Introducing Honey Sriracha Meatballs—the perfect way to enliven your dinner routine! Blending sweetness, spice, and savory flavors, this simple meal idea is guaranteed to be a hit. Whether served over rice or transformed into a delightful appetizer for a gathering, these tender, saucy meatballs are sure to impress!
Honey Sriracha Meatballs – The EASY Way!
Remember those renowned Crock Pot Party Meatballs that are a staple at family gatherings? These Honey Sriracha Meatballs share a similar charm, but with an Asian-inspired twist—much like my Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs, except this version delivers a bit more heat!
No need to worry, however—the heat is not intense enough to make these pork meatballs overwhelmingly spicy. Instead, you’ll savor just the right amount of sweet heat from the sticky honey sauce. (If you have concerns, feel free to reduce the sriracha in the sauce and let the spice enthusiasts in your family add extra to their portions.)
I love serving this Honey Sriracha Meatball recipe over rice or with stir-fried vegetables for an easy weeknight meal, but it also shines as a party food. Thread them onto toothpicks (maybe along with a bit of pineapple like my Hawaiian Meatballs!), arrange them on a platter, and watch your guests devour them!
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Quick to prepare – While this may look like a time-consuming dish, it actually takes only 15 minutes of prep and another 15 minutes of cooking. Easy peasy!
- Perfect flavor balance – These sriracha meatballs are a blend of sweet, savory, and spicy—the sticky sauce is simply lick-the-spoon good.
- Highly adaptable – Whether you make them as a speedy dinner option or a freezer meal; serve them as appetizers at a gathering or over rice for a weeknight—they’re versatile!
- Child-friendly adjustments – You can tone down the sriracha, and even picky eaters who might avoid the smallest hint of black pepper will likely enjoy these honey sriracha meatballs.
What to Serve with Honey Sriracha Meatballs
This dish captures the essential flavors of Asian cuisine and pairs beautifully with many of your favorite Asian-inspired side dishes. There are classic choices as well as some healthy options to keep the meal light.
Side Dish Ideas
Select one or combine several sides to create a nutritious, well-rounded dinner.
Recipe Notes
In this section, I’ll share some tips and tricks I use to achieve the best, most delicious results with this recipe.
Make sure to scroll down for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
For the meatballs
- Ground pork – The flavor of pork complements the sticky-sweet sauce beautifully in these honey-glazed sriracha meatballs. You can swap in ground chicken, ground turkey, or a mix if you prefer.
- Onion – Any type, such as yellow, white, or sweet onions will work well.
- Panko bread crumbs – Used to help bind the meatballs; gluten-free panko is an option if needed.
- Egg
- Garlic
- Ginger – Fresh ginger is much more aromatic than dried and adds a burst of flavor and moisture to these sweet and spicy sriracha meatballs.
- Salt
- Sesame oil – Should you not have sesame oil available, a neutral-flavored cooking oil can be substituted.
For the sauce
- Butter
- Honey – Opt for a runny honey instead of creamed varieties that come firm in a jar.
- Sriracha – Adjust according to your family’s taste when it comes to spice levels.
- Soy sauce – Tamari works great for a gluten-free alternative.
- Fresh lime juice
Optional garnish
Recipe Suggestions
- Finely chop the onion – You’ll want to avoid large onion pieces in your meatballs, as they can be unappealing to bite into! More importantly, finely diced or grated onions will enhance the moisture in the sriracha meatballs, making them softer. A mini food chopper works wonders for this!
- Prep your ingredients in advance – This recipe moves quickly, so ensure everything is ready to go before you start cooking. You’ll want to avoid stopping mid-preparation!
- Whisk the sauce thoroughly – Initially, the butter may not incorporate with the other sauce ingredients, but keep whisking! Eventually, it will all blend together, creating a thick, sticky glaze for the sweet and spicy meatballs.
- Heat the pan before adding the meatballs – Make sure both the pan and oil are hot enough to give a nice sear to the meatballs. After that, simmer them in the sauce until they reach an internal temperature of 160ºF.
Recipe Shortcuts
If you’re eager to try this recipe but short on time, consider these tips to speed things up!
- Opt for store-bought minced garlic and ginger – Having these on hand can help you get dinner ready quicker!
- Buy a pouch of ready rice – If you’re planning to serve your honey sriracha meatballs over rice, ready-to-eat microwaveable rice is a fantastic time-saver.
- Utilize a food processor or chopper to mince the onion – You need finely chopped or grated onion, so a food processor or chopper will help you achieve this quickly.
- Use pre-made meatballs – If you have frozen a batch of Homestyle Meatballs or prefer to buy them, you can use those instead of making your own.
Recipe Variations
If you enjoy this recipe as much as we do and want to mix it up, consider these simple variations!
- Turkey Honey Sriracha Meatballs – Substitute ground turkey for pork in this recipe.
- Chicken Honey Sriracha Meatballs – Similar to the above, just switch ground chicken for ground pork.
- BBQ Sriracha Meatballs – Instead of the sauce for this recipe, use your favorite barbecue sauce and mix in sriracha to taste.
- Sriracha Teriyaki Meatballs – Instead of making the sauce, use a store-bought teriyaki sauce and include sriracha to your liking.
Freezer Meal Directions
Transforming this Honey Sriracha Meatball recipe into a freezer meal is straightforward! Follow these steps to store this dish in the freezer for up to six months.
- Prepare the meatballs and sauce as instructed in the recipe.
- Freeze the uncooked meatballs in one zip-top bag and the sauce in another.
- Thaw both the sauce and meatballs in the refrigerator, then cook according to the original recipe directions.
Honey Sriracha Meatball Leftovers
If you have any leftovers after…If you’re searching for a delicious way to enjoy Honey Sriracha Meatballs, you’re in luck! These meatballs keep well and can be easily reheated, setting the stage for another delightful meal.
To properly store leftovers, divide them into meal-sized portions, and place them in an airtight container:
– Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
– Freeze for up to a month
### Leftover Recipes
Here are several creative ways to transform those leftovers into something new and delicious!
– **Fried Rice With Honey Sriracha Meatballs** – Toss your reheated meatballs into your favorite fried rice dish.
– **Honey-Glazed Sriracha Meatball Tacos** – Fill a warm tortilla with honey sriracha meatballs and your choice of toppings; halving them works too.
– **Sriracha Meatball Hoagie** – Utilize the leftover meatballs to create a banh mi-inspired sandwich topped with quick-pickled matchstick carrots, cucumber, and a generous swipe of mayo.
– **Sriracha Meatball Noodle Bowls** – Combine the meatballs with stir-fried vegetables over a bed of noodles for a satisfying workday lunch.
### More Pork Recipes
If you enjoyed this dish, I encourage you to explore a few additional simple recipes for another hectic evening!
You can find all of my pork recipes here, as well as some of our readers’ favorites listed below.
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Honey Sriracha Meatballs
These honey sriracha meatballs are tender and packed with flavor, simmered in a delicious sticky-sweet sauce. Serve them as an easy weeknight dinner over rice or offer them on toothpicks as a crowd-pleasing appetizer!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and whisk until the butter is fully integrated. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, onion, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, ginger, and salt. Use your hands to blend the mixture until all ingredients are well incorporated.Shape the pork mixture into meatballs about 1.5 inches in diameter.
Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the meatballs to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until browned.
Pour the sauce mixture over the meatballs and let them simmer for approximately 8-10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked (160˚F internal temperature) and the sauce has thickened. The sauce will continue to thicken and become sticky as it cools.
Recipe Notes
Yields 16-18 meatballsSubstitutions: You can use ground turkey or chicken instead of pork if preferred.
Storage Instructions: Keep honey sriracha meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Freezing Instructions: Freeze the meatballs and sauce in a sealed container or freezer bag for up to a month.
Reheating Instructions: Reheat honey sriracha meatballs in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.
Scaling: This recipe can be doubled or tripled, but you will need to cook in batches.
Nutritional Information
Serving Size: 3meatballs, Calories: 507kcal (25%), Total Carbohydrates: 28g (9%), Protein: 22g (44%), Total Fat: 35g (54%), Saturated Fat: 14g (88%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fats: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 129mg (43%), Sodium: 954mg
(41%), Potassium: 408mg (12%), Fiber: 0.5g (2%), Sugar: 24g (27%), Vitamin A: 302IU (6%), Vitamin C: 10mg (12%), Calcium: 37mg (4%), Iron: 2mg (11%)
