Go Back

Crockpot Asian Meatballs

Crockpot Asian meatballs with a glossy ginger-soy-hoisin glaze—tender 1.5-inch meatballs simmered until sticky and flavorful. Cook low for 3–4 hours, then thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry for a spoonable, clinging finish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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
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
Serving
  • 1 sesame seeds
  • 1 green onions
  • 1 rice

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make and brown the meatballs
  1. Mix ground beef or pork, breadcrumbs, egg, minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, and minced green onions until evenly combined, then roll into 1.5-inch balls.
  2. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, brown the meatballs in batches, then transfer browned meatballs to the Crockpot.
Make the ginger-soy-hoisin glaze
  1. Whisk soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, and sriracha until smooth and glossy.
  2. Pour the glaze over the meatballs in the Crockpot so the tops are coated.
Slow cook and thicken
  1. Cook on Low for 3–4 hours (or on High for 2 hours) until meatballs are cooked through and the glaze looks simmered and lightly bubbling at the edges.
  2. Stir together cornstarch and water, add the slurry to the Crockpot, and cook on High for 20 minutes until the sauce turns thick and clings to the meatballs.
Serve
  1. Serve the Crockpot Asian meatballs over rice and top with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Notes

For best sticky glaze, whisk cornstarch slurry into the hot sauce after the main cook so it thickens quickly without lumps. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; freeze meatballs and sauce up to 2 months and reheat until hot. For a lighter option, swap half the meat for lean ground turkey or use low-sugar hoisin while keeping the simmer/thickening steps the same.