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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
The meatballs themselves were good. The sauce just would not thicken up despite cooking much longer than the suggested time! It remained quite runny.
Hi! I am so sorry to hear that! Are there any questions I could help you with or anything that was missing from the recipe? xTieghan
Wow! This is definitely going to be a staple in our house. I love the way the ginger comes through in the meatballs. As others mentioned, I had trouble with the sauce thickening. However, after we finished eating I noticed the leftover sauce in the pan had thickened up perfectly. I plan on making the sauce first thing next time I make this so that it has time to cool down and thicken up while the meatballs are baking. I served with roasted acorn squash/red peppers/and cauliflower.
That is so amazing to hear Alex! Thank you for trying this! xTieghan
I found these meatballs to be very bland and the sauce to be overly powerful. I am a saucy girl, but this sauce taste was just too much for me.
Hi Lorrie! I am really sorry to hear that! Are there any questions I could help you with? I hope you love other recipes of mine! xTieghan
I made these last night and overall they are definitely something I’d make again! The only thing was I could not get the sauce to reduce enough 🙁 I doubled the recipe so I thought maybe it might take twice as long for the sauce to thicken, but after 20+ minutes it was still runny and was bubbling so much it didn’t even look like much steam was coming off (I had it on med-high)…. It definitely reduced a little, but it was not sticky, and I was so hungry I just decided to eat it as it lol. Any tips or insight into why this happened?
Hey Cara! Since you doubled the sauce, you will need to simmer a lot longer to really thicken it and get it super sticky. It might take up to 30 minutes, but I would not think it would take any longer than that. The sauce also thickens as it cools too. Also, you can add additional honey to thicken the sauce as well. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Great tasting recipe! The sauce is really good. But, the texture of the meatballs wasn’t great. I’m wondering if I’m missing something? The meatballs just kind of fell apart when we ate them—like they had no binder to give them a bit of chew like regular meatballs. Is that how they’re supposed to be?
Hey Doris, what kind of chicken did you use? I don’t find certain meatballs to need a binder. I find that chicken meat is usually pretty wet and holds well on it’s own. Wondering if your brand of chicken differs from mine? The meatballs should not be crumbly. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
Made this and it was amazing ???
Meal prepped it for lunch for a week and even heated up in the microwave it was great! Super easy to make as well.
Just a quick question, does the nutritional information (ie. Calories) on this include the rice or is it just the meatballs and sauce?
Hi Alice! The nutrition is only for the meatballs and sauce. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
MADE IT!!! Omg Love ..Love! My daughter took the leftovers to college. We loved the sauce. I didn’t have pomegranate juice, substituted – pom, carrot and beet juice. :). I am going to make the sauce ahead of time so I can use it on anything.. veggies, fried rice.. etc.. so versatile!! Thank you yet again!
Thank you for trying this Jaya! I am so glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I was so exited to try this and it’s wonderful! The ginger really comes through. I used ground turkey and apple cider since I already had them. This took me way longer than 30 minutes though, but I am not very fast when it comes to chopping. Paired with acorn squash that I started roasting before the meatballs went in. Can’t wait to try again.
Thank you so much Christina! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Excited to make this! I have the sauce reducing- it has reduced by 1/3 but is not thickening. The only changes I made to your recipe were subbing OJ and omitting pepper. Will it thicken as it cools?
Hi Elizabeth! Yes, the sauce will thicken. It should be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan ???
A cozy bowlful. Will make again fo sho.
Haha thank you Julie! xTieghan
As I suspected, this was one of your most delicious recipes yet. And that’s saying a lot…because everything i have ever tried has been awesome. I had broccoli and carrots on hand so those were the veggies I used, and I also doubled the sauce as did some other readers. I coated the veggies in it as well, and returned them to the oven for a few minutes along with the meatballs.
One minor addition, i finely diced a big stalk of lemongrass and added that to the meatball mixture before cooking, figuring it would nicely compliment the Asian flavors. It was delicious!
I’m making a massive batch of this for my partner’s birthday party that’s coming up soon. So, probably 20+ guests. I have no doubt everyone will go nuts for this recipe.
Ahh that is so amazing to hear Aline! Also, wow that is a big one! I hope this turns out amazing for everyone! xTieghan
This recipe turned out super yummy! My sauce didn’t really turn out “sticky,” which I’m thinking means I didn’t reduce it long enough, but it was really delicious! Served it for some guests and they all loved the extra sauce drizzled over rice. This recipe is a keeper!
I am so happy to hear that Sara! Thank you so much! xTieghan
This is so yummy! I used 99% fat free turkey and served it with broccolini over cauliflower rice. It was spicy, but so good. My husband loved it too!
Thank you so much Jen! xTieghan
Wonderful, quick to do and sauce flavorful. I used the orange juice option as I had oranges, I usually “skinny” any recipe I do a bit, ( less oil and sweet) but still very good Thank you.
Thank you so much Frances! xTieghan
Just made this tonight- so quick and delicious! It tastes like a healthy version of take-out!
Love to hear that! Thank you so much Laura! xTieghan