These Asian Meatballs feature homemade ground beef meatballs in a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. Made without breadcrumbs or eggs, this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and perfect for every occasion!
Personal Note – These gluten-free Asian meatballs have been a staple in my kitchen since 2017, but it was time for a refresh! After a little tweaking, I simplified the recipe while making them even more delicious but also customizable. I added my personal tips below so be sure to check those out before jumping to the recipe!
Tips Before You Begin
- Use a cookie scoop. Keep your hands clean after mixing by using a small cookie scoop to portion the meatballs into equal pieces before baking.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of your meatballs reaches 160°F, ensuring the meatballs are fully cooked and safe to eat.
- Double the recipe! If you want to make a bigger batch with two pounds of meat, increase all the ingredients proportionally except for the green onions. Keep their amount between ½ cup and ⅔ cup for a balanced flavor. Then, bake as normal.
- Personal Prep Tip: Whether you’re doubling the recipe or sticking to the original, I recommend making the meatballs and sauce separately. This way, you can easily adjust the spice level and sauce amount to suit everyone’s preferences (because let’s face it, not everyone loves spice as much as we do!).
- Bonus Tip: The sauce isn’t just for meatballs—it makes an amazing dip for appetizers! Perfect for turning any gathering into a hit.
Recipe Ingredients
Below is an overview of the ingredients and instructions to make this Asian meatballs recipe. Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details including calories, saturated fat, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, etc.
For the Meatballs
- Ground Beef (or substitute) – Use lean ground beef, preferably 85-90% lean to prevent the meatballs from being too soggy. Or, make Asian turkey meatballs by using 90% lean ground turkey instead. If preferred, you can also use ground chicken or ground pork.
- Spices – Ground ginger, five-spice powder, and crushed red pepper flakes create a bold, savory, tangy taste with just a pinch of heat.
Note: If you can’t five five-spice powder at your local grocery store, you can omit it. Also, feel free to adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to taste.
- Gluten-Free Tamari – This adds moisture back to the meatballs and creates a savory, umami taste. Feel free to substitute gluten-free soy sauce. Or, for a soy-free alternative, coconut aminos will work, adding a touch of sweetness and a slightly milder taste.
- Coconut sugar – The sugar helps create a golden-brown crust on the meatballs through caramelization while also adding a touch of nutty sweetness to balance out the other flavors. Honey can be used as a substitute.
- Minced Garlic – For the best results, use whole garlic cloves, and mince them yourself.
- Cornstarch – This is optional, but acts as a binder, allowing the meatballs to hold their shape and eliminating the need for breadcrumbs.
- Chopped Green Onion – Only use the green portion! The green onions also act as a binder while giving the meatballs more flavor.
For the Sauce
- Gluten-Free Hoisin Sauce – If you can’t find gluten free hoisin sauce (I like lower sugar San-J), use my gluten free teriyaki sauce recipe.
- BBQ Sauce – I use naturally sweetened BBQ sauce like our nightshade-free barbecue sauce, but any kind you like best will work.
- Gluten-Free Tamari – Again, feel free to substitute gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
Flavor Note: Tamari offers a richer, less salty flavor, while gluten-free soy sauce provides a lighter, saltier profile.
- Ginger – Use fresh ginger, or buy ready-to-use grated ginger from the refrigerated produce section of your local grocery store.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Adjust to taste.
- Rice Vinegar – This adds a subtle, sweet tang. Orange juice works well as a substitute!
- Garlic – Minced garlic cloves add a sweet, pungent taste that marries the flavor of the meatballs with that of the sauce.
How to Make Asian Meatballs
- Prepare. Before you begin, preheat your oven to 400°F. Then, grease a baking sheet, or line it with high-heat-resistant parchment paper, and set it aside.
- Combine the meatballs. Add all the meatball ingredients to a large bowl. Use your hands to mix until well combined.
Pro-Tip: Use your hands rather than a spatula to mix the meatball mixture, really using your fingers to distribute the ingredients evenly. Be careful to mix just until combined. We don’t want the mixture to be mushy!
- Shape. Portion the meat mixture into meatballs roughly 1 to 1.25 inches in size. Then, arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each piece. Note: If the batter isn’t holding up enough to shape into balls, add the cornstarch, and let the mixture chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Bake. Transfer the Asian ground beef meatballs to the oven, and bake until they’re no longer pink.
- Prepare the sauce. In the meantime, warm a small saucepan over medium heat. Add all the sauce ingredients, whisking to combine. Then, bring the mixture to a simmer, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Combine. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce, and gently toss to combine. Cover the pan, and simmer over medium-low heat until the meatballs are heated through, and the sauce thickens slightly. Garnish with sesame seeds, if desired, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These Asian meatballs make for a great party appetizer! These are always a hit at Super Bowl parties. Or, you can enjoy them as a meal served over white or brown rice, riced veggies, Thai peanut sauce noodles, cauliflower fried rice, or edamame.
More of Our Favorite
Gluten-Free Meatball Recipes
Storage Questions
Stored in an airtight container leftover meatballs will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days. In my opinion, they taste even better the next day!
Freeze the cooked meatballs (with or without the sauce) in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. If freezing separately, store the sauce in a separate container.
Thaw frozen meatballs in the refrigerator, and reheat in a skillet on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Or, reheat gently from frozen by adding a bit of water or additional sauce to the skillet to prevent them from sticking to the pan. Just note that reheating from frozen might cause the sauce to become a bit watery.
Saucy Asian Meatballs (Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 16–18 meatballs 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Skip the takeout, and make this Asian meatballs recipe with a homemade sweet and tangy barbecue sauce for a gluten-free, dairy-free, protein-rich main course!
Ingredients
Note about Doubling the Recipe – If using 2 pounds of meat and doubling the recipe, increase all the ingredients proportionally except for the green onions. Keep their amount between ½ cup and ⅔ cup for balanced flavor.
Meatballs
- 1 to 1 ¼ lb lean ground beef (preferably 85-90% lean)
- ½ – ¾ teaspoon ground ginger ( to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon gluten-free tamari (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons honey or coconut sugar
- ½–1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional but acts as a binder)
- ½ cup chopped green onion, green portion
Sauce
- ⅓ cup gluten-free hoisin sauce
- 2–4 Tablespoons (to taste) naturally sweetened BBQ sauce (sriracha mixed with tomato sauce may be be substituted)
- 1 Tablespoon gluten-free tamari or gluten-free soy sauce for a lighter taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar (see notes for substitute)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet or line it with high-heat-resistant parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, garlic, ginger, five-spice powder (if using), tamari sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, and green onion. Use your hands to mix until well combined.
- Form the mixture into 1 to 1.25-inch meatballs (about 16–18 meatballs). Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12–14 minutes, or until fully cooked and no longer pink inside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the hoisin sauce, BBQ or sriracha mixture, tamari, grated ginger, red pepper flakes (if using), rice vinegar, and minced garlic. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the baked meatballs to the sauce and gently stir until fully coated. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, or until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce thickens slightly. Garnish with sesame seed, if desired.
- Serve hot as an appetizer, over rice or with steamed veggies for a full meal.
- Allow the meatballs and sauce to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Substitutes and Flavor Tips – Gluten-free tamari and gluten-free soy sauce can be swapped in this recipe based on your taste preference. Tamari offers a richer, less salty flavor, while gluten-free soy sauce provides a lighter, saltier profile. For a soy-free alternative, coconut aminos work well, adding a touch of sweetness with a milder taste. If you can’t find gluten free hoisin sauce (I like lower sugar San-J), use gluten free teriyaki sauce. The rice vinegar can be substituted with orange juice.
Storage Options – For longer storage, freeze the cooked meatballs (with or without the sauce) in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. If freezing separately, store the sauce in a separate container.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: Stove Top, Oven
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball with sauce
- Calories: 61
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 212.8 mg
- Fat: 2.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 3.4 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 5.5 g
- Cholesterol: 16.5 mg
These were so good! I had turkey and used that. They came out great. That sauce is incredible! So much flavor.
These are my kind of meatballs !! I love these ! Love the pork and the green onions with the Orange Hoisin sauce 🙂 Yummy !!
Glad it worked out Adela!
Hi,
Do you think the meatballs can be cooked in advance, then frozen, then put sauce and frozen meatballs in crockpot? Do you think the sauce would burn up?
Hi Heather! Yes, you could totally cook the meatballs in advance and freeze for later. Simply thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before adding to a crockpot with the sauce and heat on low for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.
Welp, this didn’t go as planned. The meatballs just wouldn’t come together. I added 5 Tbs. of arrowroot powder trying to get them to meld, but it made them taste chalky in the end. The sauce was excellent, but I think next time I’ll use gf oat flour instead of arrowroot.
That’s so strange! I’ve never had that happen. Did you let the meat chill long enough, in meatball form? I would try GF flour or tapioca flour next. So sorry!
love this recipe. really tnx
Thanks!
I signed up just to make this comment. This recipe is INCREDIBLE.
The best meatballs I’ve ever made. I hadn’t even finished before I got up and helped myself to three more.
For the sauce, I actually used my own homemade Whole30 hoisin sauce and my own homemade whole30 BBQ sauce. Wonder if I’ll ever be able to replicate it again? 😉
Thank you so much for this!
Oh Dori, just you made my day! Hehe.
p.s you must share that secret sauce 😉
Yes! I’m so happy it’s the start of a new year. Definitely feeling focused and motivated! Out with the bad and in with the new! These BBQ meatballs look like they would be perfect for the Super Bowl!
Informative post
it was awesome.
great! Thank you for the feedback. 🙂
interesting ! Thanks for information !
Thanks for sharing
Thank you!?
I am very happy with this post Thank you for sharing this
Thank you, I appreciate it!:)
nice post thanks
good job site
Thank you!
Well, this is my first visit to your blog! Your blog provided us valuable information .You have done a marvelous job
look so beautiful and interesting-That dish looks very attractive. I will proceed to do it now!
This looks really fantastic! I loved more when it’s extra spicy.
Do you do any type of sauce or seasonings for the rice noodles you serve with the meatballs?
I used the extra sauce from the meatball pan. You could also use a little bit of sesame oil and pepper. Hope that helps!
Yumm! I have a quite similar recipe to yours. It’s very easy and fast to make! Can’t wait to try your version. Thanks for sharing.
OH i’d love to know your recipe! Do share. <3
YUMMM!
One of my favorite foods are meatballs and these are not disappointing! I would eat these any night of the week!
I would love to try these. They look sooo good!
I’m drooling all over my keyboard Lindsay! These look incredibly yummy! That sauce!!
Thank you Mary Ann! I’ll share with you any day!
These look absolutely perfect!
I like the simple recipes that are great. Looking forward to the next post.
Our 10 year old Cole would go crazy for these!
Alll the meatballs, please. These look SO good- and love that they’re virtually guilt free!
For sure! Meatballs are my weakness so guilt free makes me happy haha
Oh Gurrllll!!! I love reading your nutrition info on these posts. I’ve just taken a basic nutrition course, and it’s so interesting. Your info always get me curious. Okay. Point number 2… loving the darker background in this post. Looks gorgeous with that dark sauce and the pop of the bright rice… and lastly… that nail colour!!!!! ?
Okay. I’m done now.
OMG were you reading my mind? haha, I was just about to talk about to post this on IG and mention my love for the dark background with red nails. LOL! and the nerdy nutrition. Same brain wave! YEA!
I don’t know what I’m admiring most. The stunning photography here, or this absolutely delicious meatballs recipe. OK, probably both! Love the twist here with the addition of that orange hoisin sauce. Ha ha ha, hiding this from your husband, that’s hilarious. Mind you I’d have to hide these from Lynne so yeah, I can see why you had to do that! Remembering the one focus!!:-)
Haha yea! glad we are not alone in hiding food from spouses. What’s lynne’s favorite dish of yours?
Looks soooo good!!!
Thanks Natalie! Let me know if you try it!
These are awesome!
These look so good – cannot wait to try this recipe!
Keep me posted Michelle!
OMG that is hysterical about hiding them from the hubby. I don’t have that problem with my boyfriend. It’s hard enough to get him to eat well. You fueled your husband for years so he shouldn’t complain!
Haha true! But I’m guessing your boyfriend will start craving your food more and more!
Love the idea of using these as an appetizer!
Totally!!
Love the orange you’ve added to the sauce! This recipe makes me even more excited to get my hands on your cookbook!
Oh thank you friend!! That means so much.
You know me… I’m all about the balls! HAHAHA!
I need to try these when I get home. I immediately thought of your sriracha balls, which we loved.
Happy New Year Brother!
Yep! I thought of you when making these. Thinking… brother would love these
What delicious looking comfort food, count me in!
You’re in!
Yes! I’m so happy it’s the start of a new year. Definitely feeling focused and motivated! Out with the bad and in with the new! These BBQ meatballs look like they would be perfect for the Super Bowl!
New and feeling healthy! ?
SO MUCH FLAVOR. These sound perfect, Linds!
You’d love them friend