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30 minute Better than takeout Weeknight Sticky Sesame Ginger Chicken Meatballs. Easy homemade Asian inspired chicken meatballs with ginger and sesame, tossed in a sweet, spicy, and extra sticky soy pomegranate sauce. Serve over steamed rice topped 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.
Every fall I tend to get stuck in a bit of a “cozy” food rut. I hate to say “rut” because I’m LOVING all my cozy, warming, hearty, creamy, and pasta filled recipes so much. BUT not every day of the week needs a bowl full of gnocchi or a creamy, cheesy soup…
Well, I mean, I wouldn’t complain about that, but the point is, it’s nice to switch things up. Which is where these meatballs come in. These meatballs are different, they’re saucy, so flavorful, and require almost no time to make. Ok, 30-ish minutes, but they’re QUICK and EASY and the sauce is addicting. I wanted to include this recipe as one of my “better than takeout” recipes. But then I wasn’t sure if Asian meatballs are really a takeout thing?
Either way, these remind me of really good takeout style food. But they’re much quicker (30-35 minutes) and so much healthier than ordering out.
And, I know I’ve said this pretty much every time I share a new meatball recipe, but geez, I really cringe at the word meatball. It’s just not the best sounding word, you know?
Ingredients
- ground turkey or chicken
- green onions, finely chopped
- ginger, grated
- garlic, minced or grated (one clove garlic)
- black pepper
- broccoli
- sesame oil, or extra virgin olive oil
- low sodium soy sauce
- pomegranate juice (equal amounts of apple cider or orange juice are great substitutes)
- hoisin sauce
- honey
- rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- crushed red pepper flakes, using more or less to taste
- steamed rice, sesame seeds, and pomegranate arils, for serving
Let me run you through the details of these meatballs
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. If you don’t want to get your hands too messy, you can always use a cookie scoop to portion out the meatballs into 2-inch golf balls. Once they’re ready to bake, I oven-baked them on a sheet pan alongside broccoli and vegetables 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, why not?
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. The secret ingredient is one of my autumn favorites, pomegranate juice. I know it might sound odd, but please, don’t doubt me here. The pomegranate juice adds sweetness, tanginess, and deep dark color too. It’s one of my favorite ingredients to use within Asian inspired recipes. Plus, I always love the added pop of color, especially this time of year when the pomegranates are so pretty.
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.
Then just toss the sauce with the meatballs and you are done. Yes, that’s it. Nothing fancy here, just simple cooking, but very delicious (pretty healthy food).
Serving suggestions??
Steamed rice, plenty of green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and pomegranate arils. Then drizzle with a generous amount of the extra sauce…because saucy meatballs are the only way to go. If you want to level up the heat, you can add an additional teaspoon sriracha to your sauce.
Tip…double the recipe and save the leftovers for quick and easy lunches. Just put the leftover meatballs in an airtight container in your fridge or freezer. The meatballs would also be great atop a chopped spinach or kale salad or served with rice noodles or with cauliflower rice and a side of green beans.
Also? These would be a really fun and delicious appetizer for upcoming holiday parties. Little sticky meatballs served on skewers? Yep, perfect finger food for a party.
And if you’re looking for something fresh and healthy…ish for dinner this week, make these meatballs. Or Invite your best friends over for Asian night and impress them with your homemade sticky meatballs.
Add a good Halloween movie and you’ll have the perfect night in!
If you make these weeknight sticky ginger sesame 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!
Watch the how to video:
Weeknight 30 Minute Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 435 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 or chicken
- 2 green onions, finely chopped, plus more for serving
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- black pepper
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets or 1 winter squash, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch wedges
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup pomegranate juice (equal amounts of apple cider or orange juice are great substitutes)
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce (make sure to use GF, if needed)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, using more or less to taste
- steamed rice, sesame seeds, and pomegranate arils, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.2. Add the chicken, green onions, ginger, garlic, and a pinch of pepper to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-20 meatballs) placing them on one side of the prepared baking sheet. The mix will be wet, but it will firm up in the oven. Add the broccoli or winter squash (see notes) 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, combine the 1 tablespoon oil, the soy sauce, pomegranate juice, hoisin sauce, honey, vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil 5-8 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces by about 1/3. Remove from the heat. 4. 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. Serve the meatballs and sauce over bowls of rice topped with additional green onions, pomegranate arils, and sesame seeds. Serve the broccoli on the side.
Notes
Homemade Hoisin: in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder, and a pinch of black pepper.
To Freeze the Meatballs: Bake as directed, then freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer for 2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or simmer in the sauce over low heat for 20 minutes, until thawed, adding water if needed to thin the sauce.
To Freeze the Meatballs in the Sauce: Spoon the meatballs and sauce into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm on the stove until heated through, about 15 minutes, adding water if needed to thin the sauce.
If Using Winter Squash: the squash might need 15 minutes additional cooking time. I recommend roasting the squash for 15 minutes before adding the meatballs, then add the meatballs to the sheet once the squash is tender.
This post was originally published on October 9, 2019
I made the chicken meatballs with rice & broccoli ( I didn’t have any squash) last night exactly as it was posted & it is a fantastic dish! The combination of ingredients in the sauce was really flavourful! ! I agree with Tieghan don’t skip the pomegranate juice if you can help it. My husband commented that this one needs to be in our regular rotation. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Lori,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
OMG! This was so delicious and easy! I will definitely be making this again. I used store bought hoisin sauce, next time I’ll try your homemade version.
Hey Pam,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I have cooked this twice. It’s great and my husband loved it. We love all of your recipes though! I keep ground turkey and chicken on hand so the meatballs are good for me – these, the Butter Chicken meatballs and the Coq Au Vin meatballs.
Hey Dee,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made these tonight! Super good- family requesting them again next week. The sauce is incredible. Not a difficult recipe and could make big batch and freeze or meal prep for the week.
That is so amazing to hear, Sheila!! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I have made dozens of HBH recipes over the years and I’ve never been disappointed. This is the first time I’ve been truly underwhelmed. I followed the recipe exactly. The meatballs (I used chicken) were bland and had a weird texture I didn’t appreciate. The sauce never thickened, so I drizzled it over the meatballs and rice. It tasted good but was pretty sweet. If I tried this again, I’d use a sturdier meat (pork, maybe) and add an egg. I’d cut the sweetness of the sauce in half and add some kind of thickener. But, I’d rather stick to my other HBH favorites.
Hi Molly! I am sorry this recipe did not turn out as expected.. Please let me know if there anything I can do to help!! xTieghan
Thanks for another great recipe, Tieghan! You never steer us wrong. I did have one small question. When I made this recipe tonight, the meatballs never got “crispy” and I even added a few more mins to the cooking time. Also, quite a lot of liquid came out of the meatballs (which may have been the culprit for non-crispness). In any case, it still came out delicious—the meatballs moist despite the expelled liquid—but I was just wondering if you have a further tips for correction! Many, many thanks for all this goodness!
Thank you so much Maryam! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was GREAT! Made it last night and was a success. You might want to double the sauce recipe because it is delicious and was also great on the rice. The only addition was a little maple syrup on the winter squash. Thank you so much for the work that went into it. Very appreciated!!!
Thank you Gabe! I am really glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan
Too tangy. I made this for an extended family dinner, and it received poor taste reviews from all 7 family members and me. They are not ones to generally complain about the dinners I make, including new recipes I try.
My sister made these for me last night because I have been wanting to try them and they are delish!!! I love that the meatballs stay together without a binder and we could make this recipe GF no problem. I thought the squash would be weird (we also added broccoli) but surprisingly it goes well. Ill definitely be making this again thank you!
Thank you so much Lori! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
My daughter(4 years old)who has been very dinner picky loved these and has been asking me to make them again. There is no greater compliment then that!
Aw that is so great! I am really glad you both have been enjoying this recipe, Michelle! xTieghan
I wanted to love this and I must say the sauce was unbelievably delicious. My problem was with the chicken meatballs. They go from cooked to sawdust in seconds. They were so dry from the lack of fat it was not good. I will try this again maybe with pork mixed with extra fat. I absolutely will use that sauce in other dishes.
Your work is well loved in our family. Thank you for your time and efforts.
Hi Mark! I am sorry these did not turn out as expected. Please let me know if there is anything I can help with or anything that could have changed while making this. I would love to help! xTieghan
Help! I love your recipes and I can’t get them sticky! I reduced the sauce fro twice as long and it is always too runny and doesn’t stick. The flavors are amazing and love your recipes. What am I doing wrong?
Hey Sarah,
Try adding some cornstarch to help thicken the sauce up. I hope this helps! xTieghan
These look absolutely delish! I am going I make these tomorrow for the football game. I don’t have broccoli. You think peppers would be a good accompaniment?
Hey Tina,
Yes, peppers would work well here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I was really excited to try this recipe (and everything from this website cus YUM!), and it still came out good, just not exactly how I had imagined. The sauce seemed a little too sweet (and the red pepper was really overpowering, but maybe that was user error), so I didn’t get the sesame oil/ginger flavor that I was craving and expecting to be the dominant taste. Also, we did about tablespoon size balls, but they look much smaller than the recipe’s pictures (and much uglier, but I’ll blame that one on me not being a professional chef). Overall, the recipe was good, but maybe on a redo I’d go heavier on the ginger and sesame oil and lighter on the sweeter additions (and red pepper flakes). Overall, I’m glad I tried this recipe as I’d had my eye on it for a while. Many more of your recipes to be experimented with this weekend xx 🙂
Hi Mackenzie! If there is anything I can help with for this one, please let me know! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes!! xTieghan
These were great. I substituted Impossible meat for the chicken and had with riced cauliflower and spring veggies. Delicious!
Thank you so much Kristie! I am really happy this turned out so well for you! xTieghan