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Takeout-style Weeknight Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs – inspired by classic Mongolian beef. Easy homemade chicken and ginger meatballs, tossed in a sweet, spicy, and extra sticky honey garlic soy sauce. Then served over rice and topped with plenty of sesame seeds for a deliciously fun dinner. Make the meatballs even better with a creamy garlic dipping sauce. Quicker than any take-out meal…and made a little more wholesome too.
Thursday night takeout-style food at home! What if we made this a weekly series? It could be fun, especially since we all know how much my family loves Chinese, Thai, and Korean-inspired dinners. Plus, I have so much fun with a “takeout” inspired meal. It’s always a nice change from our usual pasta and pizza nights.
Creighton has been asking me to make Mongolian beef for some time now. Really anything beef (or lamb). He’s kind of a guys-guy, he wants at least a little beef in every meal.
Since I have a Mongolian beef recipe in the new cookbook, I wondered if there was a fun spin I could take on the quick and easy recipe. Meatballs are something I usually make with a more Italian-style sauce. But a sweet and spicy Mongolian-inspired meatball sounded fun. And like the perfect simple twist on the very popular restaurant entree, Mongolian beef.
Mongolian beef is a very simple dish consisting of thinly sliced steak, stir-fried with garlic, and ginger, then tossed in a sweet soy-based sauce. It’s not usually too spicy, just a touch, but a little sweet and tangy.
The sauce is the key. It’s usually topped with green onions (scallions) and paired with vegetables, then served over rice.
For the meatballs, instead of using steak, I made ginger chicken meatballs.
Here are the details
For the meat, I used ground chicken, but ground pork or ground beef will work just as well. I seasoned them up with plenty of green onions, ginger, and a splash of soy (well, I like to use tamari, which is gluten-free soy sauce). Then I rolled them through cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) to give them a little breading before pan-searing in a skillet.
Similar to how I make this orange chicken, but with meatballs.
While the meatballs cook, mix up the sauce, which is simply soy sauce mixed with honey and water. I then made a quick cornstarch slurry to use to thicken the sauce.
Once the meatballs are seared, pull them out of the skillet, then toss in lots of broccoli. I love to use broccoli here, but bell peppers, asparagus, or even brussels sprouts would all be delicious.
Pan-fry the broccoli for a few minutes, then add the garlic, ginger, and a pinch of chili flakes. Pour over the sauce and add the meatballs back.
Simmer the sauce a few minutes, then pour in the cornstarch slurry and let the sauce cook until it coats the meatballs.
Grab your bowls full of rice and spoon the meatballs and sauce over top. Next, add lots of fresh green onions and sesame seeds.
So quick and easy, but the flavor is perfect. I made mine a little less sweet than the traditional sauce and added double the ginger. Totally delicious.
Here’s a tip, double the recipe and save the leftovers for quick and easy lunches. The meatballs would also be great atop a chopped salad or served over rice noodles.
They’re great as party appetizers too, so the serving options are endless! Of course, around here we love them over rice with lots of vegetables. It’s our kind of “comfort” food.
Looking for other weeknight dinners? Here are my favorites:
Ginger Sesame Chicken and Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Crockpot Crispy Chicken Tinga Tacos with Avocado Jalapeño Crema
Lastly, if you make these Weeknight Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Weeknight Sticky Honey Garlic Meatballs
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 536 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey, chicken, or beef
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 green onions, chopped
- black pepper
- 1/4 cup avocado or sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets (about a cup and a half of florets)
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped ginger
- chili flakes
- 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1. To make the meatballs. Combine the meat, 1 tablespoon tamari/soy sauce, 1 tablespoon ginger, green onions, and a pinch of pepper in a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls. The mix will be wet. 2. Place 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a shallow bowl. Dredge the meatballs in cornstarch to coat. Take the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch and mix with 2 tablespoons water, set aside.3. To make the sauce. In a glass jar, whisk together 1/2 cup tamari/soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/3 cup water. 4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs, cook until seared all around, about 8 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the skillet.5. To the skillet, add the broccoli and cook until lightly charring, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and chili flakes, cook 1-2 minutes. Pour in the tamari/honey sauce. Bring to a boil, boil 3-4 minutes, then add the chicken. Toss with the sauce and cook until the sauce starts to thicken. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and cook another 2-3 minutes, until the sauce coats the meatballs.6. Serve the meatballs and sauce over steamed rice with sesame seeds, green onions, and dipping sauce (recipe in notes).
Notes
Sweet/Creamy Dipping Sauce: combine 1/2 cup mayo, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, 1 teaspoon tamari/soy sauce, and 1 clove garlic in a bowl. Thin with 1-2 tablespoons water.Â
For me this recipe was very heavily sauced. I wonder why ! Because I don’t see other comments stating this. I followed the recipe exactly as is, using 1 lb of ground turkey. I would recommend slowly pouring the sauce and stopping when it looks like enough!
Hi Melissa,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try, sorry to hear you add too much sauce! Next time, I would just use less to your liking:) xT
Another hit from HBH. Thank you for another great recipe. I love any type of meatball but am not a huge fan of broccoli. This sauce makes everything delicious; even broccoli. 🙂
Hi Stephanie,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xT
Making tonight for dinner. My husband loves meatballs ( & HBH ) so I know it will be a hit. Question- what type of rice would be ideal to serve with?
Hey there,
I like to serve this with basmati rice:) I hope this recipe turns out well for you, please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Delicious! Even my pickiest little eater loved her dinner last night, and I’m happy to say that is happening more and more with all the HBH dinners we’ve had lately. Love the use of red pepper flakes as I can make dinner with just a hint of heat (to please the picky eaters) and more flakes can be shaken over plates for those that want more heat.
In our home, we need dinner to feed a total of 7.. that is, 5 dinners and 2 lunches. As such, I doubled the recipe. With double the chopping and nearly 40 meatballs to roll, dredge, and cook up, dinner prep was not as quick as I’d hoped, but I guess that’s the breaks around here.
Hey Melissa,
Wonderful!🤩 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xT
I’ve made this recipe for two separate weeknight dinners and I am absolutely in love with it. It’s really fast and that sauce is addictive. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Danielle,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
Help! I want to make this again because the flavor was good but it came out SO salty. I followed the recipe as is and used soy sauce because I did not have tamari. Is tamari less salty than soy?
Try low sodium soy sauce.
Hey Rachel,
Thanks for trying this recipe, sorry it was salty for you! Yes, tamari is less salty than soy sauce, you would want to use low sodium soy sauce next time! xTieghan
Those were delicious! And under 30 min! I want to make an extra batch next time to freeze!!! At what point in the recipe should I freeze them? I cannot wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!
Hey Sara,
Fantastic! I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was tasty for you! I would freeze after step 1. xT
Thanks so much!
This one is a knock out – my 2 year old devoured it. Big hit in our house, adding it to the arsenal!
Hi Lou Lou,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review:) xTieghan
Huge hit with my teenage boys! Great, quick weekday meal. Turned out perfect
Hi Bridget,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
Made this and didn’t change a thing. Turned out great!
Hi Brandie,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
I used ground turkey and low sodium soy sauce and it was so good!!
Hi Lydia,
Happy Friday! I am so excited to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! ?xx
The meatballs definitely need a binder (egg or panko), they were a mess to assemble and to cook. The overall taste was overpowered by soy sauce. Was disappointed at the end :/
Hi Maddi,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xT
Is it possible to bake the meatballs separately instead and then add them at the end to coat in sauce? If so what temp/how long would you suggest?
Hi Maggy,
Sure, that would work for you, I would bake at 350F for 15-20 until cooked through. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I made these last April for the first time and have made them three times since! They’re perfect. I use ground chicken. Thanks for all the incredible recipes. I live on your website ?. It’s become my favorite thing about meal planning!
Hi Bri,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I love to hear that it is always a hit! Thanks for your kind message:) xxT
Made this tonight for dinner and it was perfect. I have never
Made a half baked harvest recipe i didn’t love! ?
Thanks again Taylor:)
Hi Taylor,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xx