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Asian Inspired Chicken Meatballs

These easy Asian Chicken Meatballs with garlic, ginger, and green onion are smothered in a sweet and sticky soy sesame sauce and come together in 30 minutes!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 302 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

For the Meatballs
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup plain Panko breadcrumbs (or regular)
  • 4 green onions (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (see notes)
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (low sodium or gluten-free if preferred)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1½ tablespoons canola oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken (or turkey)
For the Sauce
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha (or chili garlic sauce, optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy clean-up - you can grease it if you prefer).
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the egg, breadcrumbs (½ cup), sliced green onions (4), minced fresh ginger (1 tablespoon), minced fresh garlic (1 clove), soy sauce (1 tablespoon), black pepper (¼ teaspoon), canola oil (1½ tablespoons), and toasted sesame oil (1 teaspoon).
  3. Add the ground chicken to the bowl and mix together well (hands work best here, but a spoon can also be used).
  4. Scoop the meatball mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, forming 1½ inch balls. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reach 165 degrees F (see notes).
  5. While the meatballs bake, make the sauce. Whisk together the soy sauce (1/4 cup) with the cornstarch (1 teaspoon) in a medium pot. Add the remaining sauce ingredients (2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sriracha). Heat over medium heat, whisking often, until thickened (2-4 minutes).
  6. Gently toss the cooked meatballs with the sauce directly in the pot or in another bowl. Serve, garnished with extra green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Notes

  • ½
  • Cooking time note: This recipe yields about 20 1 ½-inch meatballs, give or take. If you make them bigger or smaller, you may need to adjust cooking time to longer or shorter. This is where a meat thermometer comes in handy (I recommend Thermoworks Thermapen One for a super fast, accurate read!).
  • You can make these chicken meatballs in advance and freeze them raw or cooked. Cook from frozen and raw at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or from frozen and cooked for 25-30 minutes.
  • Make these gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs and gluten-free soy sauce or alternative.
  • The added canola oil to the meatballs helps make the meatballs super juicy and moist, but feel free to take it down to 1 tablespoon or omit if you want a lower fat option.
  • The mixture will be pretty loose and sticky. This is OK – as it cooks, the meatballs will bind together and be quite firm and hold together well after they bake. A cookie scoop can help you form the meatballs without worrying about using your hands, which may prove challenging. You can also refrigerate the mixture before forming the meatballs for an hour (or prep ahead up to overnight) and it will hold together as you form the meatballs a little better at the colder temperature.

Nutrition Information

Serving 5meatballs Calories 302kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 14g (5%) Protein 23g (46%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 8g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 118mg (39%) Sodium 1194mg (50%) Potassium 699mg (20%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 152IU (3%) Vitamin C 3mg (3%) Calcium 32mg (3%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 302

% Daily Value*

Serving 5meatballs
Calories 302kcal 15%
Carbohydrates 14g 5%
Protein 23g 46%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 8g 40%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 118mg 39%
Sodium 1194mg 50%
Potassium 699mg 15%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 152IU 3%
Vitamin C 3mg 3%
Calcium 32mg 3%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.