Wonderful Korean Sweet & Sour Meatballs made from the Korean Meat Mix and a very quick and easy Korean Sweet & Sour Sauce that has a bit of heat in it. Serve these over some Steamed Rice or Sticky Rice. The Meatballs themselves also make for an excellent appetizer tray.
Korean Sweet & Sour Meatballs ingredients
Ingredients: Korean Ground Meat Mixture (Ground Beef & Pork, Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Mirin, Gochujang, Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, Ginger Powder, Green Onions), Korean Sweet & Sour Sauce (Water, Chinese Red Vinegar, Sugar, Gochujang, Potato Starch), Rice (Short or Medium Grain).
Korean Meatballs
These tasty meatballs are easy enough, just combine the ingredients for the Meatballs and portion out to 1 Tbl Meatballs. Shape them and place on a baking sheet until all the meatballs are made and transfer to the freezer to completely freeze them, about 2 hours or until completely frozen. This can also be done the night before or done as a meal prep plan.
The meat mixture will make about 32 Meatballs, or 8 meatballs per serving.
If a more tender meatball is desired, then 1/2 Tbl of Potato or Cornstarch can be added to the meat mixture and mixed in.
Korean Sweet & Sour Sauce
The sauce is easy too, with just combining all the ingredients into a bowl and mix. Add it to the pan with the cooked meatballs to mix, and bring to a boil until thickened. That’s all there is to it!
If a thicker sauce is desired, then combine 1 Tbl of Potato Starch and Cold Water to make a slurry. Pour a small amount in while simmering the meatballs and sauce to mix and thicken. Repeat with adding more until thickened to the desired consistency.
How to make Sticky Rice
For the Sticky Rice, I just use the below Sekka Select Rice. Although this is not true sticky rice. For that, you would have to use a Glutinous Rice. But this Rice is very tasty and excellent to serve with these Korean Sweet & Sour Meatballs. It’s easy enough too with just equal parts of both Rice & Water.
Rinse the Rice well until the water runs clear. Place Rice and an equal amount of Water into the Rice Cooker and cook on basic white rice setting. Optionally, add some Sesame Oil for a nice touch.
How to Make Korean Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Once you have the meatballs frozen and the Korean Sweet & Sour Sauce in a bowl ready to be added when needed, making Korean Sweet & Sour Meatballs comes together pretty quickly.
First prepare the Rice so that it’s ready to go when the meatballs are done.
Meatballs
After 15 minutes of cooking the rice, heat a pan over medium for 1–2 minutes. Add meatballs in an even layer, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Nudge them loose, then cover and shake the pan every minute for 5 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking for another 4–5 minutes, moving the meatballs around for even browning.
Sweet & Sour Sauce
Stir the sauce before adding to the meatballs and mix while bringing it to a boil over max heat. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from heat and serve.
Serve the Meatballs & Sauce over Rice. Optionally garnish with Green Onions, Gochugaru and sesame seeds.
Equipment
- 1 Rice Cooker
- 1 Large Pan/Skillet
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 2 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
Korean Meat Mixture
- 1 lb Ground Beef - or 50-50 Beef & Pork, or ground pork
- 1 Tbl Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Mirin, and Gochujang - each
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt & Garlic Powder - each
- 1/4 tsp Ginger Powder
- 1 Green Onion
- 1/2 Tbl Potato Starch - Optional — if you want a more tender meatball
Korean Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 1 C Cold Water
- 1/2 C Sugar
- 1/2 C Chinese Red Vinegar
- 1 Tbl Gochujang
- 1 Tbl Potato Starch
Steamed Rice
- 2 C Short or Medium Grain Rice
- 2 C Water
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil - Optional
Instructions
- Preparing Meatballs: Combine into a bowl all the ingredients for the Korean Ground Meat Mixture. Portion out and shape into 1 Tbl Meatballs and place them on a baking sheet. Once all the meatballs are made, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer to completely freeze.
- Preparing Sweet & Sour Sauce: Combine into a bowl all the ingredients for the Korean Sweet & Sour Sauce. Whisk and set aside until needed.
- Rice: Wash and rinse the rice and place into the Rice cooker with 2 C Water. Cook on the basic white rice setting,
- Pan Meatballs: After 15 minutes of cooking the rice, heat a pan over medium heat for 1–2 minutes. Add meatballs in an even layer, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Nudge them loose, then cover and shake the pan every minute for 5 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking for another 4–5 minutes, moving the meatballs around for even browning.
- Sweet & Sour Sauce: Stir the sauce before adding to the meatballs and mix while bringing it to a boil over max heat. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from heat and serve. Serve the Meatballs & Sauce over Rice. Optionally garnish with Green Onions, Gochugaru and sesame seeds.