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. Fran says:

    Made these tonight and I think they were delicious. Great for appetizers for a party or can even create an entire little asian inspired dinner. Extremely easy to prepare too!!!

  2. Haley says:

    These were delicious. I subbed the breadcrumbs with gluten free bread crumbs from Ener-G and they still came out awesome. Thanks for posting.

  3. Kate says:

    Saucy meatballs are one of my fav apps! I will have to try this :)

  4. chiyo says:

    I can’t wait to try these ! I noticed that no sodium in meatball recipe, is it because sauce has enough sodium?

  5. Tammy says:

    I can’t wait to try this recipe. It’s making me salivate just reading it.

  6. Jaimie says:

    Making these right now and they are pretty good. I think I would prefer a sweeter sauce though. This is a very savory sauce..

  7. carebear says:

    These turned out so good!
    Sauce takes a little getting used to, but it is good.
    Will definitely do again.

  8. Chenita Boyce says:

    Can I make these and freeze

  9. Carol says:

    These are amazing and so easy!

  10. Suzan Weeks says:

    I think they look wonderful but the sesame is a little overpowering and the sauce could use a little sweetness. Good recipe but will tweak a little next time.