Meatballs are often associated with Italian cuisine, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick with that flavor profile every time you make them! Add some Asian inspiration to the appetizers for your next get-together with this recipe for hoisin meatballs. Made with a combination of beef and pork and seasoned with Asian spices, these flavorful meatballs are the perfect starter for any meal.
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What Do I Need to Make Hoisin Meatballs?
Whether you’re looking for an easy finger food recipe to serve at your next party or a flavorful dinner to make for your family, you’re going to love this simple meatball recipe. Not only is it full of Asian flavor, but it’s also easy to make thanks to the short list of ingredients. To prepare your own homemade hoisin meatballs, you’ll need:
- Ground beef
- Pork sausage
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Water chestnuts
- Green onions
- Parsley
- Hoisin sauce
- Egg
- Garlic cloves
- Grated ginger
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
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How Do I Make Hoisin Meatballs?
Just because these hoisin sauce meatballs are full of flavor doesn’t mean they’re not easy to prepare. Since these appetizers come together with just a few minutes of prep work, they’ll be read to serve at your party in no time! To make your own Asian-inspired meatballs, just follow these easy baking instructions:
Step One: Mix the Meatballs
Combine the ground beef, pork sausage, breadcrumbs, water chestnuts, parsley, hoisin sauce, egg, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper, and green onion in a bowl. Reserve around one tablespoon of green onion for garnish. Mix the ingredients together with a spoon or your hands until everything is fully combined.
Step Two: Form the Meatballs
Scoop out two tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll it into a ball. Place the rolled meatballs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to top each meatball with olive oil.
Step Three: Bake the Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are browned and fully cooked with an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Top the meatballs with the reserved green onions before serving.
Hoisin Meatball Recipe Ideas
This quick and easy recipe is going to be your new favorite appetizer to make for parties! That means these cooking tips are sure to come in handy. Use these baking ideas as you’re preparing your own meatballs to ensure your dish comes out amazing the first time you make it.
- Make a dipping sauce. If you want to prepare a dipping sauce to enjoy with your meatballs, mix together ¼ cup of hoisin sauce with three tablespoons of water. Add more water, if needed, to thin the sauce.
- Serve with toothpicks. Make enjoying your baked meatballs a little easier (and less messy) by serving your appetizers with toothpicks. After the meatballs are finished baking, stick a toothpick into the top of each one and transfer it to a serving plate for your party guests to enjoy.
- Use one tablespoon to make more meatballs. To stretch the recipe for a large party, simply cut the meatball size into one tablespoon instead of two. If you use one tablespoon to form the meatballs, you’ll get a total of 32 meatballs when you’re finished.
- Add more breadcrumbs, if needed. If you’re having a hard time getting your meatballs to stick together, try adding more breadcrumbs. Start with around ¼ cup of breadcrumbs, then work them into the meat mixture. Continue adding more breadcrumbs, one tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is reached.
- Make it a meal. These meatballs can also be served as a main course for dinner! Just add some white rice and sauted bell peppers to round out your dinner.
How Do I Store Hoisin Meatballs?
I’m sure these Asian-inspired appetizers are going to be a hit at your party. But if you have a few left when the celebration is over, you can keep them in your refrigerator until you’re ready to eat them again.
Transfer the leftover meatballs to an airtight container and place them in the fridge. They’ll stay good for up to four days.
To reheat the meatballs, warm them up in the microwave or in a 350 degree oven until they’re heated through.
Can I Make Hoisin Meatballs Ahead of Time?
These quick and easy meatballs are perfect for meal prepping because they can easily be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer until you’re ready to bake them. After rolling the meatballs, arrange them on a baking sheet and place the pan in the freezer.
When the meatballs are frozen solid, transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer safe container for long term storage. They can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
Can I Use Frozen Meatballs to Make This Recipe?
Since most of the flavor in this recipe is found in the meat mixture, I wouldn’t recommend using frozen meatballs to prepare this dish. Luckily, making your own meatballs from scratch is easier than you think. Just follow the instructions for creating the meatball mixture, roll them into balls, and bake until they’re tender and juicy!
Hoisin Meatballs with Pork and Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound pork sausage
- 1 ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions thinly sliced (leave 1 tablespoon to the side for the garnish)
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 egg
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 ° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl excluding the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of chopped green onions for the garnish.
- Mix with a spoon or use clean hands to fully mix the ingredients together.
- Spoon out 2 tablespoons and roll into a ball. If they don’t form into a ball add 1/4 cup more panko breadcrumbs. Place the meatballs on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Use a pastry brush to top with olive oil.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned and fully cooked. The cooking temperature of pork should reach 160 ° F.
- Remove from the oven and place the meatballs onto your serving tray.
- If you want a dipping sauce you can take 1/4 cup of the hoisin sauce with 3 tablespoons and mix until fully incorporated. Add more water if you want a thinner dipping sauce.
Notes
*You can freeze the meatballs by making your meatballs and placing them on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Place them in the freezer for 3-4 hours or until frozen. Once frozen remove them from the freezer and place the frozen meatballs in a tightly sealed container, which can be frozen for 2-3 months.
*You can double up the recipe and freeze half.
*Toothpicks go great with this appetizer.
*Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese breadcrumbs, which can be found in the Asian section or in the breadcrumb section. They are crunchy and allow for a nice light texture to the meatball. You can use regular ground breadcrumbs, which will result in a denser meatball.
*You can make this into a dinner by adding white rice and sauteed bell peppers to the meatballs. The hoisin sauce is really a game changer and turns the appetizer into a meal. Just add additional sauce to your meatballs and serve over the rice and bell peppers.