Bulgogi Meatballs Recipe

These meatballs are cute, simple and delicious. They can be served many ways: as passed hors d’oeuvres, for dinner with rice or noodles and sautéed Asian vegetables, or with ssambap — Korean lettuce wraps with rice. They freeze nicely, too, making for great quick meals or lunchboxes, so you might want to double or triple the ingredients. This is not a traditional Korean recipe, but the flavors are true bulgogi.

Bulgogi Meatballs
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Bulgogi Meatballs

Recipe by Cammie Kim LinCourse: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: Korean
Servings

8-10

servings
Calories (4 meatballs)

159

kcal
Total time

25

minutes

Like all traditional bulgogi, this starts with the classic Korean barbecue marinade ingredients: soy sauce, sugar and garlic. Mirin (sweet rice wine) is often added to help tenderize the meat, though grated onion or Asian pear also does the trick. That said, one of the benefits of using ground beef instead of thinly sliced steak is that it doesn’t require a tenderizer or marinating time. You just mix the ingredients together, roll into balls and pop them under the broiler. The resulting meatballs can be served many ways: as passed hors d’oeuvres; for dinner with rice or noodles and sautéed greens or sliced cucumbers; or our favorite way, with ssambap — Korean lettuce wraps with rice. Rewarmed leftovers (if only!) on top of a little scoop of rice make for a terrific thermos lunch the next day. Traditional or not, any way you serve these meatballs, their flavors are true bulgogi.

Ingredients

  • Serves 3-4 for dinner (more as an appetizer)

  • For the Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef (85 percent lean; may substitute plant-based meat alternatives, such as Beyond Meat, or ground pork, dark meat chicken or turkey)

  • 2 scallions, sliced

  • For the Marinade & Sauce

  • 1/3 cup soy sauce (may substitute tamari)

  • 1/4 cup (scant 2 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon mirin (optional)

  • 4 to 5 medium cloves garlic, minced or finely grated

  • 1/3 cups panko (may substitute 10 crushed gluten-free or Ritz-like crackers)

  • 1 teaspoon water

  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

  • For Serving

  • Rice, for serving (preferably short grain white or mixed rice)

  • 6 Persian cucumbers (or whatever cucumbers you like/have!)

  • Lettuce, for lettuce wraps (such as 2 little gems or 1 head red leaf lettuce or butter leaf)

  • Fresh cilantro or mint (optional)

  • Asian hot sauce (optional) such as Sriracha, gochujang sauce, or chili crisp

Directions

  • Make the marinade and sauce: In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, mirin, if using, and garlic.
  • Position an oven rack about 6 inches away from the broiling element and preheat the broiler. (If you don’t have a broiler, you can bake them in the oven or even brown them in a pan.)
  • Prep sides and accompaniments: Set your rice to cook according to package directions. Wash herbs and whole lettuce leaves, for serving, and slice cucumbers into rounds or half moons; set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  • Add half of the soy sauce mixture to a large bowl; reserve the remainder for the dipping sauce. Sprinkle the panko on top and stir to combine. Add the beef and scallions, and gently mix it all together until thoroughly combined, being careful to not overwork the mixture.
  • Use a scant 1-tablespoon measure to scoop the mixture and gently roll into meatballs, placing them on a large sheet pan. Keep the meatballs small — no more than 1 inch in diameter — so they cook quickly and so they are small enough to eat in one bite, wrapped with lettuce.
  • Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and broil for about 5 minutes, or until the meatballs are evenly browned and the internal temperature registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. (To check without a thermometer, carefully grab a meatball with tongs and break it. If the inside is uniform in color and texture, it’s cooked through. If it’s not, give them a couple more minutes.) Ideally, you’ll get a nice char on the top without overcooking them.
  • While the meatballs are broiling, pour the remaining soy sauce mixture into a small saucepan and set over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and the cornstarch to form a slurry, then whisk it into the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat and set aside.
  • If serving as hors d’oeuvres, stick a toothpick into each meatball and arrange them on a serving platter with the dipping sauce on the side — or drizzle the sauce over the meatballs, with toothpicks on the side.

Notes

  • If serving as hors d’oeuvres, stick a toothpick into each meatball and arrange them on a serving platter with the dipping sauce on the side — or drizzle the sauce over the meatballs, with toothpicks on the side.
  • If serving as a main course, family style: Arrange on a platter with the sauce drizzled over or on the side, along with hot rice, cold sliced cucumbers, and crispy lettuce leaves for wrapping. Serve with Asian hot sauce (such as gochujang sauce, Sriracha, or chili crisp), optionally.
  • If serving as a main course, plated: Arrange on a plate or wide bowl a scoop of hot rice, a little pile of meatballs, and some cold sliced cucumbers. Arrange lettuce leaves (and fresh herbs, if using) in a shared bowl for the table. Serve with Asian hot sauce (such as gochujang sauce, Sriracha, or chili crisp), optionally.