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30 minute Better than takeout Weeknight Sticky Sesame Ginger Chicken Meatballs. Easy homemade Asian inspired chicken meatballs with ginger and sesame, tossed in a sweet, spicy, and extra sticky soy pomegranate sauce. Serve over steamed rice topped 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.

overhead photo of Weeknight Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs with hands on bowl and chopsticks picking up meatball

Every fall I tend to get stuck in a bit of a “cozy” food rut. I hate to say “rut” because I’m LOVING all my cozy, warming, hearty, creamy, and pasta filled recipes so much. BUT not every day of the week needs a bowl full of gnocchi or a creamy, cheesy soup…

Well, I mean, I wouldn’t complain about that, but the point is, it’s nice to switch things up. Which is where these meatballs come in. These meatballs are different, they’re saucy, so flavorful, and require almost no time to make. Ok, 30-ish minutes, but they’re QUICK and EASY and the sauce is addicting. I wanted to include this recipe as one of my “better than takeout” recipes. But then I wasn’t sure if Asian meatballs are really a takeout thing?

Either way, these remind me of really good takeout style food. But they’re much quicker (30-35 minutes) and so much healthier than ordering out. 

And, I know I’ve said this pretty much every time I share a new meatball recipe, but geez, I really cringe at the word meatball. It’s just not the best sounding word, you know?

overhead photo Weeknight Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs on baking sheet before adding sauce

Ingredients

Let me run you through the details of these meatballs

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. If you don’t want to get your hands too messy, you can always use a cookie scoop to portion out the meatballs into 2-inch golf balls. Once they’re ready to bake, I oven-baked them on a sheet pan alongside broccoli and vegetables 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, why not?

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. The secret ingredient is one of my autumn favorites, pomegranate juice. I know it might sound odd, but please, don’t doubt me here. The pomegranate juice adds sweetness, tanginess, and deep dark color too. It’s one of my favorite ingredients to use within Asian inspired recipes. Plus, I always love the added pop of color, especially this time of year when the pomegranates are so pretty.

overhead photo of Weeknight Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs on baking sheet with squash

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.

Then just toss the sauce with the meatballs and you are done. Yes, that’s it. Nothing fancy here, just simple cooking, but very delicious (pretty healthy food).

overhead close up photo of Weeknight Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs in bowl of rice

Serving suggestions??

Steamed rice, plenty of green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and pomegranate arils. Then drizzle with a generous amount of the extra sauce…because saucy meatballs are the only way to go. If you want to level up the heat, you can add an additional teaspoon sriracha to your sauce.

Tip…double the recipe and save the leftovers for quick and easy lunches. Just put the leftover meatballs in an airtight container in your fridge or freezer. The meatballs would also be great atop a chopped spinach or kale salad or served with rice noodles or with cauliflower rice and a side of green beans.

Also? These would be a really fun and delicious appetizer for upcoming holiday parties. Little sticky meatballs served on skewers? Yep, perfect finger food for a party.

And if you’re looking for something fresh and healthy…ish for dinner this week, make these meatballs. Or Invite your best friends over for Asian night and impress them with your homemade sticky meatballs.

Add a good Halloween movie and you’ll have the perfect night in!

overhead photo of Weeknight Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs with chopsticks on bowl

If you make these weeknight sticky ginger sesame 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!

Watch the how to video:

Weeknight 30 Minute Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 435 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

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Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
    2. Add the chicken, green onions, ginger, garlic, and a pinch of pepper to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-20 meatballs) placing them on one side of the prepared baking sheet. The mix will be wet, but it will firm up in the oven. Add the broccoli or winter squash (see notes) 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, combine the 1 tablespoon oil, the soy sauce, pomegranate juice, hoisin sauce, honey, vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil 5-8 minutes, until the sauce thickens and reduces by about 1/3. Remove from the heat.
    4. 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. Serve the meatballs and sauce over bowls of rice topped with additional green onions, pomegranate arils, and sesame seeds. Serve the broccoli on the side.

Notes

Homemade Hoisin: in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder, and a pinch of black pepper. 
To Freeze the Meatballs: Bake as directed, then freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer for 2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or simmer in the sauce over low heat for 20 minutes, until thawed, adding water if needed to thin the sauce.
To Freeze the Meatballs in the Sauce: Spoon the meatballs and sauce into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm on the stove until heated through, about 15 minutes, adding water if needed to thin the sauce.
If Using Winter Squash: the squash might need 15 minutes additional cooking time. I recommend roasting the squash for 15 minutes before adding the meatballs, then add the meatballs to the sheet once the squash is tender. 
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Comments

  2. 5 stars
    My husband usually doesn’t like cooked broccoli but said it was amazing with this meal because of the sauce (I used orange juice instead of pomegranate juice since we always have OJ in the fridge)! Thanks for a great recipe that will become a dinner staple in our home!

    Reply

    1. Hey Anna,
      I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. Flavor was great. Doubled sauce because who doesn’t want more sauce? Made mine with turkey. Texture was a little dry and dusty. Next time will add a little panade (milk and bread crumbs)

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    One word: INCREDIBLE! Sweet, savory, and oh so tasty. I used Bosque honey, which is nearly black in color and has a really strong, rich, slightly-bitter-almost-smoky flavor which was the PERFECT addition to the sauce. Buckwheat honey or another dark honey would probably taste great too. Thanks for sharing a delicious recipe!

    Reply

    1. Hey Justine,
      This recipe does not call for pomegranate molasses. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. Really enjoyed the sauce and flavors of this recipe, but the texture of the meatballs ended up so off. Hard to explain the texture exactly, but I’d say sort of mushy? Would love any suggestions on how to make this recipe work in the future!

    I used ground turkey (I believe 97%).

    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey Sam,
      So sorry you did not enjoy the meatballs. How did you cook them? I find my cast iron skillet really gives the best sear, if you don’t have one I would try baking at 425 for 10-15 minutes. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan

      Reply

  10. 5 stars
    Tieghan strikes again! Super easy to follow recipe that yields a super delicious end result! Totally appreciated the mentioned subs for pom juice as I did not have that on hand. I went with OJ. Next time I will double the recipe to keep a stash at the ready in the freezer.

    Reply

    1. Hey Ciara,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a go, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    So good! My sauce didn’t thicken up in the saucepan but still delicious! Another fabulous recipe. Thank you Tieghan! This is the 6th recipe of yours that I’ve made in 2 weeks. All terrific! My husband keeps asking me if I’m saving the recipes .

    Reply

  12. 2 stars
    Take the meatballs out of the oven as per directions. Don’t wait for them to brown. They were dried out and horrible.

    Reply

  13. I made these sticky chicken meatballs and doubled the recipe. The sauce was very good but the chicken meatballs were too dense and almost tough. Personal taste, I think I would do it again using pork and a little bread crumbs because they need a little fat in them.

    Reply

    1. Hey Ellen,
      Thanks for trying the recipe, I am sorry you found the meatballs to be dense, let me know how I can help! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. Hi, making these now. I see that the sauce recipe calls for 2 tbsp oil but then in the directions you call for 1…?

    Reply

    1. Hey Dana,
      You are using 1 tablespoon of oil in step 2 and 1 tablespoon in step 3. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. 4 stars
    Yummy! Love me any meatball recipe, but this one was deliciously different from most meatball recipes! Will make again. I had to sub apple cider for the pomegranate juice. I also quickly sautéed some veggies to serve them on for myself, and rice for my hubby. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    1. Hey Krystal,
      I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan

      Reply