Spicy Sriracha Beef Meatballs (Printable)

Juicy beef meatballs in spicy Sriracha sauce served over fluffy steamed rice with aromatic garlic and ginger.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meatballs

01 - 1.1 lb ground beef
02 - 1 large egg
03 - ½ cup breadcrumbs
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
06 - 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
07 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
08 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons green onions, finely sliced

→ Sauce

12 - 3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
13 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
14 - 2 tablespoons honey
15 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
16 - 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
17 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
18 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
19 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

→ Rice

20 - 1¼ cups jasmine or long grain rice
21 - 2 cups water
22 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Garnish

23 - 2 tablespoons green onions, sliced
24 - 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

# How-To Steps:

01 - Rinse rice under cold water until clear. Combine rice, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
02 - In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons Sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and green onions. Mix gently until just incorporated. Shape into 20–24 small meatballs, about 1 tablespoon each.
03 - Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add a splash of oil if needed. Cook meatballs in batches, turning to brown all sides for 6–8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, sauté garlic for 30 seconds. Add remaining Sriracha, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, ketchup, and sesame oil. Stir and bring to a simmer.
05 - Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook for 1–2 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
06 - Return meatballs to skillet, toss to coat with sauce, and simmer for 5 minutes until heated through.
07 - Place meatballs over steamed rice and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The meatballs stay incredibly tender because the ginger and egg keep them moist even after browning.
  • That sticky, spicy-sweet sauce clings to every bite and soaks into the rice in the best possible way.
  • You get serious flavor without spending an hour in the kitchen or hunting down obscure ingredients.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, and somehow taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Do not skip rinsing the rice, the first time I did not, it turned out gummy and clumped together.
  • Brown the meatballs in batches without crowding the pan, or they will steam instead of getting that caramelized crust.
  • Let the sauce simmer with the meatballs for a few minutes so they soak up flavor and finish cooking gently.
03 -
  • Chill the meatball mixture for 15 minutes before shaping, it makes rolling easier and they hold together better.
  • Use the same skillet for meatballs and sauce, the browned bits add incredible depth to the flavor.
  • If the sauce gets too thick, thin it with a splash of water or broth instead of adding more cornstarch.

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