Tasty Mongolian Beef Meatballs

I’ve been making meatballs for years, but I never thought to give them the Mongolian beef treatment until last summer. You know that sweet and savory sauce you get at Chinese restaurants? The one that makes plain beef taste incredible? I figured it would work just as well with meatballs, and I was right.

The best part about this recipe is that you can make the meatballs ahead of time. I usually form them while I’m already in the kitchen prepping dinner the night before. Then I just pop them in the oven when I’m ready to eat. The sauce comes together in about ten minutes, which is faster than ordering takeout.

I serve these over rice with some roasted broccoli on the side. My kids actually eat their vegetables when they’re covered in this sauce. It’s become one of those recipes I make when I need dinner to feel special without spending hours in the kitchen.

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What Kind of Beef Should I Use?

For meatballs, you’ll want to use ground beef with a bit of fat content to keep them moist and flavorful. I recommend going with 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef – that’s the ratio of lean meat to fat. If you use something too lean like 90/10 or higher, your meatballs might end up a bit dry and tough. You can use regular ground beef from the supermarket, or if you’re feeling fancy, ask your butcher to grind up some chuck roast for you. Just make sure the beef is fresh and hasn’t been sitting in your fridge for more than a day or two before cooking.

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Options for Substitutions

This recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need them:

• Ground beef: You can use ground turkey or ground chicken instead, though the meatballs will be a bit leaner. If you go this route, consider adding a tablespoon of sesame oil to the meat mixture to keep them moist.
• Soy sauce: Tamari works great if you need a gluten-free option, or you can use coconut aminos for a soy-free version. Just know that coconut aminos are slightly sweeter and less salty, so you might want to reduce the brown sugar a bit.
• Brown sugar: White sugar, honey, or maple syrup can work in place of brown sugar. If using honey or maple syrup, start with 3/4 cup and taste the sauce before adding more.
• Broccoli: Feel free to swap in snap peas, bell peppers, or green beans. Whatever vegetables you choose, just add them toward the end so they don’t get mushy.
• Rice wine vinegar: Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar will do the trick if you don’t have rice wine vinegar on hand.
• Fresh ginger and garlic: In a pinch, you can use 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder, but fresh really does make a difference in this recipe.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making these meatballs is overworking the meat mixture, which creates dense, tough meatballs instead of tender ones – mix just until combined and handle the meat gently when rolling.

Don’t skip lining your baking sheet or the meatballs will stick badly, and make sure they’re all roughly the same size (about 1.5 inches) so they cook evenly in the oven.

When making the sauce, resist the urge to crank up the heat too high or the sugar will burn and turn bitter – medium-high is perfect for reducing it to a glossy glaze.

Finally, add the cornstarch slurry slowly while stirring constantly, because dumping it all at once can create lumps that are tough to smooth out, and stop adding once you reach your desired thickness since the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

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What to Serve With Mongolian Beef Meatballs?

These meatballs are packed with sweet and savory flavors, so they pair perfectly with steamed white or brown rice to soak up all that delicious sauce. You could also serve them over fried rice or noodles like lo mein or rice noodles if you want to mix things up. Since the dish already has broccoli in it, you’re pretty much set on the veggie front, but a side of steamed bok choy or snap peas would work nicely too. For a complete meal, try adding some egg rolls or potstickers on the side to make it feel like takeout night at home.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your Mongolian beef meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The sauce might thicken up a bit as it sits, but that’s totally normal and actually makes them even better the next day!

Freeze: These meatballs are freezer-friendly for up to 3 months. I like to freeze the meatballs and sauce separately in freezer bags, so you can thaw just what you need. The broccoli is best cooked fresh when you’re ready to eat.

Reheat: Warm them up in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce, or microwave on medium power for 2-3 minutes. If the sauce got too thick in the fridge, just add a tablespoon or two of water while reheating and stir until it’s glossy again.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2600-2900
• Protein: 170-190 g
• Fat: 95-110 g
• Carbohydrates: 260-290 g

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 2 lb beef (I recommend 80/20 ground chuck for the juiciest texture)
• 4 green onions
• 2.5 inch ginger (freshly grated for maximum aroma)
• 7 garlic cloves
• salt
• pepper

For the broccoli:

• 1 head broccoli (cut into 1-inch florets for even roasting)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (I always use Pompeian Robust for roasting)
• salt
• pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup soy sauce (Kikkoman is my go-to for consistent saltiness)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2.5 tbsp ginger
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in equal parts cold water to prevent lumps)

For the garnish:

• 3 green onions (thinly sliced on a diagonal)
• sesame seeds

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Preheat

• 7 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2.5 inches ginger, freshly grated
• 2.5 tbsp ginger
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal
• 1 head broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets

Start by preheating your oven to 450°F and lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

While the oven heats, prepare all your ingredients: mince 7 garlic cloves and 5 additional garlic cloves (keeping them separate since they’re used in different components), grate 2.5 inches of fresh ginger and measure out 2.5 tablespoons more ginger for the sauce, thinly slice 4 green onions on the diagonal, and cut 1 head of broccoli into 1-inch florets.

I always prep my aromatics this way so there’s no scrambling once cooking begins.

Step 2: Form and Bake Meatballs with Broccoli

• 2 lb ground beef
• 7 garlic cloves, minced
• 2.5 inches ginger, freshly grated
• 4 green onions
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• broccoli florets

In a large bowl, combine 2 lb ground beef with the minced garlic and ginger from Step 1 (7 cloves garlic, 2.5 inches ginger), 4 green onions, salt, and pepper.

Mix gently with your hands until just combined—overmixing makes tough meatballs.

Roll the mixture into 1.5-inch balls and place them on one half of your prepared baking sheet.

On the other half, toss broccoli florets with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Bake everything together for 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and broccoli is starting to char.

Step 3: Build the Mongolian Sauce

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2.5 tbsp ginger
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

While the meatballs and broccoli bake, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add the remaining 5 minced garlic cloves and 2.5 tbsp ginger from Step 1, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Pour in 1 cup soy sauce, 1 cup brown sugar, 2/3 cup water, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp sesame oil.

Bring to a simmer and let cook for 8-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.

I find that simmering the sauce before thickening it helps develop much deeper, more complex flavors.

Step 4: Thicken Sauce and Coat Meatballs

• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cold water
• sauce from Step 3
• cooked meatballs from Step 2

In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tbsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp cold water, stirring until there are no lumps—this prevents the sauce from becoming grainy.

Pour the cornstarch mixture into the simmering sauce from Step 3, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency that coats the back of a spoon, about 1-2 minutes.

Once the meatballs finish baking in Step 2, carefully transfer them into the sauce and gently stir to coat evenly.

Step 5: Plate and Garnish

• meatballs in sauce
• roasted broccoli
• green onions, sliced
• sesame seeds

Arrange rice on a serving platter or individual bowls.

Top with the Mongolian beef meatballs and their sauce from Step 4, then arrange the roasted broccoli from Step 2 alongside.

Scatter the sliced green onions from Step 1 over the top and finish with a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Serve immediately while the meatballs and sauce are still warm.

Tasty Mongolian Beef Meatballs

Delicious Tasty Mongolian Beef Meatballs recipe with step-by-step instructions.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 42 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 2750 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the meatballs::

• 2 lb beef (I recommend 80/20 ground chuck for the juiciest texture)
• 4 green onions
• 2.5 inch ginger (freshly grated for maximum aroma)
• 7 garlic cloves
• salt
• pepper

For the broccoli::

• 1 head broccoli (cut into 1-inch florets for even roasting)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (I always use Pompeian Robust for roasting)
• salt
• pepper

For the sauce::

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup soy sauce (Kikkoman is my go-to for consistent saltiness)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2.5 tbsp ginger
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp cornstarch (dissolved in equal parts cold water to prevent lumps)

For the garnish::

• 3 green onions (thinly sliced on a diagonal)
• sesame seeds

Instructions

 

• Start by preheating your oven to 450°F and lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. While the oven heats, prepare all your ingredients: mince 7 garlic cloves and 5 additional garlic cloves (keeping them separate since they're used in different components), grate 2.5 inches of fresh ginger and measure out 2.5 tablespoons more ginger for the sauce, thinly slice 4 green onions on the diagonal, and cut 1 head of broccoli into 1-inch florets. I always prep my aromatics this way so there's no scrambling once cooking begins.
• In a large bowl, combine 2 lb ground beef with the minced garlic and ginger from Step 1 (7 cloves garlic, 2.5 inches ginger), 4 green onions, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined—overmixing makes tough meatballs. Roll the mixture into 1.5-inch balls and place them on one half of your prepared baking sheet. On the other half, toss broccoli florets with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake everything together for 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and broccoli is starting to char.
• While the meatballs and broccoli bake, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 5 minced garlic cloves and 2.5 tbsp ginger from Step 1, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in 1 cup soy sauce, 1 cup brown sugar, 2/3 cup water, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp sesame oil. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 8-10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. I find that simmering the sauce before thickening it helps develop much deeper, more complex flavors.
• In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tbsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp cold water, stirring until there are no lumps—this prevents the sauce from becoming grainy. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the simmering sauce from Step 3, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens to a glossy consistency that coats the back of a spoon, about 1-2 minutes. Once the meatballs finish baking in Step 2, carefully transfer them into the sauce and gently stir to coat evenly.
• Arrange rice on a serving platter or individual bowls. Top with the Mongolian beef meatballs and their sauce from Step 4, then arrange the roasted broccoli from Step 2 alongside. Scatter the sliced green onions from Step 1 over the top and finish with a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve immediately while the meatballs and sauce are still warm.