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Sheet Pan Sticky Gochujang Chicken Meatballs…easy homemade chicken meatballs with ginger and sesame, tossed in an addicting sweet and spicy Korean-inspired sauce. Serve up bowl style over steamed rice with roasted with broccoli, creamy spicy aioli sauce, and vegetables. Then top with plenty of sesame seeds for a fun and healthy dinner any night of the week. And the best part…these meatballs are made quicker than any take-out meal, and they’re so much healthier too.
And here we are again with meatballs. You’ll know my oldest brother is in town when meatballs make yet another appearance here. Along with those Cheesy Gordita Crunch Tacos, meatballs are one of his favorite foods. Put them in a spicy, sticky Korean sauce…oh, ya, even better!
I made these meatballs the other day with him in mind. I have to say, I think I’m just as excited as he is over these Korean-inspired meatballs. Not only are they part of a complete sheet pan dinner. They also take no time to make and are so delicious. Think, saucy, sweet, and spicy, with a touch of tang, and toasty sesame seeds throughout.
I even added a bit of broccoli to round out the meal…and not one, but two sauces.
So you see, the perfect, easy, but fun weeknight dinner.
Let’s go through the details.
For the meat, I used ground chicken, but ground pork or turkey will work just as well. I seasoned them up with plenty of green onions, ginger, and garlic. Then oven-baked them on a sheet pan alongside some broccoli for added color. Plus, I just love the idea of a one-pan dinner. And if you can cook your meat and vegetables at the very same time, then why not? I am all about it.
While the meatballs bake, make the sauce. Now here’s the truth, the sauce is really why you should make this recipe. It’s honestly so addicting. Sweet, tangy, a touch spicy, and once boiled down, super sticky. This is a pretty simple mix of Gochujang (Korean chili paste), soy sauce, and sesame oil. The Gochujang adds all the flavor, so you really don’t need much else. I boiled it down on the stove to make it a little stickier, which is perfect for tossing with the meatballs.
The sauce takes only a few minutes to thicken up on the stove. It’s usually ready by the time the meatballs have finished cooking. Once the sauce has boiled down, I like to make a creamy “special sauce” sauce for drizzling over the meatballs. Just stir a couple of tablespoons of the Gochujang sauce into yogurt or mayo. This sauce is beyond good.
Toss the rest of the sauce with the meatballs and you’re done. Add rice to your bowls, then snuggle in the broccoli and meatballs. Add extra sauce and finish with any and all toppings you’d like. I always do plenty of sesame seeds, chilies, and kimchi.
Nothing fancy here, just simple cooking, but very delicious (pretty healthy food).
A couple of notes.
What is Gochujang? If you’re not familiar with Gochujang it’s Korean chili paste. For those of you who read often, you know it’s my favorite type of chile paste. It’s spicy with a little sweetness, and it’s extremely flavorful. It’s traditional in a lot of Korean-based sauces and is often used in Korean fried chicken or simply as a dipping sauce. Over here, we LOVE Gochujang. I use it for so much more than just Korean food. It’s so good when paired with…well pretty much anything that you’d enjoy with a touch of hot sauce.
You can buy Gochujang in most grocery stores. I know Whole Foods and Trader Joes carry it. I highly recommend this brand Gochujang. It certainly makes for the best, truly Korean food.
I really can’t tell you enough how much I love these Korean-inspired meatballs. I’ll be turning to this one time and time again. Sheet pan dinners are always my go-to, but this is a new favorite.
It’s all about the sticky Korean sauce and that creamy, yet spicy “special sauce”. Together, they truly make everything that much better.
My final words, double the recipe and save the leftovers for quick and easy lunches. Trust me you will be so happy you did!
Looking for other easy weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites.
Better Than Takeout Dan Dan Noodles
Sheet Pan Roasted Lemon Garlic Butter Salmon with Feta and Olives
Lastly, if you make these Sheet Pan Sticky Gochujang Chicken 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!
Sheet Pan Sticky Gochujang Chicken Meatballs
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 439 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 or chicken
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1-2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
Sauce
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or avocado oil mayo
- rice, sesame seeds, chiles, and Kimchi, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.2. To make the meatballs. Add the chicken, soy sauce, Gochujang, green onions, ginger, and garlic, to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil, and roll the meat into rounded tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-16 meatballs). Place on the prepared baking sheet. The mix will be wet, but it will firm up in the oven. Add the broccoli to the other side of the baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp and cooked through.3. Meanwhile, make the sticky Gochujang sauce. In a small pot, combine the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, Gochujang, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and 1/4 cup water. Bring the sauce to a boil for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces by about 1/4. Remove from the heat.4. Remove the broccoli from the baking sheet. Pour about half the sauce over the meatballs, tossing to combine. Return to the oven for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce coats the meatballs.5. Combine 2-3 tablespoons of the remaining sticky Gochujang sauce from step 3 with the yogurt. 6. Serve the meatballs and sauce over bowls of rice topped with additional green onions, and sesame seeds. Serve the broccoli on the side.
Delicious and have made several times!
Hey Miranda,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan
Really tasty and easy. Used Thai red chile since I didn’t have Gochujang and added some moo shu sauce. The meatballs were really tender. Had them over plain ramen just for something different. Very yummy and would make again!!
Thanks.
Hey Lisa,
Awesome! It is so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a go! xTieghan
These meatballs were amazing, full of flavor! My only sub was adding a cornstarch slurry to sauce. 🙂 This is my second time using your recipes and now I’m a rockstar with the family! Thanks for sharing!!
Hey there,
Fantastic! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxTieghan
I plan to make tomorrow and only have ground beef on hand due to shortages (80 percent is all I could get). Any adjustments suggested? And I plan to triple as my crew needs 3 pounds of meet with every dinner.
Hey Maura,
Ground beef will be just fine to use, you can follow the recipe as is! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
This was SO yummy . One of my favorites of yours !
Hey Stephanie,
Happy Thursday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Would sour cream or regular mayo work instead of Greek yogurt?
Hey Nolan,
Sour cream would work just fine here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’m not sure what I did wrong with the sauce, it was not sticky at all. I left it on boil for more than 5 mins, but it was very watery… I added extra honey (for the kids) – could that cause it?
Hey Jessica,
Hmmm sorry to hear this. Maybe you needed to add a little cornstarch to thicken it up? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
These are really tasty but my meatballs were way too wet and ended up really mushy – do you think adding some Panko would help?
Hey Sophie,
Sorry to hear this! Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? You could definitely try adding some panko or breadcrumbs. Let me know if that helps! xTieghan
This recipe is on the regular rotation in our house! It’s amazing every single time!
Our oven is broke do you have any other recommendations on cooking meatballs another way?
Thank you!
Hi Kelsey,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! You could cook them on the stove top in a skillet. xTieghan
These chicken balls are delicious.We love hot and spicy. I used the very hot Korean pepper paste.
The sauce is amazing over the chicken balls. I doubled the recipe for the sauce. I have both of your cookbooks and every recipe I make is amazing.
These Korean chicken balls would make a great appetizer with the sauce.
Hey Linda,
Fantastic!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have a great Sunday:) xxTieghan
Hi! Which Gochujang sauce do you recommend? I think the link is broken.
Thank you!
Hey there,
I like to use Mother in Law’s Gochujang. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give them a try! xTieghan
I made this tonight. Wow! Super easy and super tasty! Thank you.
Hey Melanie,
I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xxTieghan
Very good! Pretty easy/quick recipe! Served over rice! Has a little heat to it. But I like that!
Hey Daisy,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Such a simple but delicious dinner recipe! I will come back to this dish again – it was so quick to come together and super flavorful!
So glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Easy to put together and taste great! Worth the trip to H mart to pick up the chili paste, and I’m excited to use it in other recipes now.
Hey Marina,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted that it was enjoyed!! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
Very good. Pretty quick, healthy and very tasty. Opted for broccolini with sesame oil, did a quick pickle on cucumbers. Meatballs were perfect. Another keeper!
Hey Liz,
Awesome! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
Hi! My sauce reduced but wasn’t “sticky”. I added the right amt of everything.
Hey Staci,
Awesome! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Sorry it’s hard to say, was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Happy Friday:) xTieghan
I’ve made these twice and is one of our new favorites So yummy and spicy
Hey Pam,
Happy Monday! It’s so great that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! xTieghan