These Korean Gochujang Meatballs feature ground beef flavored with the sweet and spicy notes of traditional Korean chili paste, and are sure to awaken your tastebuds.
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What is gochujang?
Gochujang is a Korean red chili pepper paste that is frequently used in Korean cuisine.
It's a paste that consists of gochugaru (Korean red chili powder), glutinous rice flour, doenjang (fermented soy bean paste), rice syrup, barley malt, and seasonings.
You'll find gochujang in traditional dishes like dubu tofu, tteokbokki, and as a glaze for Korean fried chicken.
What does gochujang taste like?
Gochujang has a deep, strong, savory, earthy and spicy flavor with a kiss of sweetness.
The spiciness can vary dependent on the brand.
It's a thick, concentrated paste that packs a lot of flavor, making it a great addition to tofu, eggs, pork, or rice cakes.
Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe for Korean gochujang meatballs is:
Simple to make: mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, form into balls, and bake!
Great for weeknight meals: it comes together within 30 minutes, making it a suitable weeknight meal.
Mainly done in the oven: baking the meatballs in the oven requires no use of additional oil, compared to pan-frying.
Ingredients you'll need
- ground beef: preferably lean ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey, chicken, or pork
- panko breadcrumbs: are Japanese-style bread crumbs and are toasted and coarse; it acts as a dry binder; you can use regular breadcrumbs if you have that on hand
- egg: acts as a wet binder that holds the meatballs together
- aromatics: minced garlic, minced ginger, onion
- seasonings: soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, granulated sugar
- gochujang: Korean chili pepper paste; you can find it Korean grocery stores in small red plastic tubs
- rice vinegar: adds a little tangy flavor to the glaze; if you don't have it, you can use a little apple cider vinegar
- rice syrup: is a thick and sweet syrup, commonly used in Korean cuisine; you can substitute with maple syrup or honey
You can find these ingredients at your local Asian supermarket or in Korean grocery stores.
How to make spicy Korean meatballs
Make the meatballs:
Preheat oven to 425F.
Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine ground beef, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, onion, sesame oil, black pepper, granulated sugar, gochujang, egg, and panko breadcrumbs.
Mix the meat with the seasonings until well incorporated.
Form the meat mixture into small balls using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop.
Roll the meatballs in between your palms to shape and place onto the prepared baking sheet pan.
Repeat with the remainder.
Bake at 425F for 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked.
Make the gochujang glaze:
In a small pan, combine gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic and rice syrup.
Cook over medium heat until bubbly.
Add in the cooked meatballs and coat with the gochujang sauce.
Remove from heat and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onion.
Serve with steamed rice, or on its own as an appetizer.
What to serve the meatballs with
Pair the meatballs with steamed rice, kimchi fried rice, noodles, rose tteokbokki, carbonara tteokbokki, or as part of an appetizer plate along with sotteok, tteokkochi, or fried chicken.
How to store cooked meatballs
Fridge:
Store the cooked and cooled gochujang meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer:
Freeze the meatballs for up to month in a freezer-safe container.
Defrost the meatballs overnight in the fridge prior to using.
How to reheat
Reheat the meatballs in a large frying pan in a single layer with a splash of water and cover with a lid.
Bring to a simmer and heat until the meatballs are warmed through.
Variations
For a fruity variation, use apricot preserves or apricot jam instead of rice syrup in the gochujang glaze.
You can use any type of ground meat, including ground pork, ground chicken or ground turkey.
If you have Korean beef marinade on hand, use that as a shortcut and omit the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar and sesame oil.
Other delicious Korean recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Tteokkochi (Skewered Korean Rice Cakes with Spicy Gochujang Glaze)
Shortcut Homemade Gochujang (Korean Chili Pepper Paste)
Tteokbokki (Korean Rice Cakes in Gochujang Sauce)
Sotteok (Skewered Korean Rice Cakes with Sausages)
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Korean Gochujang Meatballs
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 green onion chopped finely, or 2 tablespoon finely chopped white onion
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 large egg
- ¾ C panko breadcrumbs
Glaze:
- 3 tablespoon gochujang
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 5-6 tablespoon rice syrup
Garnish:
- sesame seeds
- green onions chopped
Instructions
Make the meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 425°F/218°C.
- Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine ground beef, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, onion, sesame oil, black pepper, granulated sugar, gochujang, egg, and panko breadcrumbs.
- Mix the meat with the seasonings until well incorporated.
- Form the meat mixture into small balls using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop.
- Roll the meatballs in between your palms to shape and place onto the prepared baking sheet pan.
- Repeat with the remainder.
- Bake at 425°F/218°C for 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked.
Make the gochujang glaze:
- In a small pan, combine gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic and rice syrup.
- Cook over medium heat until bubbly.
- Add in the cooked meatballs and coat with the gochujang sauce.
- Remove from heat and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onion.
- Serve with steamed rice, or on its own as an appetizer.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
David @ Spiced
I love how you use gochujang as the main flavor for these meatballs. Meatballs are super versatile, and these sound mighty tasty. Sign me up for a batch!
Raymund | angsarap.net
Yum! The gochujang glaze adds a unique and bold flavor to the meatballs, and I like the suggestion of using apricot preserves or jam as a fruity variation.
Linsey
These Korean Gochujang meat balls are very appetizing and delicious with a bowl of rice! Like the sweet and spicy taste!
Michelle
Thank you Linsey! Glad you liked the recipe!