Korean BBQ Meatballs

Ingredients

• 454 g (1 pound)lean minced beef
• 30 g (½ cup)panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoonground ginger
• ½ teaspoonblack pepper
• ½ teaspoonsalt
• 4, thinly sliced and dividedspring onions
• 2 cloves, mincedgarlic
• 1egg
• 1 tablespoongochujang (Korean-style chilli paste)
• To garnishsesame seeds
• Optional, for servingcooked white or brown rice
• ¼ teaspoonground ginger
• 4 cloves, mincedgarlic
• 120 ml (½ cup)low-sodium soy sauce
• 120 ml (½ cup)water
• 150 g (¾ cup)brown sugar
• 1 tablespoongochujang
• 1 tablespoonrice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoonvegetable oil
• A pinchred chilli flakes
• 1 tablespooncornflour
• 1 tablespoonwater

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the tray

   Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a large, rimmed baking tray with foil and spray it with cooking spray.

2. 2

   Shape the meatballs

   In a large bowl, mix the beef, breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, pepper, salt, 3 spring onions, 2 cloves of garlic, egg and 1 tablespoon gochujang until combined. Roll the mixture into 2.5 cm (1-inch) balls and arrange them 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart on the prepared tray.

3. 3

   Bake the meatballs

   Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through.

4. 4

   Start the sauce

   Meanwhile, put the ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, 4 cloves of garlic, soy sauce, ½ cup water, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon gochujang, rice wine vinegar, vegetable oil and red chilli flakes in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. In a separate small bowl, whisk the cornflour with 1 tablespoon water until smooth, then stir it into the boiling sauce.

5. 5

   Thicken the sauce

   Lower the heat to medium and simmer, stirring constantly, for 8–10 minutes until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat.

6. 6

   Coat and serve

   Add the meatballs to the sauce and gently stir to coat. Serve warm with the remaining spring onion, sesame seeds and cooked rice, if desired.

What are Korean BBQ meatballs?

These meatballs take inspiration from Korean barbecue flavours, combining gochujang’s chilli heat with soy, ginger and a sweet, glossy sauce. They are not a traditional Korean barbecue preparation, but they bring some of its familiar sweet-and-savoury notes to an easy oven-baked dish.

This version keeps the meatballs simple and bakes them before coating them in sauce. That means you can prepare the glaze while the beef cooks.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 83 calories, 6g protein, 11g carbs, 2g fat.

The beef and egg provide most of the protein, while the panko and optional rice contribute carbohydrates. The glaze’s brown sugar supplies much of the carbohydrate, and the beef and vegetable oil contribute fat. Serve with a generous portion of vegetables alongside the rice and meatballs to round out the plate.

Building flavour into the beef

Seasoning: Ground ginger, garlic, spring onion and gochujang go directly into the beef mixture, so the centres are flavourful as well as the glaze.

Binding: Panko and egg help hold the mixture together. Mix just until combined; working it for too long can make the cooked meatballs dense.

Getting the glaze right

Cornflour slurry: Whisk the cornflour with its tablespoon of water separately before adding it to the boiling sauce. This helps it blend in without dry lumps.

Simmer: Once the slurry is stirred in, keep the sauce at a medium simmer and stir constantly for 8–10 minutes, as directed. It should thicken enough to cling to the meatballs.

Checking shape and doneness

Even sizing: Roll the mixture into 2.5 cm balls and leave about 2.5 cm between them on the tray. Similar-sized meatballs are more likely to finish cooking at the same time.

Cook through: Bake for 20–25 minutes, checking that the meatballs are cooked through before adding them to the sauce. Avoid relying on the glaze to finish cooking them.

Balancing sweet, savoury and spicy

The brown sugar softens the saltiness of the soy sauce, while gochujang and the pinch of chilli flakes bring heat. Gochujang varies in strength, so the finished balance depends partly on the paste you use.

The rice wine vinegar adds a sharp note to the sweet glaze. Keep the sauce moving as it simmers to help it thicken evenly.

Serving the meatballs

Rice: Serve over cooked white or brown rice to catch the extra sauce; the recipe makes rice optional.

Finishing: Scatter over the reserved spring onion and sesame seeds just before serving. Their fresh, lightly crunchy finish contrasts with the sticky glaze.

Recipe notes & tips

• Slice the spring onions before mixing the meatballs, and keep one sliced onion aside for the topping.
• Use a large rimmed baking tray so the meatballs can sit apart as directed.
• Whisk the cornflour and water thoroughly before adding the mixture to the boiling sauce.
• Stir the sauce constantly during its 8–10-minute simmer to help it thicken smoothly.
• Coat the meatballs gently so they keep their shape.
• Add the sesame seeds and reserved spring onion just before serving.

Variations

• Adjust the heat: Use less gochujang or omit the chilli flakes for a milder glaze.
• Choose brown rice: Serve with cooked brown rice instead of white rice, as the recipe allows.
• Add vegetables: Serve with steamed or stir-fried vegetables alongside the meatballs.
• Make smaller bites: Shape the mixture into smaller, evenly sized balls and check them for doneness during baking.
• Finish with sesame: Toast the sesame seeds before garnishing for a more pronounced toasted flavour.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overmixing the beef: Mix only until the ingredients come together to avoid dense meatballs.
• Uneven sizing: Roll the meatballs to a similar 2.5 cm size so they cook at a similar pace.
• Crowding the tray: Leave the stated 2.5 cm between meatballs so they are arranged as directed.
• Adding dry cornflour: Whisk it with water first to prevent lumps in the sauce.
• Stopping the simmer early: Cook and stir the sauce for 8–10 minutes, until it has thickened.
• Skipping the doneness check: Make sure the meatballs are cooked through before tossing them in the glaze.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover meatballs and sauce in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan until hot throughout, adding a small splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much; store rice separately where possible.

Frequently asked questions