Asian Glazed Chicken Meatballs

Baked Asian glazed meatballs made with ground chicken, oats and a little bit a Sriracha + a killer sauce. Perfect as an appetizer or a main meal with rice or cauliflower rice! They are great for meal prep, too. Gluten free. 

These meatballs are on a regular rotation at my house – we both love them so much because they’re super tasty, healthy, easy to make and they keep well in the fridge or in the freezer, making them perfect for #mealprepSunday (which sometimes happen on a Monday but that’s a different story ;))

They are…

• packed with flavor
• a bit spicy (but not too much!)
• lean
• packed with protein
• gluten free
• covered with a delicious glaze

How to make Asian glazed meatballs – step by step

Mix all your meatball ingredients in a large bowl: ground chicken, egg, oats, oat flour, Sriracha hot sauce, garlic and salt (steps 1 and 2)

Scoop the meatballs on a prepared baking sheet. I like to use a large ice cream scoop to form the meatballs so I don’t even have to touch the meat (step 3)

Bake for 30 minutes at 400F / 200C degrees.

While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the glaze. Use a large pot so you can transfer the meatballs and cover them in sauce when they’re done cooking!

Mix the soy sauce, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, Sriracha, honey and ginger in the pot and bring the mixture to a boil (step 4)

Add dissolved cornstarch and keep cooking and whisking until the sauce thickens (steps 5 and 6)

When the chicken meatballs are baked and golden (step 7), transfer them to the pot with the sauce and mix with a spoon to get them all well covered with the sauce (step 8). 

Sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds, and voila!

You can serve them at a party as an appetizer, with toothpicks for easy picking or as a main dish, served with rice, cauliflower rice and/or veggie stir-fry.

I prefer them warm, but these meatballs can also be eaten cold!

Tips to make these asian glazed meatballs:

• Make sure to use low sodium or reduced sodium soy sauce or the sauce will be too salty.
• To make the sauce, use a pot that’s big enough to fit all the meatballs so you don’t have to dirty another dish to mix the meatballs and the sauce.
• No chicken? No worries! You can use lean ground beef or turkey instead.
• Make your own oat flour! Pulse some oats (quick or rolled) in your food processor or blender until fine and that’s it!
• They are perfect for meal prep, either kept in the fridge or in the freezer (see all the instructions below)
• They freeze really well. Either cooked with the sauce, or raw without the sauce. See all the freezing instructions below.

If you tried these meatballs, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!

5 from 8 votes

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Asian Glazed Chicken Meatballs

Baked Asian glazed meatballs made with ground chicken, oats and a little bit a Sriracha + a killer sauce. Perfect as an appetizer or a main meal with rice or cauliflower rice! They are great for meal prep, too. Gluten free. 

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword #appetizerrecipe, #superbowlrecipe, asian, easy, glutenfree

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 5 people (20 meatballs)

Calories 317 kcal

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 1.5 lb ground chicken
• 1 large garlic clove minced – about 2 tsp
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup oat flour see notes to easily make your own
• 1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the glaze

• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in a teaspoon of water

Toppings (optional)

• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp scallions chopped - or chives

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F / 200 C degrees. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix all meatball ingredients (chicken, garlic, egg, oats, oat flour, sriracha and salt) until well combined. 

3. Using an ice-cream scoop or your wet hands, form meatballs about the size of a gold ball and place on prepared baking sheet. You should get about 20 meatballs. 

4. Bake for 30 minutes. 

5. About 10 minutes before the meatballs are finished baking, prepare the sauce. In a large pot, whisk together all sauce ingredients except cornstarch (soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, orange juice, sriracha, honey and ginger).

6. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for about 1 minute, whisking often. 

7. Stir in dissolved cornstarch and cook, whisking often, for about 2 minutes or until sauce thicken. Remove from the heat. 

8. Transfer meatballs to the pot, and stir with a spoon to cover the meatballs with sauce on all sides. 

9. Serve as appetizers with toothpicks or as a main dish with rice or cauliflower rice. 

   Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions, if using. 

Recipe Notes

• Oat flour: make your own oat flour by pulsing some oats in your food processor or blender until fine.
• Soy sauce: make sure to use low sodium or reduced sodium soy sauce or the sauce will be too salty. 
• Meat variation: you can also use lean ground chicken or ground turkey.
• To make the sauce, use a pot that's big enough to fit all the meatballs so you don't have to dirty another dish to mix the meatballs and the sauce. 

Make ahead / Meal Prep

• They are perfect to make ahead as they keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. 
• I love them for meal prep, either kept in the fridge or in the freezer (see below)

Freezing

• Place the cooked meatballs covered in sauce in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months (they will still be safe to eat after that but not the best quality).
• To eat, let them thaw overnight in the fridge or microwave for 2-3 minutes (exact timing will depend on your microwave and quantity).
• You can also freeze the meatballs raw without the sauce. Freeze them arranged on a baking sheet for a couple hours and then place in airtight containers (this will prevent them sticking together).
• When ready to cook them, let them thaw overnight in the fridge and then proceed as written in the recipe. 
• You can also bake them raw, but you will need to add about 15 minutes of baking time.

Nutrition Facts

Asian Glazed Chicken Meatballs

Amount Per Serving (4 meatballs with sauce)

Calories 317 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Cholesterol 149mg50%

Sodium 1153mg50%

Potassium 851mg24%

Carbohydrates 18g6%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 28g56%

Vitamin A 95IU2%

Vitamin C 9.4mg11%

Calcium 58mg6%

Iron 2.8mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published on February 4, 2013 and republished in September 2018 with a new recipe, new photos and more tips.

More Asian recipes:

• Asian Cauliflower Fried “Rice”
• Asian Slaw with Peanut Ginger Dressing
• Thai Chicken Patties and Spiralized Veggies with Peanut Sauce 
• Vietnamese Beef and Rice Noodle Salad
• 5-Spice Chicken with Vegetable Stir-Fry