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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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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!
Looking for other easy weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites.
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
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.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1-2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
Sauce
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or avocado oil mayo
- rice, sesame seeds, chiles, and Kimchi, for serving
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.
This post was originally published on February 17, 2021
Hi!
I can’t wait to meal prep this for my upcoming week! Wondering if organic beef would be good instead of ground turkey/chicken? Thanks 🙂
Hey Mia,
Yes, beef would work just fine here. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I used the meatball recipe for a dumpling filling and they were *chef’s kiss*. Sooo good. I made the sauce as well but mixed in about half a can of coconut milk and gave the dumplings a bath in it. Highly recommend.
Hey Kylie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
YUMMMMMM!!!! These meatballs turned out so tender and juicy with amazing flavor. Loved both sauces!!! I made brown rice with some sesame oil and rice vinegar as the base for the bowls, plus the meatballs and some chopped fresh cucumber and kale instead of roasted broccoli (full disclosure, because I went to take my broccoli out of the fridge and discovered I had none) but the textures of the crunchy veggies with the warm meatballs and rice was so good! My hubby and I agreed it was one of the tastiest dinners I’ve made – will definitely be back to double or triple the recipe for guests!!
Hey Elena,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it. Happy Sunday! ☀️Tieghan
Hi!!! I was wondering what type of peppers you serve with it under listed serving suggestions?
Thank you so much
Hey Rachel,
You could use some Fresno peppers. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Really tasty and quick
I had my hair cut tonight so premade the meatballs (turkey) and sauce last night. 15 mins to cook and serve up tonight ??
I’ll make it again for sure. The gochujang is a flavour we love.
Hey Marilla,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Hey! We made this last night, and while it was really good, I did have a little trouble with the sauce.. mine would NOT thicken up, and I’m not sure where I went wrong.. we even tried boiling it for more than 5 min ??♀️ Any tips/tricks/ideas?
The only thing I could think of was how I combined everything.. I followed your order in the recipe, adding things to the pot, as the pot was heating up… should I have mixed the ingredients before heating?
Hey Savannah,
Thanks for trying the recipe, sorry about the sauce! You can always try adding a bit of cornstarch to help thicken it up!! xTieghan
I’m not sure why I keep trying these sheet pans dinners. They’ve all been disappointing aside from the salmon with feta and olives. The constant removing the pan to toss with oils/sauces ruins the convenience of a sheet pan dinner. The sauce in this recipe was not good, the chicken does not cook well via this method—maybe meatballs would have been better? *shrug*
Hey there,
Sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Fairly easy to make and really good! The flavor is really nice and it has a kick but isn’t too spicy. Will definitely be added to our recipe rotation.
Hey Lauren,
Thanks for making this recipe! I am so glad it was a hit! xTieghan
Tieghan – This was amazing! We loved it the first time we made it and it’s on the menu again tonight! Made it exactly according to recipe. Thank you so much! Be well! – Maura
Hey Maura,
Thanks for making this recipe! I am so glad it was a hit! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious!
Thanks so much!!
Pan sticky Korean chicken meatballs.
Really really really good! Yum yum yummy! Yes! Tastes like take out!!!
Ok with that said, I used 2 pots and two half sheet pans. It took a bit longer to make, but was fun and the result amazing. I made coconut rice to go wit it, to die for. And added roasted red bell peppers and crushed peanuts. Great dish can’t wait to make it again. Never used the gochujang sauce before, did know the flavor once I tasted it, but sure gonna use from now on. Thanks again for a great recipe!
BradCat from LA!
Hey Brad,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday? xTieghan
This was soooo good! I had never heard of Gochujang before, but easily found it at my grocery store. It definitely adds a bunch of flavor! I added some steamed broccoli to the meal. Easy to make and my husband loved it too. Adding it to the rotation.
Hey Betsy,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I made these for dinner tonight and absolutely love the flavors and how easy, balanced and delicious this came out! However my meatballs didn’t get crispy and my sauce didn’t get sticky. I didn’t have enough low sodium soy sauce for the sauce so I swapped for Bragg’s Aminos, I’m not sure if that matters. Or maybe I didn’t have the sheet pan close enough to the top?Absolutely love your sauce combos!!
Hey Coll,
Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! Sorry about the sauce and meatballs, was there anything you adjusted? A different cooking method used? xTieghan
So yummy and easy to make!
Hey Laura,
Awesome, I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Tried the recipe last night. Loved the sauce and the sheet pan meals are always a winner. The meatballs came out mealy. Any suggestions?
Hey Diana,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Was there anything you adjusted in the meatballs, what kind of meat did you use? xTieghan