always do plenty of sesame seeds, chilies, and kimchi.

Nothing fancy here, just simple cooking, but very delicious (pretty healthy food).

overhead close up photo of Sheet Pan Sticky Korean Chicken Meatballs

A couple of notes.

What is Gochujang? If you’re not familiar with Gochujang it’s Korean chili paste. For those of you who read often, you know it’s my favorite type of chile paste. It’s spicy with a little sweetness, and it’s extremely flavorful. It’s traditional in a lot of Korean-based sauces and is often used in Korean fried chicken or simply as a dipping sauce. Over here, we LOVE Gochujang. I use it for so much more than just Korean food. It’s so good when paired with…well pretty much anything that you’d enjoy with a touch of hot sauce.

You can buy Gochujang in most grocery stores. I know Whole Foods and Trader Joes carry it. I highly recommend this brand Gochujang. It certainly makes for the best, truly Korean food.

Sheet Pan Sticky Korean Chicken Meatballs with sauce drizzle

I really can’t tell you enough how much I love these Korean-inspired meatballs. I’ll be turning to this one time and time again. Sheet pan dinners are always my go-to, but this is a new favorite.

It’s all about the sticky Korean sauce and that creamy, yet spicy “special sauce”. Together, they truly make everything that much better.

My final words, double the recipe and save the leftovers for quick and easy lunches. Trust me you will be so happy you did!

overhead photo of Sheet Pan Sticky Korean Chicken Meatballs

Looking for other easy weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites.

Queso Fundido Taquitos

Better Than Takeout Dan Dan Noodles

Sheet Pan Roasted Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon with Feta and Olives

Lastly, if you make these Sheet Pan Sticky Gochujang Chicken 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!

Sheet Pan Sticky Gochujang Chicken Meatballs

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 439 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

Sauce

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
    2. To make the meatballs. Add the chicken, soy sauce, Gochujang, green onions, ginger, and garlic, to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil, and roll the meat into rounded tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-16 meatballs). Place on the prepared baking sheet. The mix will be wet, but it will firm up in the oven. Add the broccoli to the other side of the baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp and cooked through.
    3. Meanwhile, make the sticky Gochujang sauce. In a small pot, combine the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, Gochujang, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and 1/4 cup water. Bring the sauce to a boil for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces by about 1/4. Remove from the heat.
    4. Remove the broccoli from the baking sheet. Pour about half the sauce over the meatballs, tossing to combine. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce coats the meatballs.
    5. Combine 2-3 tablespoons of the remaining sticky Gochujang sauce from step 3 with the yogurt.
    6. Serve the meatballs and sauce over bowls of rice topped with additional green onions, and sesame seeds. Serve the broccoli on the side.
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Sheet Pan Sticky Korean Chicken Meatballs | halfbakedharvest.com

This post was originally published on February 17, 2021
4.22 from 519 votes (418 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 2 stars
    Maybe it was the brand of gochujang (I used Mother In Law’s gochujang paste) but the sauce just tasted like spicy teriyaki. Which makes sense since most the other ingredients are standard teriyaki (soy, ginger, garlic, sweetener, rice vinegar, sesame). I’ve never made this before so I was expecting something more flavorful.

    Also, my sauce looked glossy and perfect UNTIL I added the Greek yogurt – then it looked like a curdled mess. Yuck. If I ever make this again I’ll simplify by just using chicken thighs and definitely skip the Greek yogurt. Since I made the recipe exactly as written it only deserves 2 stars at most.

    Reply

  2. 4 stars
    I made this tonight! It was very tasty but the meatballs definitely did not hold together 🙁 also it took about 2x as long for me sauce to thicken. Other than that the flavors were great!

    Reply

    1. Hey Annie,
      I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! So sorry about the meatballs! xTieghan

      Reply

  4. Another absolute amazing dish!! Should there be cucumbers to top the dish at the end? They’re in the photo but not the recipe and I bet they’d be an awesome addition.

    Reply

    1. Hey Julia,
      I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! You could totally add cucumbers as a garnish:) xTieghan

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    SO good! This will def be a weeknight staple I can already tell! Thank you for always having the most flavorful recipes!

    Reply

    1. Hey Brittany,
      I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! I did have a video on IG, sorry if you missed it! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Abigail,
      Sure, you will obviously have some different flavors, but it will work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. Hi–I’m making this tonight and just realized I don’t have any Greek yogurt in the house. Between regular mayo and non-Greek plain yogurt, which would make a better base for the sauce? Or should I really run out and buy a little greek yogurt? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey Holly,
      I would just use plain yogurt. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Made this with no substitutions and it was amazing! I’m a huge ginger fan so I added more ginger than the recipe called for and while for me it was amazing my husband thought it could have been a touch less – ya know, like the recipe called for! tieghan any thoughts of using tofu or something else in place of the meat? And if so, how would you prep it?

    Reply

    1. Hey Amy,
      I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! You could totally use tofu, I would probably pan fry it. xTieghan

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    This was amazing and so easy to make! My first half baked harvest recipe and it didn’t disappoint. Thank you for making diverse restaurant quality meals so accessible at home! I’m definitely a fan!!

    Reply

  11. Hi Tieghan!
    This recipe looks delicious and I cant wait to try it! My question to you is, can Gochujang sauce be used in place of the paste?
    Thank you for all of your recipes! I look forward to them!

    Reply

  12. 5 stars
    I commented on how great your recipe looked last week and tada ?, I finally made it and it was to die for. The only issues I had was the parchment paper on the cookie sheet wasn’t quite strong enough (next time foil and a Silpat lol). I live in a very small town and we don’t have Gochujang, only Gochujang sauce in a squeeze bottle. I don’t care for jalapeños otherwise I was in heaven and pic perfect , thanks again.

    Reply

  13. 5 stars
    Insanely delicious! definitely add the slices of cucumber like in the pictures, adds the most refreshing crunch! my sweetie and I couldnt stop saying mmmmmm. Will definitely be making this again very soon!

    Reply

  15. 5 stars
    Absolutely amazing. Great flavors and easy to make. As my husband says “this is a keeper”. Thanks Tieghan for another great recipe.

    Reply