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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
Hi there – would love to make this tonight but we don’t have juice of any kind on hand. Is there a substitution you might suggest or can this recipe be made without the pomegrante/OJ/apple cider component?
Hey Nick,
I would highly recommend adding the juice if possible, if not I would add a little water. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Good. Can easily be made toddler friendly by leaving a few meatballs “unsauced” and serving the rice and broccoli separate.
Love that! Thank you so much Hannah! xTieghan
Ok 5 stars bc it was super easy, but hear me out… this with sweet and salty coconut rice is for real a match made in HEAVEN. I added a little more heat to the sauce and the sweetness of the rice balanced it well. MAKE WITH COCONUT RICE! I will be making again.
Haha I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Riley!! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Made these tonight and they turned out great! I used apple juice and the flavor was amazing. I made the broccoli too and it was the perfect side. A repeat recipe for sure.
Thank you so much Rachel! xTieghan
So delicious – and honestly so quick! I use freeze dried chives, and grated ginger and minced garlic (both prepared/from jars) and the meatballs are rolled and ready to go before the oven is finished preheating. I make the sauce exactly as written, prepping and boiling down while the meatballs bake. Whole family loves them, including picky teenager and skeptical hubby. We’ve had them about 5 times in the last 6 weeks…they have replaced our semi-weekly frozen pot stickers. These are easier, tastier, healthier, and a lot less messy.
I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Melissa! Thank you so much! xTieghan
The flavors in this dish are really good so I gave it 5 stars.
I had to improvise some because I couldn’t get my hands on some gluten free hoisin sauce. I used Thai Kitchen’s Roasted Red Chili Paste instead and I was low on soy sauce so my measurements were off too.
We use a lot of turkey and chicken in our house so its nice to find good recipes with it. This will probably go into my rotation since its super simple.
I am so happy to hear that Carolyn! Thank you for trying this! xTieghan
These meatballs were disgusting, so dry and they tasted so bland and just plain awful.
Hi Amanda! I am so sorry to hear that! Is there anything I can help you with? xTieghan
We’ve done this recipe twice and the sauce never seems to thicken like in the video. Are we doing something wrong?
We do enjoy the recipe, but it seems like it would be better if the sauce thickens.
Hi Glenn,
So sorry you are having issues with the sauce. You can always add a little cornstarch to help thicken it up. I hope this helps! xTieghan
I love this recipe . Unfortunately my sauce didn’t thicken . I boiled it for ten good minutes . Even still everyone loved it !
I am really glad you all enjoyed this, Yana! Thank you for trying it! Please let me know if there are any questions I can help with! xTieghan
I made these for dinner tonight, absolutely delicious. The meatballs tasted like chicken potsticker filling, and the sauce was wonderful. 4 year old was skeptical about it, begrudgingly admitted it was yummy but refused to eat it anyway. He prefers the butter chicken meatballs. I’m sure he’ll come around though because I’ll definitely be making these again.
Love that! Thank you so much Kristen! xTieghan
These are terrible. I don’t understand the high ratings when they are like hard impossible to eat meatballs. They needed filler like breadcrumbs and egg. I’m guessing with professional photography recipes do not need to work… it’s obvious that the low ratings are not posted. I’m trying another email to see if this one will get reflected
Hi Dawn! I am really sorry to hear that! Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with. xTieghan
These were terrible. Frustrated I wasted organic ground chicken on them. Goes to show that when you have professional photography the recipe doesn’t need to hold up. The meatballs needed filler… I should have know better. They were like golf balls, hard and impossible to eat. They needed egg and breadcrumbs to lighten them.
Hi! I am so sorry that this recipe did not turn out well for you. I do create and test every recipe until I love it, so it is not just about the photos for me. Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with! Otherwise, I hope you love other recipes of mine! xTieghan
The sauce is fantastic! The meatballs were baaaaaad though. I knew I should have used my own meatball recipe. These were DRY. I liked that they were basic but I should have known it wasn’t enough to make them pop. Definitely make the sauce! But use a better ball recipe.
Hi Kells! I am so sorry to hear that! Is there anything that I can help you with? Please let me know! xTieghan
This was the first recipe of yours that I made and it did not disappoint! My husband described the sauce as “incredible!” Will definitely be making this again but will double or triple the sauce because I want to put it on everything! Absolutely delicious!
Haha love that! Thank you so much for trying this Devon!! xTieghan
This was incredibly easy! Better than take out!
Thank you so much Tina! xTieghan