Anyone looking for a fun new appetizer (or even main course!) for the big game this week?

These saucy sesame meatballs are some of my favorites!!!

I first made them a few months ago when I was experimenting with multiple meatball recipes to serve for a fundraiser. And when my friends graciously “helped me out” with some taste testing, these little guys were the clear winner! My friend’s 1-yr-old son was even crazy about them as well. ;)

Definitely easy, quick, and bursting with yummy flavor. And everyone commented on how they’re a nice twist from traditional marinara meatballs. Give them a try!

Saucy Sesame Meatballs

4.91 from 42 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 30 -35 meatballs
You will love this delicious saucy sesame meatballs recipe! It’s so flavorful, saucy, and perfect for game day or as an appetizer for special occasions.

Ingredients

Meatball Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. ground pork or ground beef
  • 2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 cup Panko or breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
  • optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions

Sesame Sauce Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • In a large bowl, mix together meatball ingredients until well-combined. Shape into balls (I made mine about 1.5 inches, which yielded about 35 meatballs, but 1 inch is probably standard), and place on a greased baking sheet or in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until meatballs are golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.
  • While the meatballs are baking, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until blended. Once meatballs have finished cooking, you can either dip each meatball individually (using a toothpick) in the sauce mixture. Or you can pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently stir them until covered.
  • Serve warm, and sprinkle with additional garnish if desired. (I served mine on these cocktail forks.)

Notes

You can also keep these warm (after cooking) in the crockpot on a low setting!

Additional Info

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

This post contains affiliate links.

About Ali

Hi, I'm Ali Martin! I created this site in 2009 to celebrate good food and gathering around the table. I live in Kansas City with my husband and two young boys and love creating simple, reliable, delicious recipes that anyone can make!

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4.91 from 42 votes

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Recipe Rating




229 Comments

  1. Nora says:

    5 stars
    These meatballs are easy to make and absolutely delicious!

  2. Noelle says:

    This has become one of my go to recipes. My only change is that I make it as a meatloaf instead of the meatballs. Mainly because I’m lazy and don’t want to take the time to form the meatballs. I cook until a inside temp reaches the safe zone. Usually about an hour.

  3. Sam says:

    These look amazing and would love to make them for a work buffet but would these work and taste as well if served cold?

  4. marie says:

    Has anyone made these using chicken or turkey for the non beef eaters? thanks

  5. Tatiana Gerebtzoff says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! Husband and I devoured the entire batch and wished we had more!

  6. Tiffani says:

    My husband and I don’t eat meat, but I found this recipe easy to veganize using Beyond products. I did half “beef” and half “sausage.” It was a big hit! My husband especially enjoyed this dish. Thank you!

  7. Gina says:

    4 stars
    This meatball portion of this recipe needs salt.
    It was flavorless. The sauce was good, but, there is no good reason to not add a salt element to the meat.
    I forgot to test a Patty on the stove prior to balling up and baking the whole batch, it wasn’t terrible , just could be better.

  8. Anne Heaton says:

    5 stars
    Can these be eaten cold? Anyine tried them this way. Thinking of serving as a cold canapy.

  9. Erin says:

    I decided to make this into a meal and it was a success! I sauteed some veggies (carrots, green peppers, onion and zucchini) in sesame oil and made some rice on the side. I added some of the sauce to the veggies to marinate in after they cooked a bit and added the meatballs and all of the sauce in a large sauce pan to warm together. I only used 1 lb of meat for me and my boyfriend and actually used ground turkey to make the meatballs, so they took a bit longer to cook than the beef version. I halved the meatball recipe but kept the sauce amount the same (enough to cover the rice). Everything turned out great! We will be making this again, super easy and quick!

  10. Joanna says:

    Great recipe! I used a pork/beef combo and had to bake a little longer than 12 minutes. I did salt the meat slightly beforehand which I think added extra flavor. For some reason, this recipe doesn’t include salt.