Description
Juicy beef meatballs simmered in a glossy, sweet‑and‑savory Mongolian-style sauce. Perfect over steamed rice for a quick, comforting weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 4 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup water
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 1 green onion, sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, chili flakes, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Mix until the meat becomes sticky and bouncy.
- Stir in breadcrumbs, egg, and chopped green onions until fully incorporated.
- Form heaping tablespoon‑sized meatballs (about 24). Grease hands if needed to prevent sticking.
- Whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, water, garlic, and ginger for the sauce in a small bowl until sugar dissolves.
- Mix cornstarch and water in another small bowl to create the slurry.
- Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium‑high heat. Add meatballs with space between them and cook undisturbed until browned on the bottom, then flip 2–3 times until golden on most sides.
- Reduce heat to medium, push meatballs to one side, and blot excess fat if needed.
- Pour in the sauce and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the meatballs evenly.
- Reduce heat to medium‑low, stir the slurry again, pour it in, and stir immediately to thicken the sauce.
- Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onion. Serve hot over steamed rice.
Notes
- Use tamari and gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gluten-free version.
- Adjust brown sugar or use honey/maple syrup to tweak sweetness.
- Shape meatballs ahead of time and refrigerate for convenience.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3–4 days or frozen for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 65mg