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Crockpot Asian Meatballs

Crockpot Asian meatballs with tender 1.5-inch meatballs and a glossy ginger-soy-hoisin glaze that thickens into a sticky coating. Cook low for 3–4 hours (or high for 2 hours) and finish with a cornstarch slurry for a spoonable sheen over rice.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For meatballs
  • 1.5 lb ground beef or pork Use ground beef or ground pork.
  • 0.33 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 3 garlic Minced.
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger Grated.
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 green onions Minced.
For Asian glaze
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.33 cup hoisin sauce
  • 0.25 cup honey
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 garlic Minced.
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger Grated.
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 sesame seeds For serving.
  • 2 green onions For serving, sliced.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the meatballs
  1. Mix ground beef or pork, breadcrumbs, egg, minced garlic, grated fresh ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and minced green onions until evenly combined, then roll into 1.5-inch balls (uniform size helps them cook through).
  2. Brown the meatballs in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned on the outside, then transfer them to the Crockpot.
Glaze and cook
  1. Whisk soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated fresh ginger, and sriracha until smooth, then pour the glaze over the meatballs in the Crockpot.
  2. Cook on Low 3-4 hours or High 2 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is bubbling around the edges (look for tender meatballs you can cut with a fork).
Thicken the sauce and serve
  1. Stir cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) into the Crockpot sauce, then set to High and cook 20 minutes until thickened and glossy (the coating should cling to the back of a spoon).
  2. Serve the meatballs over rice, topping with sesame seeds and sliced green onions for a fresh finish.

Notes

Pro tip: keep meatballs close to 1.5 inches for even cooking, and stir the cornstarch slurry in after the main cook so the glaze thickens smoothly. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; freeze meatballs and sauce up to 2 months (reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave). For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sodium soy sauce and hoisin sauce, and adjust sriracha to taste.