Sweet and Spicy Meatballs
Tender mini meatballs are tossed in a sticky spicy soy and apricot sauce that is hard to resist! Serve them with toothpicks for the perfect little party treat or over rice for a hearty meal.
Servings: 35 mini meatballs
Calories: 56kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper preferably freshly cracked
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes see notes
- sliced green onions optional, for serving
- steamed white rice optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the panko with the water and let it rest for 1 minute or until the panko has absorbed all of the water.
- Add the ground beef, egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the panko crumbs. Using your hands, mix until well combined.
- Scoop out 1 tablespoon of the meatball mixture and roll it into a ball. Place it on the lined baking sheet leaving an inch or two between them. Continue making the rest of the meatballs. You should have 34 to 36 meatballs in total.
- Bake the meatballs for 12 minutes.
- While the meatballs are baking, place the apricot preserves, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a large skillet and heat over medium-high stirring often. Once the mixture has come to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium and continue simmering until the meatballs are done cooking and the sauce has thickened a bit.
- Place the meatballs into the sauce, leaving behind any juices, and toss to combine. Simmer in the sauce for 1 minute.
- Serve warm with toothpicks for an appetizer or with sliced green onions over white rice for a meal.
Notes
- This sauce has a good bit of spice to it. Reduce or increase the amount of red pepper flakes to suit your preferences.
- Break up large pieces of apricot with a wooden spoon or spatula as the sauce simmers.
- Store the meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.4mg
