These baked Asian chicken meatballs are the ultimate comfort food – juicy chicken meatballs packed with flavor and smothered in a sticky, refined sugar-free sauce. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal and pairs beautifully with rice or cauliflower rice. Bonus: these are gluten-free meatballs, so everyone can enjoy them guilt-free!
Why You’ll Love Asian Style Chicken Meatballs
For these easy baked chicken meatballs, ground chicken is mixed with onion, garlic, and a few simple binders to create the juiciest meatballs with a tender bite. After baking in the oven, they’re tossed in a thick, blended sauce that transforms them into sticky Asian meatballs that are full of Asian flavors. The sauce? Savory, slightly sweet, a little spicy, and absolutely bursting with flavor!
Meatballs are a forever favorite in our house, even my toddler loves them – which is why I have so many meatball recipes on my site. I’ve got gluten-free Asian pork meatballs, spinach and artichoke meatballs, and sweet and sour meatballs, to name a few. These paleo and Whole30-friendly chicken meatballs have become a regular on busy weeknights and they’re always a hit. That sticky, flavorful sauce is what ties it all together, and the best part? These meatballs are perfect for meal prep!
Ingredients You’ll Need
There are two parts to these baked Asian chicken meatballs – the meatballs and the sticky sauce. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this dish:
Meatball Ingredients
- Ground chicken: The base for tender, flavorful meatballs. Ground turkey or pork would work beautifully here too.
- Onion: Adds moisture and a subtle sweetness that keeps the meatballs juicy and balanced.
- Tapioca starch: A binding ingredient for a light, springy texture. Arrowroot powder makes a great substitute.
- Fresh garlic: Brings that bold, aromatic garlic flavor.
- Egg: Acts as the glue to hold everything together so your meatballs don’t fall apart while cooking.
- Salt and black pepper
Sauce Ingredients
- Coconut aminos: A soy-free umami bomb with a touch of sweetness. Tamari or soy sauce works if you don’t need a soy-free option. Soy sauce is a lot saltier though so keep that in mind if using.
- Rice wine vinegar: Balances the sweetness with a little tang. Apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar work as substitutes.
- Sesame oil: Adds a nutty depth that’s iconic in Asian dishes – don’t skip it!
- Medjool dates: Bring natural sweetness and that luscious sticky texture. I always go for Natural Delights for their top-notch quality.
- Fresh garlic: Layers in extra savoriness and rounds out the sauce’s flavor.
- Ginger: Adds a warm, zesty kick that makes this sauce extra special and undeniably Asian-inspired. You can use fresh ginger or ginger powder. Fresh ginger will be the most flavorful option.
- Tapioca starch: Thickens the sauce to coat the meatballs perfectly – arrowroot also works.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: Adds a spicy edge, but you can totally skip if you don’t like spicy.
See the full recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and instructions.
How to Make Asian Chicken Meatballs
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the meatballs, then mix until just combined. Do not over-mix. Refrigerate this mixture for 15 minutes.
Step 3: Use a cookie scoop to portion the chicken mixture into equal amounts, then generously grease your hands to roll them into golf-sized balls (about 20 meatballs). Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer without touching each other.
Step 4: Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165F.
Step 5: Blend together all ingredients for the sauce until smooth and creamy.
Step 6: Transfer to a saucepan and heat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
Step 7: Add the meatballs to the sauce and turn to coat and heat through.
Step 8: Serve warm, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.
Air Fryer Chicken Meatballs
- Step 1: Preheat your air fryer to 375F for about 3 minutes.
- Step 2: Use a cookie scoop to portion the meat mixture, then roll them into golf-sized balls.
- Step 3: Lightly grease the air fryer basket and place the meatballs in a single layer without touching each other. You may need to cook them in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Step 4: Air fry for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket or flipping the meatballs halfway through. Use a meat thermometer to ensure they reach an internal temperature of 165F.
- Step 5: Once cooked, coat the meatballs with the sauce and pop them back in the air fryer for another 2 minutes if you want the sauce to caramelize slightly.
Expert Tips
- Using a cookie scoop to scoop your meatballs ensures evenly sized meatballs that cook at the same rate – plus, it makes the process faster and less messy!
- Blend the sauce until smooth, then let it simmer long enough to thicken slightly before tossing it with the meatballs for that perfect sticky coating.
Serving Tips
- I personally love to eat these Whole30 chicken meatballs over cauliflower rice. This way, I feel like I’m having rice, but also enjoying veggies as well! If you aren’t grain free, you can serve over white rice with a side of broccoli or green beans.
- You can also serve them in lettuce wraps for a super delicious lunch or dinner.
- Pair these meatballs with rice noodles or zoodles, and drizzle extra sauce on top for an easy noodle bowl that’s bursting with flavor. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and sesame seeds.
- These meatballs are a hit at parties! Stick a toothpick in each one and serve them with extra sauce on the side for dipping.
- Add these juicy chicken meatballs to an Asian-inspired salad with mixed greens, shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, and a sesame dressing for a fresh, light option.
Storage Tips
Store leftover meatballs in the fridge in an airtight container or a large bowl covered with tinfoil or plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use ground turkey or ground pork. The flavor will differ slightly but you’ll still have delicious Whole30 Asian meatballs as the result!
Yes, this is completely normal. This is why letting the lean ground chicken chill for at least 15 minutes helps with the stickiness. Also – make sure to grease your hands well before rolling the chicken into meatballs.
You can substitute with arrowroot starch for both the meatballs and the sauce.
Dry meatballs usually happen when there’s too little moisture or the meatballs are overcooked. Make sure to include ingredients like onion and egg to add moisture and don’t skip checking the internal temperature with a thermometer it should reach exactly 165F.
Absolutely! Add more crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce or mix finely chopped fresh chili peppers into the meatball mixture for an extra kick. You can also serve with a drizzle of sriracha or hot sauce.
More Meatball Recipes
- Spiced Lemon Pork Meatballs
- Paleo Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce
- Moroccan Paleo Meatballs with Creamy Dipping Sauce
- Instant Pot Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
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Sticky Asian Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish
Sticky Sauce
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 Natural Delights Medjool Dates pits removed
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 inch ginger
- 1 tsp tapioca starch
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all ingredients for the meatballs (except green onions & sesame seeds) in a mixing bowl, and mix until just combined. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Generously grease your hands and roll into golf-sized balls (about 20 meatballs). Place on the parchment lined baking sheet without touching each other.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Once the chicken meatballs are done baking, blend together all ingredients for sauce until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer to a saucepan and heat over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and turn to coat and heat through.
- Serve warm, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Using a cookie scoop to scoop your meatballs ensures evenly sized meatballs that cook at the same rate – plus, it makes the process faster and less messy!
- Blend the sauce until smooth, then let it simmer long enough to thicken slightly before tossing it with the meatballs for that perfect sticky coating.
- Store leftover meatballs in the fridge in an airtight container or a large bowl covered with tinfoil or plastic wrap for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container.
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Not only are they easy and quick for a weeknight dinner, everyone in my family loves them – including my toddler!
I made these for dinner tonight. It is indeed easy and the sauce is super-tasty! I actually used a mixture of beef and pork for the meatballs, at it worked fine.
I’m so excited to try these, but am egg-free. Is there another binder I could use?
These are so easy and delicious with a really flavorful sauce! A perfect weekday meal that comes together quickly.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Is there anything I can sub for the dates? I’m not currently on Whole30 and I don’t have any available.
You can use 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup instead!
Another hit! Easy and so so good.
The sauce recipe is fantastic!
Easy to make and my wife loved it! For me it was a bit too vinegary..
Super duper tasty. I think ill cut back on the tapioca flour in the sauce next time so the sauce is a little runnier and it wets the rice.
I did not mince my onions enough! Make sure you truly mince them small, or you will have juicy onion bites 🙂 I love the sauce and it works well with any meat. Thank you Jean <3
Yes, you want to chop them up really small. I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
This was really easy and absolutely delicious!
Thank you so much!!