These Lazy Korean BBQ Meatballs are simmered in a sweet and spicy sauce with gochujang paste and served over a bed of steamy rice.
We’re using premade frozen meatballs to make this dinner in under 30 minutes!
Making quick dinner recipes like this are my jam when it comes to busy weeknights. Not only can you serve these meatballs for dinner, but they also make a great game day snack!
Korean BBQ Meatballs
This recipe comes together super quick, but it does require some special ingredients that you can find in most grocery stores or at your local Asian market. These sauces are crucial to get the right flavor and texture to the sauce, so try to keep to the recipe as much as possible.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need in order to make these easy Korean BBQ style meatballs. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the printable recipe card below.
- Beef Broth – use a low sodium broth or you can use water and beef boillion.
- Brown Sugar – the sugar is crucial to balance the spice level in the sauce. Brown sugar is used for it’s deep molases flavor profile.
- Gochujang Paste – a Korean chili paste that’s fermented and filled with flavor. This is a signature flavor in the sauce, so please do not skip it! You can find it on Amazon too if you can’t locate it in store.
- Mirin – a sweet Chinese rice wine that adds a nice flavor and shine to the sauce.
- Soy Sauce – adds a salty touch to the sauce with a boost of umami.
- Rice Vinegar – adds the perfect amount of acidity to the sauce to really enhance all the flavors.
- Sesame Oil – just a bit goes a long way.
- Fish Sauce – this is an optional ingredient, but highly recommended if you have it on hand. Fish sauce adds a rich, savoury flavor with added depth and umami
- Meatballs – frozen meatballs that are already cooked and ready to go. Or you can make my homemade meatballs and use them in place of the frozen ones.
- Corn Starch – used to thicken the Korean BBQ sauce just slightly.
How To Make Korean BBQ Sauce
When it comes down to it, this whole recipe is basically just how to make a Korean BBQ sauce that’s a bit thinner so the meatballs can be coated thoroughly.
Don’t Skip the Gochujang Paste
What is Gochujang Paste? Gochujang is a thick, savory-sweet, and spicy Korean fermented chili paste made from red chili powder (gochugaru), glutinous rice, fermented soybean powder (meju), and salt.
It’s a a crucial ingredient in most Korean cuisine and you’ll usually find it in a red tub. The paste can come in a variety of spice levels, so pay attention to what you’re buying.
Store any unused gochujang in the fridge.
Combine Sauce Ingredients
Whisk together all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and then add them to a sauce pan over medium high heat.
Add Meatballs
Stir in the frozen, precooked meatballs to the sauce ingredients and stir to coat evenly. The sauce will be thin at this point, that’s just fine!
As the meatballs warm through, the sauce will thicken slightly.
Thicken The Sauce
Once the meatballs are warmed throughout (this should take about 15 minutes) you’ll want to create a simple cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.
Combine equal parts cornstarch and cold water in a small dish and stir this into the simmering meatballs. Quickly stir the sauce around and you’ll begin to notice the sauce thickening immediately. Keep stirring until the whole pan has the same consistency.
All that’s left to do is garnish with some thinly sliced green onions and plenty of toasted sesame seeds!
The thick, sweet and spicy sauce hugs the meatballs so perfectly. My favorite is serving the meatballs over rice with a bunch of sliced cucumbers on the side.
Make Ahead and Storage
These Korean BBQ Meatballs are perfect for making ahead of time and meal prepping! They reheat beautifully in the microwave or on the stove top.
You could even prepare the sauce ingredients ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Then all you’ll need to do is pull out the sauce and heat it up with the meatballs. Doesn’t get much easier than that.
Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Meatballs
You can easily prepare these meatballs in the slow cooker – perfect for an easy game day appetizer!
Just combine all the sauce ingredients in the slow cooker, toss in your meatballs and cook on LOW heat for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce (crank up the heat to HIGH), and you’re ready to go.
Serve with a bunch of toothpicks on the side for friends and family to dig in.
The sweet and spicy sauce pairs perfectly with these beefy meatballs. It’s a match made in heaven. I know you’re going to enjoy it!
Lazy Korean BBQ Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Korean BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup beef broth, low sodium
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup gochujang paste
- ¼ cup mirin, or chinese rice wine
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp fish sauce, optional, but highly recommended
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 tsp ginger, paste
For The Meatballs
- 32 oz meatballs, frozen/fully cooked
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup green onions, diced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine the sauce ingredients for the Korean BBQ sauce in a medium size bowl and whisk together. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add in the sauce. Carefully add in the frozen/fully cooked meatballs to the sauce. Stir to coat and bring mixture to a hefty simmer.
- Cook the meatballs in the sauce, stirring often, until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce has reduced slightly. This should take about 15 minutes.
- Combine 2 tsp cornstarch with 2 tsp of cold water in a small dish until smooth in consistency. Pour this cornstarch mixture into the sauce and meatballs and stir until the sauce thickens.
- Garnish the meatballs with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
