Description
These Mongolian Meatballs are a flavorful twist on classic meatballs, featuring a savory-sweet sauce made with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and Shaoxing wine. Perfectly pan-fried to golden brown and simmered in a thickened sauce, they make an excellent main dish served over steamed rice. This recipe yields 24 tender and juicy meatballs that balance spicy, sweet, and umami flavors in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 4 green onions, chopped
Sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tsp ginger, grated
Slurry
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp water
Cooking
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 1 green onion, sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, chili flakes, brown sugar, grated garlic, and grated ginger. Mix until the mixture feels sticky and slightly bouncy. Then add breadcrumbs, egg, and chopped green onions, mixing until everything is fully incorporated.
- Shape Meatballs: Form the mixture into 24 heaping tablespoon-sized meatballs using your hands. To prevent sticking, lightly grease your palms with oil before shaping each meatball.
- Make Sauce and Slurry: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, water, grated garlic, and grated ginger, stirring until sugar dissolves completely. In another bowl, mix the cornstarch and water thoroughly to make a slurry.
- Cook Meatballs: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon of canola oil. Once hot, add the meatballs carefully, leaving some space between them. Cook without moving for a few minutes until the bottoms brown. Flip the meatballs 2-3 times to brown most sides evenly.
- Add Sauce to Meatballs: Reduce heat to medium. Push meatballs to one side of the skillet and remove excess fat using a spoon or paper towel. Pour the prepared sauce into the skillet, stirring gently to coat all the meatballs. Cook for 2 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Thicken Sauce: Lower heat to medium-low. Stir the cornstarch slurry again to ensure it’s mixed, then swirl it into the skillet. Stir immediately so the sauce thickens evenly. Once thickened, remove the skillet from heat.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle sliced green onions over the meatballs for garnish. Serve hot over steamed rice for a hearty and complete meal.
Notes
- For a gluten-free option, substitute soy sauce with tamari and use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- You can adjust the chili flakes quantity to control the spiciness.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the skillet to allow proper browning of meatballs.
- If you don’t have Shaoxing wine, dry sherry is a suitable substitute.
- Leftover meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
