One of my favorite things to meal prep is a big batch of meatballs. They reheat beautifully, freeze well, and can be flavored a million different ways without getting boring. Lately, these Sticky Gochujang Meatballs have been on repeat.
The meatballs are juicy, packed with fresh ginger, garlic, and scallions, then tossed in a sticky sweet-and-spicy gochujang glaze that coats every bite. They’re perfect served over steamed rice with a crisp cucumber salad and a big scoop of kimchi (there’s almost always a tub in my fridge), making for one of my favorite easy weeknight dinners.
The best part? They’re incredibly versatile. Make a batch on Sunday and enjoy them throughout the week in bowls, lettuce wraps, or even tucked into a sandwich.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for meal prep and freezer-friendly.
- Sweet, spicy, savory, and packed with flavor.
- Easy to customize with ground turkey or chicken.
- Great served over rice, in wraps, or on sandwiches.
Ingredients
- Gochujang: a sweet, slightly spicy Korean chili paste that is a flavor bomb. They do vary in spice and thickness depending on the brand, with O’Food of being on the spicier side, and Mother in Law on the milder side.
- Sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar: these pantry staples add flavor to both the meatball sauce and the fresh cucumber salad.
- Ground turkey: my personal choice for these, but you can do ground chicken or ground pork, or even serve the sauce with tofu
- Kimchi: adds freshness to the meatballs and makes for the perfect bite!
Tips & Tricks
- Mix the meat gently. Overmixing can make the meatballs dense.
- Grating or food processing the onion prevents large chunks while adding moisture.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop for evenly sized meatballs that cook at the same time.
- Let the sauce simmer until it thickens before adding the meatballs so it clings instead of running off.
Serving Suggestions
These meatballs are super versatile. My favorite way is with steamed white rice, cucumber salad, and kimchi, but they’re delicious in plenty of other ways too. Try them:
- In lettuce wraps with kimchi and fresh herbs.
- Over noodles with stir-fry veggies.
- In a sandwich roll with pickled veggies, herbs, and gochujang mayo like a Korean take on a banh mi.
More Meatball Recipes
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Sticky Gochujang Meatballs
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 4-6 servings (20-22 meatballs)
Description
These Sticky Gochujang Meatballs are tossed in a sweet, spicy, sticky gochujang sauce and served with a refreshing cucumber salad for an easy meal prep-friendly dinner.
Ingredients
For the Sticky Gochujang Meatballs:
- 1lb ground turkey or chicken
- ¼ yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1” knob of ginger
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsps gochujang
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp white or black pepper
- 1 egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ tsp salt
- Rice for serving
- Kimchi for serving
For the Sticky Gochujang Sauce:
- 3 tbsps gochujang
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
For the Cucumber Salad:
- 2 Persian cucumber
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsps rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- Salt to taste
- Gochugaru to taste (if desired)
Instructions
For the Sticky Gochujang Meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Grate or blend in a food processor the onion, garlic and ginger.
- Add to a large bowl with the scallions, gochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce, white pepper, egg, panko, and salt. Mix until well combined, then add the ground turkey and mix until just combined.
- Form into 2 tbsp/1oz sized meatballs and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Now make the sticky gochujang sauce. In a large skillet, add the gochujang, honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Whisk until combined and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, whisking every few minutes, until mixture has thickened and can coat the back of a spoon.
- Make the cucumber salad by adding cucumbers, carrot, cilantro, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and gochugaru. Toss until combined and taste to adjust for seasoning.
- Once meatballs are cooked, add to the pan of sauce and toss to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until sauce has further thickened and the sauce clings to the meatballs.
- Serve the meatballs with white rice, kimchi, and cucumber salad, with additional green onions and sesame seeds to garnish if desired.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
Storage
Store leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
The meatballs also freeze well for up to 3 months. Freeze them either before or after tossing them in the sauce, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Store the cucumber salad separately for the best texture.
FAQs
- Can I use ground chicken instead of turkey? Absolutely, either works great.
- Are these very spicy? They have a moderate amount of heat from the gochujang, depending on what brand you use, but the honey balances everything nicely. For a milder version, reduce the amount of gochujang in the sauce.
- Can I make these ahead of time? Yes! They’re one of my favorite meal prep recipes and taste even better the next day.
- Can I freeze them? Yes. Freeze for up to 3 months and reheat when ready to eat.
- Can I make these gluten-free? Use gluten-free panko and gluten-free tamari in place of the soy sauce.
