These Spicy Korean-Inspired Meatballs are tasty, versatile, and lightened up! To make these a bit leaner, I use a blend of lean ground beef and ground turkey breast, but the overall flavor is definitely beefy! These meatballs are packed with flavor from the spicy gochujang red chili paste, fresh ginger, green onions, savory garlic and soy sauce, and the nutty sesame oil. You can serve them on their own with your favorite dipping sauce, on slider buns with condiments, or as part of a rice and veggie bowl as pictured. Not only are these Spicy Korean-Inspired Meatballs flavorful and delicious, four meatballs is just 199 calories or 3 WW Points on the current Weight Watchers program. To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app,
Ingredient Notes
- Meat: I have found that using a 50/50 blend of lean ground beef and ground turkey breast results in very beefy flavor overall, but with fewer WW Points and calories. I highly recommend it!
- Gochujang: This fermented red chili paste is a spicy ingredient in Korean dishes. I have had no trouble finding it in my local grocery stores and actually used my store brand (Wegmans) version of it in this recipe. It is likely to be found near the other Asian sauces in the grocery store aisles.
- Panko Bread Crumbs: I like to use panko, but if you don’t have it on hand you can use regular unseasoned bread crumbs or crackers you run through the food processor (may change the nutrition info and WW Points).
- Ginger: Fresh ginger has a distinct flavor that adds a lot to a recipe! I do recommend using fresh ginger here if you can, but I’ve also seen jarred minced ginger which can be used as a substitute for a milder flavor.
- Sesame Oil: I love sesame oil. A little bit of sesame oil adds so much flavor to recipes, or any meat or veggies you cook in it! It’s definitely worth buying a little bottle to keep in your kitchen!
Spicy Korean-Inspired Meatballs
Ingredients
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- 8 oz 95% lean ground beef, (½ a pound)
- 8 oz 99% lean ground turkey breast, (½ a pound)
- ½ cup plain panko breadcrumbs
- 3 medium scallions, the green parts, sliced
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon gochujang hot pepper paste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instruction
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
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In a large mixing bowl, add all the meatball ingredients and stir together with a fork until combined.
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On a clean, dry surface (like a cutting board), separate your meat mixture into 16 equal piles. Roll each little pile into a ball. Place each ball on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through.
Notes
Nutrition Information per (4 meatballs) serving: 199 calories, 11 g carbs, 3 g sugars, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 27 g protein, 1 g fiber, 491 mg sodium
