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Mongolian Meatballs

Mongolian Meatballs are a delightful twist on a classic dish, featuring savory meatballs in a sweet and slightly spicy sauce. Perfect for family dinners or impressing guests.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meatballs
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 4 pieces green onions (finely chopped) Plus more for serving
  • 2 inches fresh ginger (grated or 2 tablespoons ginger paste)
  • 6 cloves garlic (minced or grated)
  • 1 head broccoli (cut into florets)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Sauce
  • 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons ginger (minced)
  • ⅔ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch (whisked with ½ cup water)
  • Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)
Garnish
  • 3 pieces green onions (thinly sliced)
  • Sesame seeds

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
  2. In a bowl, combine the ground beef, green onions, ginger, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until just combined.
  3. Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls and place them on one side of the prepared baking sheet.
  4. Add broccoli to the other side of the baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of oil, salt, and pepper.
Cooking
  1. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, water, rice wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.
  3. Whisk together the cornstarch with ½ cup water and add it to the sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens, then remove from heat.
  4. Add the cooked meatballs to the skillet and toss until coated with the sauce.
Serving
  1. Serve the meatballs and remaining sauce over bowls of rice, topped with additional green onions and sesame seeds. Store the broccoli on the side.

Notes

Make sure not to overmix the meatball mixture to keep them tender. Feel free to adjust sweetness and spice levels by adding more or less brown sugar and red pepper flakes. You can experiment with adding other vegetables like bell peppers or snap peas.