Mongolian Meatballs

These tender Mongolian meatballs are infused with Asian-inspired ingredients and coated with a deliciously sticky Mongolian sauce.

I have been looking for new delicious ways to enjoy meatballs, so I decided to load these up with classic Asain flavors such as ginger, soy sauce, and green onion, then slathered them in a similar sauce as used in my Mongolian Beef recipe. Needless to say, these Mongolian meatballs were a hit, even my kids devoured them!

Mongolian Meatball Ingredients

• Ground beef - I recommend 80/20 beef for all meatballs, as it is juicer and provides a richer flavor.
• Ground pork - I feel the best meatballs are an equal mixture of pork and beef. However, you can use just one or the other in a pinch.
• Panko breadcrumbs - You can use regular breadcrumbs instead, but if we are doing Asain-styled meatballs, panko is appropriate.
• Beef broth - Beef broth will add moisture and flavor to the meatballs and sauce.
• Eggs - Eggs help bind everything together.
• Green onions - Provides their characteristically fresh flavor.
• Light soy sauce - I use light soy so it doesn't get too salty.
• Ginger - Fresh ginger adds a lot more flavor than dried.
• Garlic - Fresh garlic is best, but 1 teaspoon garlic powder can be substituted in the meatballs if needed. I would not use powder in the sauce
• Ground pepper - I recommend fresh ground pepper.
• Brown sugar - Add sweetness to the sauce, similar to an Asain BBQ sauce.
• Crushed red pepper - Adds a touch of heat to offset the sweetness. This can be omitted if you don't like heat.

How to make them

Prepare the meatballs by crumbling the meat into a large bowl then add all remaining meatball ingredients. The eggs should be beaten prior to adding to the bowl. Mix everything together thoroughly with clean hands to ensure it is well combined.

Form meatballs by removing 1-2 tablespoons of meat mixture at a time and gently roll between your palms to form into balls. Set on a rimmed baking sheet.

Tip: If the meat mixture starts sticking to your hands, wetting your hands with a little water will keep everything from sticking.

Bake the meatballs in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or cooked through. Personal Preference Note: I often stop baking them 5 minutes early and crank my broiler on high and finish cooking them on the top rack. The broiler adds a nice crust to the exterior of the meatball.

How to Make Mongolian Sauce

The Mongolian sauce is both dead simple to make, and easy to screw up if you lack confidence in your cooking. All of the sauce ingredients get added to a small saucepan and then simmered until properly thickened. Sounds easy enough, right? If this is your first time making it, you may get concerned your sauce is too thin, don't fret.

Here is what you need to know: Expect this sauce to be VERY thin while it is simmering, right up until the end. As it simmers, moisture evaporates and it slowly thickens. Once enough moisture has evaporated it will quickly transform from thin liquid to sticky syrup. Your sauce is done when it reminds you of the consistency of maple syrup.

How to serve Asian meatballs

Any Asain-style meatballs are best served over rice. I like serving my Mongolian meatballs with Jasmine rice, but you can also swap out basmati, or even plain old white rice. Serve a wedge of lime on the side, and sprinkled with sesame seeds for better presentation.

More Meatball Recipes

• BBQ Meatballs - Classic meatballs infused with bold barbeque flavors.
• Venison meatballs - A flavorful use of deer meat!
• Meatballs and gravy - A perfect comfort dinner.
• Easy Meatball Subs - Is there a better sandwich?