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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.
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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
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
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Love your recipes. I made this last night. The chicken meatballs were so good. I also found the tamari to be over-powering so next time I will use a little less tamari (or low-sodium soy) and a smidge more honey. Also, may I recommend adding water to the ingredient list? I realized I used the TBs of water to make the slurry, but missed the step of adding 1/3 cup water to the sauce. Hence, my sauce was
Super thick (and the lack of water to dilute it is probably why it tasted so salty!)
Hey Amy,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! Sorry about the water, I never add that to my ingredient lists:) xTieghan
My sauce never thickens. It usually evaporates before it thickens 🙁
Hi there,
So sorry to hear this. I would try cornstarch next time to help thicken the sauce. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Omg this was delicious!!! So much flavor! .Can’t wait to buy your cookbook.
Hi Jenn,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Overall way way way too salty. The amount of tamari was overwhelming. Could barely eat it.
Hi Amy,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for making it. Please let me know if I can help at all! xT
Didn’t have honey so I subbed in maple syrup!! Delicious!
Also did half and half tamari/coconut aminos.
Will definitely keep this recipe in my saved section.
Hey Marissa,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
LOVED! This is going to be a dinner staple for us 🙂
Hi Hannah,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it. Have the best week:) xx
Okay so I was scared about my meatballs falling apart from a few comments. And I have never made meatballs or cooked meatballs. The meat we used was not very cold since we just bought it. Not sure if temperature was the issue for others but to be on the safe side, we did put the meatballs in the fridge after the cornstarch part for about 15 minutes per her suggestion. Meatballs did not fall apart, woohoo! My taste buds finally equated the dipping sauce to Yum Yum sauce but much better. I had zero salty issues, which I was also concerned about from some comments, because my version of too much salt is probably most people’s regular salt. We did use less sodium soy sauce though. So both my concerns were totally unwarranted and the meal turned out so good. It was a total hit and it’s been saved because we are absolutely making it again! Thank you for the recipe! This was super fun to make, absolutely delicious!
Hey Tracy,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out!! Thanks for sharing your feedback. ?xx
This looks delicious! Is it possible to cook the meatballs in the oven instead? If so what temp and for how long?
Hey Lindsay,
Sure, I would do 350 for 15-20 minutes. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
This is now a family favorite! So so good
Hi Monica,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out!! ?xx
It was hard to rate because I know I likely messed up somewhere. The flavor was great though! I tried this with beef, and I don’t make that many meatballs but these basically melted in the pan. Maybe you can give me some advice in where I went wrong. I followed the recipe but the meatballs wouldn’t stay together. Thankfully the sauce was AMAZING!!! It sauce my meat fiasco.
Hi Kelli,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Sorry to hear about your meatballs, next time try popping them in the fridge before cooking. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
No binder in the meatballs left them to just fall apart when cooking. Had to order takeout instead
Hi Miranda,
So sorry to hear this! I’ve not had this issue with the meatballs before, was there anything you may have adjusted? Let me know how I can help! xx
Your 1/2 cup soy/tamari looks a lot less than 1/2 cup. I found mine to be very heavy. It also looks in your video that you use more than 1/4 cup honey? Idk, could just be my perspective.
Hi Jodie,
I used all of the measurements exact to the recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Absolutely loved this! We did it with aminos instead of soy sauce – perfection. We also did cauliflower rice with butter & garlic instead of regular rice… **insert heart eyes**
One of my favorite things we’ve made!
Hi Kathryn,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xTieghan
Loved the flavor of everything in this recipe so much! My meatballs didn’t hold together super well and pan frying made a mess- so next time I think I’ll just cook the meatball mixture in a skillet and have this be more of just a ground meat bowl for convenience. But don’t skip the garlic sauce!
Hey Ashley,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xTieghan
Excellent recipe, so quick and easy too! I put extra garlic in the meatball mixture and in the sauce and added a little cayenne because we like spice. Served over white rice and topped with green onions and sesame seeds. Husband loved it this will be in our rotation!
Best regards, Linda from https://essaywriter.nyc/
Hi Linda,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Have the best day:) xT
The meatballs were great and so was the broccoli , I used the exact same ingredients as the recipe but serving along with the sauce did make it super salty..
Hi Ashley,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Have the best day:) xT