These tender Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs are always a hit with our family!  Coated in the most delicious sticky sweet sauce and easily made in less than 30 minutes!

These tender Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs are always a hit with our family!  Coated in the most delicious sticky sweet sauce and easily made in less than 30 minutes!

Raise your hand if you love meatballs!  I hope all hands are lifted high because these Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs are a HUGE winner in our house!  Tender, flavorful meatballs all smothered in the most delicious sweet and savory sauce, seriously so finger-licking GOOD.  Not only is this sauce delicious tossed with the meatballs, but it tastes amazing drizzled over brown rice and veggies too!  Perfect for meal prep as leftovers taste even better the next day!

This entire meal can be made in under 30 minutes and is a recipe I promise the whole family will love.  And yes, while these turkey meatballs make for a delicious dinner, they also make a bangin’ good appetizer for parties or gatherings!  This recipe makes about 25 to 26 meatballs so if you want more, you’ll definitely want to double this recipe.  Trust me, these meatballs will go quick so I always double if serving at a party!  They are also freezer-friendly too, so why not make extra?!

These tender Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs are always a hit with our family!  Coated in the most delicious sticky sweet sauce and easily made in less than 30 minutes!

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Ground turkey – I used lean ground turkey for these meatballs because it’s low in fat and calories while being a great source of protein,  but you could also make these using ground chicken, ground beef or ground pork
  • Breadcrumbs – I used whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs to help the meatballs to keep their round shape, but feel free use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs, if needed
  • Egg – acts as a binder to hold all the ingredients together
  • Soy sauce – I always use low-sodium soy sauce as I find that regular soy sauce can make dishes too salty. You could also swap the soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos to make this gluten-free.
  • Honey – not only does this add some sweetness to the sauce without using refined sugars, but it also makes a nice sticky sweet glaze!  You could also swap the honey with maple syrup if you don’t have honey on hand.
  • Beef broth – adds more depth of flavor in the sauce, but if you don’t have beef broth on hand you could just use water
  • Sesame oil – adds that delicious Asian flavor to the sauce!
  • Ginger – fresh grated ginger is definitely best in this dish and you’ll be adding it to both the meatballs and the sauce.  If all you have is ground ginger, I’ve included the substitutions in the recipe below
  • Garlic – adds a flavor boost to the meatballs and sauce, fresh minced garlic is always best!
  • Green onions – adds color and flavor
  • Seasonings – combination of crushed red chili flakes, salt and pepper

How to Make Asian Turkey Meatballs

  • Make the meatballs.  In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and green onions until all combined.  Using a small to medium cookie scoop (I use this 1.2 tablespoon size scoop), make 1-inch sized balls and place on a prepared baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray or parchment paper (you should get about 25 to 26 meatballs).
  • Bake!  Pop the meatballs in the oven at 400 degrees F and bake for about 13 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through.
  • Make the sauce.  While the meatballs are baking in the oven, combine soy sauce, honey, beef broth, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and pepper in a small saucepan on the stove and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken up.  If you feel like your sauce is too thin, feel free to mix a half tablespoon of cornstarch with a half tablespoon of water in a small bowl and pour that into the sauce to thicken it up even more.
  • Serve.  Once meatballs are done baking, transfer them to a large bowl (or you could keep them on the pan) and coat them with the sticky sauce.  Serve over fluffy brown rice and sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.  This sauce also tastes amazing drizzled over veggies!
These tender Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs are always a hit with our family!  Coated in the most delicious sticky sweet sauce and easily made in less than 30 minutes!

Can I Make These in a Skillet?

Yes of course!  I find that baking meatballs is just easier with less cooking required, but pan frying these meatballs would taste amazing!  All you’ll need is about a tablepoon or two of oil to coat the pan then add the meatballs and turn them continuously so that they get browned on all sides and are cooked through, about 12 minutes.

How to Serve Asian Meatballs

I personally think these meatballs taste best served over fluffy brown rice with a little extra sauce drizzled on top along with a side of veggies!  It reminds me of my favorite take-out order that I can easily make myself at home.  Check out my post on how to make perfect brown rice right in your Instant Pot every single time!

This sticky Asian sauce not only tastes amazing on these meatballs, but you could also use this sauce on chicken or steak as a marinade, in stir fries, on top of burgers or kabobs, drizzled over veggies, or even on crock pot meatballs.

These tender Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs are always a hit with our family!  Coated in the most delicious sticky sweet sauce and easily made in less than 30 minutes!

Prepping and Storing

These meatballs can easily be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge tightly covered for 2 or 3 days before baking.  Then when you’re ready to bake, pop them in the oven and make the sauce on the stove as directed.  You can also easily prep the sauce ahead of time too!  Just reheat in a saucepan right before tossing with the meatballs.

If you’re planning on storing these meatballs for later, let them cool completely then store then in a sealed, airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.  These meatballs are freezer-friendly too and will last for up to 3 to 4 months frozen.  To reheat, simply thaw the meatballs out in the fridge and place them in a skillet on low heat, stirring often, until warmed through.  You could also reheat them in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.

The sauce itself will last up to two weeks in your fridge or you could freeze the sauce separately for up to 3 months in a sealed, airtight container.

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4.94 from 29 votes

Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs

These tender Asian Glazed Turkey Meatballs are always a hit with our family!  Coated in the most delicious sticky sweet sauce and easily made in less than 30 minutes!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

For the meatballs:

  • 1 lb ground turkey, you could also use ground chicken, pork or beef
  • 1/3 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp fresh grated ginger, or 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • Garnish: extra green onions and sesame seeds

For the sauce:

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup beef broth, or water
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp fresh grated ginger, or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes, optional depending if you like a little heat

To thicken sauce even more (optional):

  • 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 Tbsp water
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Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, mix together ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and green onions until all combined.  Using a small cookie scoop, make 1-inch sized balls and place on a prepared baking sheet (you should get about 25-26 meatballs).
  • Pop the meatballs in the oven and bake for about 13 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned and cooked through.
  • While the meatballs are baking in the oven, combine soy sauce, honey, beef broth, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and pepper in a small saucepan on the stove and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken up.
  • If you feel like your sauce is too thin, mix 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1/2 tablespoon of water in a small bowl to make a slurry and pour that into the sauce to thicken it up even more.  Mix in 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes (depending on how much heat you like) and turn off the heat.
  • Once the meatballs are done baking, transfer them to a large bowl (or you could keep them on the same pan) and coat them entirely with the sticky sauce.
  • Spoon meatballs over fluffy brown rice, drizzling with extra sauce, and top with green onions and sesame seeds.  Enjoy!

Notes

*Leftovers will last 3 to 4 days in the fridge or will freeze for 3 to 4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 4meatballs | Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.7g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 7.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.9g | Sodium: 916.5mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12.5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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As a self-proclaimed foodie and fitness enthusiast, I have a passion for cooking and a huge desire to show that living a healthy lifestyle can actually be easy and fun!  Feel free to use the meal guide above to find your new favorite meal ideas or the dietary guides to the right to narrow things down even more!

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40 Comments

  1. Angela says:

    5 stars
    my husband and i both loved this recipe! it was so simple and so delicious, we will definitely put this on our menu for dinners!

  2. Jenna Burningham says:

    5 stars
    These turned out great! I used ground chicken and they were delicious.

  3. Nia M says:

    4 stars
    I really loved the flavor the sauce gave! I used it on store bought meatballs (for a quick meal) and it came out great. The only thing for me was it was very very salty. I ended up adding about 2 tablespoons of vinegar and more broth to try and balance out and that helped. I think next time I make it (there will be a next time!) I will reduce the amount of soy sauce and add more broth (I use low sodium). Thank you very much for the recipe!

    1. Kelly says:

      Do you also use low sodium soy sauce (the green top)? That makes a huge difference as well 🙂