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Tender Mongolian Meatballs are seared until golden, then tossed in a glossy mongolian sauce scented with garlic and ginger. Sweet, savoury, and just sticky enough, they taste like takeout made at home.
Serve as cocktail bites with toothpicks or spooned over warm rice. This mongolian meatballs recipe comes together fast and the glaze clings beautifully, so the tray always comes back empty.
What Makes This Recipe Work
Every bite hits that sweet, salty, and savory balance people crave. These mongolian meatballs are tender and juicy with light caramelized edges, and the glossy mongolian sauce clings to each one so you get flavor in every mouthful. Fresh ginger and garlic keep it bright, while a little heat is easy to dial up or down so everyone at the table is happy.
It is a crowd pleaser in any setting. Serve with toothpicks for effortless cocktail bites or spoon over rice for a fast dinner that tastes like takeout at home. The glaze stays shiny, leftovers reheat beautifully, and the sesame and green onion finish adds a fresh pop that keeps plates coming back empty.
What Goes Into Mongolian Meatballs
A short list of pantry staples builds a glossy mongolian sauce that clings to every bite. Here are the key players and why they matter.
- Ground Meat: Beef stays juicy and richly flavored, while pork, chicken, or turkey are great lean options that still take on the glaze beautifully.
- Breadcrumbs and Eggs: Gentle binders that keep the meatballs tender and moist instead of dense.
- Garlic and Ginger: Fresh aromatics in both the mix and the glaze for that bright, takeout-style depth.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce and Brown Sugar: The sweet–salty base of the mongolian glaze that cooks down to a shiny coat; hoisin and oyster sauce add extra body, sesame oil adds fragrance.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Mongolian Meatballs
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- Preheat and Prep: Preheat oven to 200°C | 400°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
- Mix Meatballs: In a large bowl combine all meatball ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix so the meat stays tender.
- Portion and Arrange: Scoop one inch portions with a cookie scoop or tablespoon, roll into balls, and place spaced on the sheets. Aim for even size so they cook evenly.
- Bake: Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let stand briefly while you make the glaze.
- Make the Sauce: Heat a nonstick pan over medium high. Whisk all sauce ingredients in the pan, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook, stirring, until thick and glossy, about 8 minutes.
- Glaze and Serve: Add half the meatballs to the pan and coat, then transfer with a slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining meatballs, garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, and serve warm.
For a balanced plate, spoon the meatballs over Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice to catch every drop of glaze, add Sheet Pan Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli & Green Beans for crisp veg, and round it out with a bright Greek Salad to cut through the richness.
Recipe FAQ’s
Mix gently, use the eggs and breadcrumbs as binders, and roll even sizes so they cook at the same rate. Rest a few minutes before glazing so the juices settle.
If thin, simmer one to two minutes longer or add a small cornstarch slurry. If thick, whisk in warm water or stock a tablespoon at a time until glossy.c
Yes. Bake the meatballs, chill, and reheat in the skillet with warm sauce just before serving. Keep on Low in a slow cooker and loosen with a splash of water as needed.
Mongolian Glazed Meatballs
Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
- 2 pounds ground beef mince or pork, chicken, turkey
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs or Panko
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Chinese wine
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 cup green onions 4 green onions, thinly-sliced or chopped
- 1 pinch Kosher salt to taste
- 1 pinch cracked pepper to taste
FOR THE MONGOLIAN GLAZE:
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ tablespoon ginger minced
- ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ⅔ cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon ground white pepper or ½-1 tablespoon red chilli / powder
TO SERVE:
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds to serve
- 1 green onion finely sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C | 400°F.
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
- Mix together all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl until well-combined. Spoon out 1-inch of meat mixture with a cookie scoop (or tablespoon), shape into balls and place onto 2 large baking sheets or trays lined with baking or parchment paper.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden browned and cooked through.
- While the meatballs are baking, make your sauce!
FOR THE SAUCE:
- Heat a non-stick pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk ALL of the sauce ingredients together in the pan until well blended. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking until sauce thickens, while stirring occasionally to prevent burning or sticking on the bottom of the pan (about 8 minutes).
COAT:
- When meatballs have finished cooking, add half of the meatballs into the pan and gently coat each meatball generously and evenly in the sauce. Transfer the glazed meatballs to a serving dish or tray with a slotted spoon and add in the remaining non-coated meatballs to the sauce. Coat and transfer to serving dish.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions (if desired), and serve warm with toothpicks or mini forks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made recipe exactly as written. It was so very good. I did have trouble with the sauce thickening as others have indicated so did a cornstarch slurry to thicken only.
Love it! Added a bit more water to the sauce because I used packaged meatballs which are a bit salty to begin with. I also added just a little Cornstarch slurry to thicken sauce up a bit faster. .lol
I just made these for Christmas Eve. We all enjoyed them. I followed recipe exactly with ground turkey……after meatballs and sauce mixed, I sprinkled dried chili pepper flakes on top for a little spice. I would make again. Thank you!
Definitely delicious. I had to cook a little longer because i made fat meat balls but everything turned out fantastic. My Chinese wife likes them too .
These are incredible and loved by everyone!!! Served them with fried rice and as an appetizer for a party. Easy to make ahead of time and reheat later as well!! I used organic grass fed beef and Liquid Aminos instead of soy sauce and it was perfect!!!
Halved the ingredients as it was only me and my partner. These are an absolute hit !! I also can not imagine taking them to a party as they will not make it. Delicious.
Made those for Christmas party at work, followed the recipe exactly and meatballs were delicious! I was looking for a recipe that would be similar to one I tried years ago at a party, and this one is so close! The recipe makes a TON, so ended saving about a third, put them in the freezer after baking and used with regular marinara sauce weeks later. They were wonderful after a long simmer in the stove. Not only I have a great potluck dish now, I am replacing my usual american/italian meatball recipe with this one.
I made these just as the recipe is written with 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes and it was incredible!!!! Everyone LOVED them and I made a double batch hoping to have left overs. There weren’t any. We ate every bite! I’m going to make them again for Christmas dinner potluck.
Easy, quick, tender meatballs and yummy glaze! Make sure to use low sodium soy. I airfried these at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. If sauce seems too thin, just reduce a few more minutes. I served with a Vietnamese noodle salad.. Delicious!
03/14/21. THANKS for a flavorful and delicious recipe. I’ll be making this again, and have also bookmarked your other meatball recipes. This recipes is such a winner I’m sure those will also be outstanding. Happy (almost) Spring.