Spicy Gochujang Meatballs with Kimchi

These fiery and flavourful gochujang chicken meatballs are packed with delicious ingredients that are sure to light up your tastebuds. These Korean inspired chicken meatballs are delicious on their own, but tossed in a gochujang, sesame and honey glaze, they get even better.

Gochujang is one of those ingredients that once you try it, you’ll be hooked. And soon, you’ll find yourself creating all sorts of recipes that make use of it. Just check out any of these for examples, gochujang brown butter squash, creamy gochujang pasta, gochujang chicken and rice bowls and Korean chicken burgers with kimchi ranch. And I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. For too long in my life, I went without it (having not grown up eating it) and now I’m making up for that time. My next instalment is of course these gochujang meatballs made with ground chicken. And I hope you love them as much as we do.

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these gochujang chicken meatballs and glaze.

• ground chicken (dark meat preferably) 
• egg
• green onion
• garlic
• ginger
• gochujang
• gochugaru (optional)
• kosher salt
• panko (or other breadcrumb, gluten-free if needed)
• rice vinegar
• arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) 
• sesame oil
• low sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
• honey

A note on Gochujang

Gochujang is a red chili paste that is savoury, spicy and a little sweet. You can easily find this at well stocked grocery stores, Asian grocery stores, online or even make your own. There are tons of brands to try, I chose to show this one as it’s most readily available.

Gochugaru are Korean chili flakes that are milder and brighter in colour than regular chili flakes. If you don’t have them for this recipe, omit.

How to Make These Gochujang Chicken Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, egg, green onion, garlic, ginger, gochujang, gochugaru and salt. Mix to combine. Pour in the panko and gently mix to incorporate.

Using a cookie scoop, portion out the meat mixture into round balls, about 2 1/2 to 3 tbsps per ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet.

Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 16 minutes. Turn the oven to a broil (on high) and bake for two to three minutes, until browned and cooked through.

How to Make A Gochujang Glaze for Meatballs

While the meatballs are baking, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, water and arrowroot. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, pour in the sesame oil and add the garlic. Sauté for one minute, just until fragrant. Then add the tamari, honey and gochujang along with the water/vinegar/starch mixture.

Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about two minutes.

Once the meatballs are done cooking, transfer them to a serving dish and pour the glaze on top, tossing to coat the meatballs. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.

Tips

To make perfectly juicy gochujang meatballs, be sure to follow these tips.

• Dark meat: I typically use dark ground chicken meat (or turkey) rather than white meat as it has a lot more flavour and won’t dry out as much. If you can, use a mix of the two or all dark meat.
• Don’t over mix the meatball mixture: mix until everything is just combined to avoid over working the meat, which could make it tougher.
• Gochujang amount: depending on how spicy you like things and how spicy the container of gochujang you have on hand is, add more or less to taste. Always taste your gochujang beforehand if it’s the first time you’re using it to see how much you want to use.
• Glaze too thick/thin: if the glaze is too thick, add a splash more water to thin it out. If it’s too thin, reduce it for a longer period of time on the stove.

Substitutions

• Gluten-free: use a gluten-free panko or other gluten-free breadcrumbs along with a gluten-free gochujang paste.
• No chicken: use ground turkey instead.
• Arrowroot powder/flour: use cornstarch instead.

Ingredients & Products I Recommend:

Kosher salt:

I exclusively use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for all of my recipes. I prefer the texture, taste and consistency of this brand and highly recommend it for everyday cooking.

‍Low Sodium Tamari:‍

Tamari is a great option for those needing a gluten-free soy sauce. I’m not gluten-free, but still primarily use this brand. It’s not too salty and it tastes great.

Panko: 

I like using panko for breading and in meatball recipes (most often) because it has a great texture and you can find this brand pretty much anywhere.

More Recipes to Try

Looking for more weeknight dinner ideas? Try these…

• Creamy Gochujang Pasta
• Creamy Polenta with Ricotta Chicken Meatballs and Sauce
• Greek Pork Tenderloin Sheet Pan Dinner
• Mushroom & Lentil Pot Pie
• Flank Steak Stir Fry with Vegetables
• Delicata Squash Pizza
• Creamy Ricotta Pasta with Sausage
• Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey & Brown Butter
• Slow Roasted Salmon with Citrus & Fennel
• Crispy Pan Fried Chicken Thighs with easy Pan Sauce
• Moroccan Chicken Meatballs
• Pan Fried Gnocchi with Sage & Brown Butter
• Easy Gouda Mac & Cheese
• Honey Lime Chicken Thighs & Sweet Potatoes
• Thai Red Curry Turkey Meatballs

Ready to make this? Let’s go!

If you make these gochujang meatballs, please let me know by tagging me on Instagram, or leave a comment and/or review below!‍

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