Sticky Asian Meatballs Recipe (GF, DF, Whole30)

Gluten-free, dairy-free and Whole30 compliant sticky Asian meatballs recipe that’s perfect for Sunday afternoon meal prep and a week of filling meals!

Meatballs are one of my favorite Sunday-afternoon meal prep recipes to make. They take 10 minutes to prepare, 15-20 minutes to cook and provide healthy, filling and freezer-friendly meals all week.

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Meatballs are so easy to grab for a high-protein snack, pair with cauliflower rice or your favorite veggie side dish and enjoy all week!

My favorite thing about meatballs is that you can prepare them with any flavors that you like – Italian-style meatballs, Thai curry meatballs, Buffalo-style meatballs, the possibilities for customization are endless and will ensure you never get bored.

I am partial to Asian flavors – I love gluten-free Teriyaki sauces, coconut aminos, garlic sauce, curry sauces, and so this easy sticky Asian meatball recipe is perfect to satisfy my cravings for Asian takeout in a healthier way!

Sticky Asian Meatballs Recipe Ingredients

Makes approximately 16 meatballs

For The Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground meat of choice (these will work with turkey, chicken, beef, pork, etc. I used local grass-fed beef from Trader Joe’s)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ginger root powder or 2 tsp fresh ginger
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp salt (or salt to taste)
• Splash of coconut aminos (give the jar a few good shakes)
• 1 tbsp sugar-free tomato paste or sugar-free tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup almond meal

For The Sticky Sauce:

Splash of sesame seed oil (note for Whole30; limiting use of sesame oil is recommended so just a little bit is compliant but if you are using it in other recipes swap for avocado or coconut oil)

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp ginger root powder or fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp arrowroot powder mixed with a little room temperature water to form a slurry
• Salt to taste

Sticky Asian Meatballs Recipe Instructions

Make The Meatballs:

• Combine ground meat, egg, garlic, ginger, coconut aminos, tomato paste (or sauce) and almond meal in a large bowl
• Mix until all ingredients are well-combined
• Using wet hands, form the meat into balls and place in rows on a lined baking dish
• Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until browned and cooked through

Make The Sticky Sauce:

• Combine oil, garlic, coconut aminos, fish sauce, ginger and rice vinegar in a medium saucepan
• Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, until the sauce thickens just a bit
• Remove the sauce from heat and add the arrowroot powder slurry, stirring very well
• Let sauce gradually thicken, and add a little more arrowroot slurry until sauce reaches desired thickness (I like my sauce pretty thick and sticky!)Note: a good test for the sauce is to stick a spoon in the saucepan and lift it out – you want the sauce to stay coated on the spoon, not slide completely off.

When the meatballs are done cooking in the oven, put the meatballs a few at a time into the saucepan with the sticky sauce, and carefully stir to coat the meatballs in the sauce. Transfer to a plate or storage container.

Serve immediately with rice, cauliflower rice, broccoli or other vegetable of choice and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Enjoy for as many meals as they will last! In my kitchen, these meatballs are so good we’re lucky if they last two days!

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