Korean Gochujang Meatballs: Sticky Sweet and Spicy in 35 Minutes

⏱ Prep: 15 min 🔥Cook: 20 min 👤Serves: 4 🌶Heat: Medium

Korean gochujang meatballs are the dinner that converts people who think they do not like meatballs. Juicy beef and pork meatballs baked until golden, then tossed in a sticky glaze of gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil that clings to every surface. Sweet, spicy, deeply savory. Thirty-five minutes start to finish.

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• ½ lb (225g) lean ground beef, 80/20 for juiciness. Or use 1 lb beef only, the pork adds richness but both proteins work.
• ½ lb (225g) ground pork, the fat in ground pork keeps the meatballs moist through baking. Substitute: ground chicken or turkey with 1 tablespoon oil added.
• ½ cup (30g) panko breadcrumbs, soaked in 3 tablespoons milk for 5 minutes before adding. This panade is what keeps meatballs tender instead of dense.
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons gochujang, inside the meatball mixture. Adds fermented heat and depth throughout.
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
• 3 scallions, very finely sliced, white and light green parts into the mixture, dark green parts for garnish
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper

For the gochujang glaze

• 3 tablespoons gochujang
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, added off the heat
• 1 tablespoon ketchup, adds body and a subtle umami depth. Confirmed across multiple sources.
• ¼ cup (60ml) water, to loosen the glaze to a pourable consistency
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water, slurry to thicken the glaze

To serve

• Steamed jasmine rice
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Scallion greens, thinly sliced
• Kimchi alongside, optional but excellent

How to make it

1. Soak the panko. Combine panko and milk in a small bowl. Leave for 5 minutes until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk completely. This step produces meatballs with a noticeably lighter, more tender interior, do not skip it.
2. Mix the meatballs. Combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked panko, egg, gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sliced scallion whites, salt and white pepper in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until just combined, stop the moment it comes together. Overmixing develops the proteins and produces dense, rubbery meatballs.Keep your hands slightly wet or cold, warm hands melt the fat and make the mixture sticky and difficult to shape.
3. Shape and bake. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly oil. Portion the mixture using an ice cream scoop or two tablespoons roughly 1½ inches (4cm) each. Roll into smooth balls and place on the prepared sheet with space between each. Bake 16–18 minutes until golden on the outside and cooked through to 165°F (74°C).For deeper color: broil on high for the final 2 minutes. Watch closely, the glaze burns fast under a broiler.
4. Make the glaze. While the meatballs bake, combine gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup and water in a small saucepan. Whisk until smooth. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Stir the cornstarch slurry and pour in while stirring. Simmer 2–3 minutes until the glaze thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat. Stir in sesame oil.The glaze keeps for 1 week refrigerated. Make a double batch, use it on salmon, tofu or the Korean beef bowl.
5. Glaze and serve. Transfer the baked meatballs to a wide pan or bowl. Pour the warm glaze over them and toss gently until every meatball is coated. Serve immediately over steamed rice. Scatter sesame seeds and scallion greens over the top.

The one thing worth knowing

Gochujang goes into both the meatball mixture and the glaze, this is intentional. In the mixture it tenderizes the meat slightly through fermentation and seasons from the inside out. In the glaze it provides the characteristic sweet-spicy Korean flavor on the surface. The two layers together are what make these meatballs taste distinctly Korean rather than just spicy.

Do not substitute the gochujang with sriracha, they are not the same ingredient. Gochujang is fermented, thick and deeply complex. Sriracha is vinegar-forward and thin. The texture and flavor difference in both the meatball and the glaze would be significant.

Make it work for you

Claire’s note

These meatballs work as an appetizer, make them smaller (1-inch/2.5cm) and reduce bake time to 12–14 minutes. Skewer each with a toothpick and serve the glaze as a dipping sauce on the side rather than tossed through. For meal prep: bake a double batch and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water rather than the microwave, they come back juicy rather than rubbery. The meatball mixture can be made and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking, the rest actually improves the flavor as the gochujang penetrates the meat.

Serve with

Korean gochujang meatballs over jasmine rice is the complete weeknight meal. They also work alongside the Asian crunch salad, the fresh crunchy salad against the sticky spiced meatballs is a very good contrast. For more from the Korean pantry, the same gochujang goes into the Korean beef bowl, the tteokbokki and the gochujang chicken skewers. The full collection is in the Korean recipes guide.

Add these to your weekly meal planner, batch cook Sunday and eat them three ways before Friday. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.

Korean Gochujang Meatballs

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• Author: Claire Bennett
• Total Time: 35
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Diet: None

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Description

Juicy beef and pork meatballs baked until golden and tossed in a sticky gochujang glaze. Sweet, spicy, and deeply savory.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ½ lb (225g) lean ground beef
• ½ lb (225g) ground pork
• ½ cup (30g) panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons gochujang
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
• 3 scallions, very finely sliced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper

• 3 tablespoons gochujang (for glaze)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• ¼ cup (60ml) water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

• Steamed jasmine rice (to serve)
• Toasted sesame seeds (to serve)
• Scallion greens, thinly sliced (to serve)
• Kimchi (optional)

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Instructions

1. Soak the panko: Combine panko and milk in a small bowl. Leave for 5 minutes until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk.
2. Mix the meatballs: Combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked panko, egg, gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sliced scallion whites, salt and white pepper in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until just combined.
3. Shape and bake: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly oil. Portion the mixture using an ice cream scoop, roll into smooth balls and place on the prepared sheet. Bake for 16–18 minutes until golden and cooked through.
4. Make the glaze: In a small saucepan, combine gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup and water. Bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the glaze thickens.
5. Glaze and serve: Transfer the baked meatballs to a bowl, pour the warm glaze over them and toss gently. Serve immediately over steamed rice and garnish.

Notes

For appetizers, make smaller meatballs (1-inch) and serve with glaze as a dipping sauce. Meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 20
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Korean

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 400
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 700mg
• Fat: 21g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Unsaturated Fat: 12g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 31g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 20g
• Cholesterol: 60mg