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Crockpot Asian Meatballs

Crockpot Asian meatballs with a glossy ginger-soy-hoisin glaze, tender 1.5-inch meatballs, and a quick cornstarch thickening step. Cook low and slow for easy, saucy results that cling to every bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For meatballs
  • 1.5 lb ground beef or pork
  • 0.33 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 3 cloves 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 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 sesame seeds and green onions for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the meatballs
  1. Mix ground beef or pork with 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 with a uniform size.
  2. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and brown the meatballs in batches until browned on the outside.
  3. Transfer the browned meatballs to a Dutch oven (or slow cooker insert) in a single layer.
Cook with the glaze
  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.
  2. Cook on Low for 3-4 hours or High for 2 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce looks glossy and bubbling around the edges (low simmering, not dry).
Thicken the sauce and serve
  1. Stir together cornstarch and water, then stir the cornstarch slurry into the sauce.
  2. Cook on High for 20 minutes until the glaze turns thick and coats the meatballs (a spoon dragged through it should leave a momentary trail).
  3. Serve the meatballs over rice and top with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

For the best sticking glaze, keep the sauce at a gentle simmer during the cornstarch step and stir once or twice after adding the slurry so it thickens smoothly. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; reheat in a covered pot or microwave until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze meatballs and sauce in portions for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight. If you want a lighter option, swap half the ground beef/pork for lean ground turkey while keeping the same seasonings.