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4.94 from 45 votes

Sticky Asian Meatballs (Whole30 + Paleo)

All the sweet-savory, take-out flavors you love come together in these sticky Asian meatballs. They’re tender, juicy, and coated in a glossy soy-style glaze made with coconut aminos, ginger, and garlic. You’d never guess they’re Whole30 and Paleo-friendly but y’all, they taste even better than restaurant meatballs!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Dish/Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Asian meatballs
Servings: 20 -21 meatballs (6 servings)
Author: Ashley McCrary

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 2 lbs ground beef 90/10 or can sub ground turkey or chicken
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped onions
  • 1/2 cup almond flour add more if needed can sub ⅓ cup GF breadcrumbs or ½ cup crushed pork rihnds for low carb or allergies
  • 1 Tbsp coconut aminos
  • 2 garlic cloves finely minced
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • Garnish: green onions and sesame seeds

Sticky Asian Sauce

  • 1/2 cup coconut aminos
  • 3 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot powder dissolved in 2 tbsp water
  • Optional: 1 tbsp honey or powdered monk fruit adjust for sweetness
  • Jasmin Rice for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F and coat a baking sheet pan with avocado oil cooking spray. Mix all meatball ingredients until just combined. Add more almond flour if needed.
  • Form into golf ball-sized meatballs and place on the sheet. Bake 18-22 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through and nicely browned on the outside.
  • Meanwhile, whisk sauce ingredients (except arrowroot) in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in dissolved arrowroot; cook until thick and glossy. Add sweetener if desired.
  • Toss hot meatballs in the sauce until coated. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve warm.

Notes

  • For Keto, sub 1/4 tsp xanthan gum 
  • If you are sensitive to salt, you maybe only want to do 1/4 tsp of salt in the meatballs compared to the 1/2 tsp, or remove the salt all together. The coconut aminos is already pretty salty. So just use your judgement. You can also add a touch more water to the sauce to tone it down if needed.
  • Feel free to add 1 tbsp of honey or Monk Fruit Syrup if you are NOT following a Whole30. 
This recipe has been updated. I know I have a lot of followers who still love the original. Listing that below. 
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Asian Sticky Sauce

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  • OPTIONAL: 1 Tbsp Honey or Monk Fruit Syrup 

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 380mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 12IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg