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Chili Garlic Meatballs

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These Chili Garlic Meatballs are the perfect appetizer for game day, a holiday or any day of the week! Easy oven baked meatballs are spiked with garlic, ginger and cilantro before being adorned with an amazingly flavorful chili garlic sauce.

These oven baked Chili Garlic Meatballs are spiked with garlic, ginger and cilantro and are the perfect flavor packed appetizer!

A Chili Garlic Meatball sprinkled with cilantro with a toothpick sits on a white plate.  

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Original content posted January 2015.  Updated January 2021.

Appetizer season continues!  First with the holidays, then with all of the bowl games and then in just a few weeks, the Super Bowl.  Nobody thinks twice when they see you filling your plate full of bite sized treats.  Even if they see you doing so more than once as they’ve likely already done the same thing. 

You’ve got all the excuses you’ve ever needed to add these Chili Garlic Meatballs to your appetizer spread.

Two Chili Garlic Meatballs sit on a white plate with cilantro.

And apparently I have a bit of a meatball issue.  This Chili Garlic Meatballs join the ranks of other favorite meatballs recipe on Melanie Makes.  Always at the top of my list are my Sharp Cheddar Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf Meatballs, Porcupine Meatballs and Thai Chili Peanut Meatballs.  

I am apparently to meatballs as Forrest Gump is to shrimp.   Totally blaming that on my husband as he absolutely loves them.

A plate of two Chili Garlic Meatballs next to a glass of water and a platter of meatballs.

This Super Bowl worthy appetizer are an Asian inspired spin off of my Easy Baked Meatballs, spiked with ginger, garlic and cilantro.  While they’re in the oven, baking to perfection, an easy five ingredient chili garlic sauce is stirred together on your stove top.  

The end result?  An amazingly flavorful meatball that’s sure to have your friends missing a few downs of the big game to refill their plate.

Step by step photos of how to create Chili Garlic Meatballs, steps 1-4.

How to Make Chili Garlic Meatballs

[1]  In a medium bowl, add all meatball ingredients. 

[2]  Stir together until just combined.

[3]  Using a medium cookie scoop, create meatballs and place on parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes until browned and cooked through.

TIP: I love to use these precut parchment sheets to make my time in the kitchen super easy and less messy.

[4]  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, add rice wine vinegar and sugar and simmer until sugar dissolves.

Step by step photos of how to create Chili Garlic Meatballs, steps 5-8.

[5]  Add chili garlic sauce, corn starch and water to saucepan.

[6]  Whisk together to combine.

[7]  Continue whisking until thickened.

TIP: You can also thin the sauce with water and keep the meatballs on warm in a slow cooker to keep them party ready.

[8]  To serve, top meatballs with chili garlic sauce and additional chopped cilantro, if desired.

TIP: To easily drizzle the sauce onto the meatballs, I recommend putting the sauce in a small zip top bag.  Then, simply snip one of the corners and pipe onto the meatballs.

A Chili Garlic Meatball rests on a white plate with additional plates in the background.

If you’ve tried this Chili Garlic Meatballs or any other recipe on Melanie Makes, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.  I love hearing from you and respond to each and every comment! 

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Print Recipe
5 from 9 votes

Chili Garlic Meatballs

These oven baked Chili Garlic Meatballs are spiked with garlic, ginger and cilantro and are the perfect flavor packed appetizer!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Servings: 17 meatballs
Calories: 97kcal
Author: Melanie Bauer | Melanie Makes

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Chili Garlic Sauce

  • 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Meatballs

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a medium bowl, add all meatball ingredients. 
  • Stir together until just combined.
  • Using a medium cookie scoop, create meatballs and place on parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes until browned and cooked through.
    TIP: I love to use these precut parchment sheets to make my time in the kitchen super easy and less messy.

Chili Garlic Sauce

  • Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, add rice wine vinegar and sugar and simmer until sugar dissolves.
  • Add chili garlic sauce, corn starch and water to saucepan.
  • Whisk together to combine.
  • Continue whisking until thickened.
    TIP: You can also thin the sauce with water and keep the meatballs on warm in a slow cooker to keep them party ready.
  • To serve, top meatballs with chili garlic sauce and additional chopped cilantro, if desired.
    TIP: To easily drizzle the sauce onto the meatballs, I recommend putting the sauce in a small zip top bag.  Then, simply snip one of the corners and pipe onto the meatballs.

Notes

Adapted from Ginger-Garlic Cocktail Meatballs.

Nutrition

Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 82mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.6mg

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. EL Mehdi says

    I'll try this tonight without chili garlic due to allergy, I hope it turns out great.. also, if you have other options for sauce i could use, it would be great <3
    Reply

  3. Karen says

    Instead of the egg white, can you use the whole egg? Needing to make about 250 for an event and would simplify. Thanks.
    Reply

    • Melanie says

      Hey, Karen - I haven't tried it using an entire egg but an easy shortcut might be to purchase the cartons of egg whites only to avoid waste and all of the excess work!
      Reply

  6. Trish F says

    Thank you @Melanie for co-hosting this great giveaway! I was contacted by Kristi and I am the winner! Yeah! I love following your blog and collecting all of these fantastic recipes. I will be stopping by often.
    Reply

  7. Amanda @ Cookie Named Desire says

    You see, this is why I can't do social events.... Cause I'll see these meatballs and eat the entire tray before anyone even gets a chance to notice them. You are killing me with that chili garlic sauce, girl. I want to eat it with a spoon!
    Reply

    • melanie says

      A perfect game day party food, Jenn! And seriously... were you about to die after watching the last few minutes of that game on Sunday??
      Reply

    • melanie says

      The secret is the cookie scoop, Victoria! I promise the cookie scoop is the answer to all of life's problems. Well... most of them anyway. ;)
      Reply

  19. Latrice says

    Printed this already! These look so amazing and my kids will love them like this. You rock girlfriend. I need a cookbook from you to happen asap.
    Reply

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