If you’re wondering what’s for dinner tonight, these spicy meatballs are the answer! These oven-baked meatballs bring the perfect balance of heat and sweet, making them an irresistible meal for the whole family. Made with lean protein, this Asian-inspired recipe is a healthier take on a classic comfort food.
Even if you’re serving them to kids, these sweet and spicy meatballs aren’t overwhelming—the hint of honey balances out the sriracha, creating a flavor-packed bite that’s both bold and satisfying.
Unlike traditional meatballs, this meatballs spicy recipe is oven-baked for a healthier twist while keeping them juicy and flavorful. Serve them with rice, in a sandwich, in a rice bowl, or as an appetizer—no matter how you enjoy them, they’re guaranteed to be a hit!
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Why We Love Meatballs Spicy
- They’re quick!
This sweet and spicy meatballs dish is a painless 30-minute recipe you can throw into the oven on any busy weeknight. - Also makes a great appetizer.
This recipe makes a great before-dinner dish or even a main course served with fluffy Instant Pot jasmine rice recipe and veggies. - They are freezer-friendly.
These are an excellent meal prep option. When you don’t feel like cooking, pull this dish out of the freezer, thaw it, and reheat it for a quick and easy meal.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Ground chicken: Use ground chicken, not ground chicken breast, because it has a bit more structure and less moisture. You can also try using different types of ground meat, such as ground beef, pork, turkey, or lamb.
- Large egg: To bind the meat. So don’t skip this one.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Help add moisture and will help them stay juicy without being too soggy. You can use regular breadcrumbs if you want.
- Scallions: Sliced, white part only — reserve greens for topping.
- Garlic: This adds a deep, rich flavor and goes really well with ginger. We used minced garlic tubes from the store, but you can use freshly minced garlic as well.
- Ginger: Using minced ginger adds a zing of flavor to the meatballs. We used a tubed one, but you can mince your own as well.
- Sesame oil: Adds a nutty flavor and helps crisp the meatballs while they bake.
- Sour cream: Provides a creaminess and a tanginess to the sauce. You can also use Greek yogurt if you prefer.
- Mayonnaise: This is the creamy base for the sauce.
- Honey: Adds sweetness. But you can swap it for brown sugar or maple syrup.
- Ponzu sauce: Adds acidity and umami to the spicy sauce. However, if you don’t have it, you can use soy sauce or tamari.
- Sriracha sauce: Adds a bit of spice. For a milder version, simply omit the sriracha from the spicy sauce.
- Lime juice: Adds a bit of acidity and freshness to the spicy sauce. You can also use lemon juice.
Recipe Variations
- Use a different protein: We use ground chicken in our spicy meatball recipe because it’s a flavorful yet lean protein. If you’d prefer beef or pork, use the meatball composition found in our pan cooked meatballs.
- Adjust the spicy heat: If spicy meatballs aren’t hot enough for you, add hot sauce or cayenne pepper to the mix! For a milder heat, go with black pepper.
Alternatively, if there are some among your dinner guests with a lower spice tolerance, toss some of the Asian chicken meatballs in the sauce we make for our sweet and sour meatballs chili sauce.
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- Rimmed baking sheet
- 2 large mixing bowl
- Medium cookie scoop
- Balloon whisk
Some of our other baked chicken recipes: You’re not always in the mood for a meatball dinner, and that’s okay! We have plenty of other baked chicken recipes to choose from:
Traditional oven baked chicken cutlets with no breading cook up in less than 30 minutes, and the recipe is SO easy to make!
Healthy marinated chicken tenders are fantastic with any dipping sauce. Sometimes we cut them up and serve them over salad for a light summer meal.
Oven healthy chicken tenders recipes is our most popular recipe on TFN!
Lemon pepper panko crusted chicken has an irresistible crunchy coating, and inside, there’s nothing but juicy goodness!
How to Make Sweet and Spicy Meatballs
- Avoid overmixing.
Working the ground chicken and the binding ingredients for too long will result in dry chicken meatballs.
Not only that, but the mixture will stick to your hands, and you’ll have a hard time forming them! So, mix until everything is just combined.
- Don’t pack the mixture too tightly.
This is a common mistake that can lead to dry and/or tough meatballs. When they’re really compact, they turn out more chewy than juicy and way too firm!
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Use a cookie scoop to get a consistent size and shape for your meatballs. Then, roll them very gently to secure the shape, hardly applying any pressure.
- Taste for seasoning.
Cook some of the meat mixture in a skillet on the stovetop or even in the microwave until browned, then give it a taste.
Since ginger and garlic can both be overpowering, this is a great way to make sure you’re not adding too much of either.
Serving Suggestions
These meatballs are incredibly versatile and can be served in a variety of delicious ways. For a classic comfort meal, pair them with pasta tossed in a tomato-based sauce, topped with cheese, chopped parsley, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for extra heat. If you prefer a lighter option, serve them over a crisp Asian-inspired salad or in lettuce wraps for a low-carb alternative. For a fun twist, stuff them into a soft hoagie roll with crunchy slaw, roasted red peppers, and melted cheese for a spicy meatball sub. They also make a fantastic appetizer when served with sweet chili sauce or soy-ginger glaze for dipping. Whether you enjoy them as a main dish, party snack, or meal prep option, this recipe is guaranteed to bring bold flavor to the table!
Recipe FAQs
That’s a matter of preference, but we absolutely love to serve our meatballs spicy baked!
Making baked chicken meatballs allows you to really get a crunchy exterior while giving the meat time to cook and truly soak in the garlic and ginger flavors.
We think so! It’s the only way to get a really good crust, giving the sweet and spicy meatballs a fabulous texture.
If you bake it with the sauce, the exterior won’t be able to crisp up. Additionally, this is a mayo-based sauce, so the texture and flavor change significantly if cooked.
Perhaps unexpectedly, desserts (specifically chocolate desserts) hold up to heat deliciously! Mexican hot chocolate or brownies are a great example of this.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The spicy sauce will last for 4 daysin the fridge as well, even if stored separately.
Reheat the balls in the oven and the sauce in the microwave.Then toss in the sauce once warmed.
It is possible to freeze spicy meatballs for up to 3 months, and the sauce can also be frozen! Just do so in a separate container.
Consider Making These Other Dinner Recipes…
- Slow Cooker Honey Mustard Chicken
- Turkey and Zucchini Meatballs
- Smoked Chicken Quarters Recipe
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Recipe
If you tried this spicy meatballs recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Spicy Meatballs
Equipment
- rimmed baking sheet
- 2 large mixing bowl
- medium cookie scoop
- balloon whisk
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 pound ground chicken substitute with other types of meat
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs or regular bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
For the Sauce
- 4 tablespoons sour cream or light sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise or light mayo
- 4 tablespoons honey swap it for brown sugar or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons ponzu sauce or soy sauce/tamari
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce or to taste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice 1/2 lime, juiced; or lemon
Optional Garnish
- 4 scallions sliced, green parts only
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Drizzle the sesame oil over a large sheet pan and rub it evenly over the pan with your clean hands. **Coating your hands with oil also prevents the meatball mixture from sticking as you form them.
- Add the ground chicken, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, and ginger to a large mixing bowl. Gently combine the mixture with your hands or a mixing spatula, until just combined. **Avoid over mixing, which can make the chicken meatballs tough and dry.
- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, portion the chicken mixture into balls (about the size of a golf ball), and roll them in your hands. Arrange the meatballs on the oiled baking sheet, at least 1 inch apart.
- Bake the meatballs for 15-18 minutes, or until the internal temperature of a meatball registers 165°F.
- Remove from oven and let the meatballs sit on the pan while you make the sauce.
- For the honey sriracha sauce, add the sour cream, mayonnaise, honey, ponzu sauce, sriracha sauce, and lime juice to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the warm chicken meatballs to the spicy sauce and toss to combine, or drizzle the sauce over the chicken meatballs.
- Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds (optional) and drizzle with extra sauce.
- Serve over rice with your favorite vegetables on the side, or as an appetizer with sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Use a different protein: We use ground chicken in our spicy meatball recipe because it’s a flavorful yet lean protein. If you’d prefer beef or pork, use the meatball composition found in our pan cooked meatballs.
- Adjust the spicy heat: If spicy meatballs aren’t hot enough for you, add hot sauce or cayenne pepper to the mix! For a milder heat, go with black pepper
- Use a cookie scoop to get a consistent size and shape for your honey sriracha meatballs. Then, roll them very gently to secure the shape, hardly applying any pressure.
- Leftover chicken meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. The spicy sauce will last for 4 days in the fridge as well, even if stored separately.
- Reheat the balls in the oven and the sauce in the microwave. Then toss in the sauce once warmed.
- It is possible to freeze honey sriracha meatballs for up to 3 months, and the sauce can also be frozen! Just do so in a separate container.
Nutrition
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Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Love how easy this recipe is. It’s perfect for our family!
Dina and Bruce says
Freaking amazing. So much FLAVOR! Definately a new must make dinner on high rotation!!!
Katherine says
The whole family loved the sweet/hot flavor of these meatballs last night at dinner! So glad I found this recipe on Pinterest.
Ieva says
Yum yum yum! Just finished our dinner, and these meatballs were delicious – plates wiped clean! Just the right amount of honey sweetness and heat from sriracha. Thanks for the recipe!
Kathryn says
Ooooooh my husband is going to go nuts for these meatballs. Adding all of the ingredients to my shopping cart now!