• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Asian Caucasian Food Blog
  • Home
  • All Recipes
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • ABOUT
    • CONTACT
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Appetizers & Snacks

    Sweet and Spicy BBQ Meatballs

    January 19, 2022 · Published: June 18, 2018 By: Asian Caucasian 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Fire up the grill for these drool-worthy, gluten-free Sweet and Spicy BBQ Meatballs! These are the BEST Asian-inspired meatballs you'll ever put in your mouth! They're made with ground ground turkey and pork, herbs and seasonings, and a super simple glaze of classic flavors.

    A row of skewered sweet and spicy BBQ meatballs on top of a thin white rectangular serving platter with a black and white checkered napkin and mug of beer on the side.

    No kidding, these Sweet and Spicy BBQ Meatballs are to die for, and they grill to perfection! You can grill them on or off the skewers.

    Honestly, they can break if you don't have a thick enough skewer for these meatballs, so you can just cook them right on the grill pan. I suggest using a grill pan instead of placing them on an open grill so they don't fall through.

    How do I make the meatballs?

    1. You'll need a large mixing bowl to combine the turkey, pork, garlic, green onions, sambal oelek, red curry paste, gluten-free soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, cilantro, and bread crumbs.
    2. Mix until mixture holds together well. and form into 25 two-inch round balls (I like to use a small scooper to make the meatballs uniform in size).
    3. Then thread the meatballs onto metal or wooden skewers with pearl onions in between the meatballs (about 3 meatballs per skewer).
    4. Place the skewers on an oiled grill rack or grill pan, turning to brown on all sides until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Brush the meatballs with the glaze about halfway through.
    5. Remove skewers from grill and spoon more glaze over the meatballs. Delish!
    A woman's hand forming meatballs above a glass mixing bowl with already formed meatballs inside the bowl, and a large glass mixing bowl on the side with the meatball mixture.

    I like to use a small scooper to form the meatballs so they stay uniform, making 2-inch meatballs.

    TIP: Place the meatballs in the freezer to firm up before threading onto skewers. That way they won't fall apart!

    Metal skewers of grilled meatballs with pearl onions in between on top of a grill pan and grilled pearl onions on the side.

    Grill up these meatballs on metal or wooden skewers with pearl onions in between. I think using a grill pan keeps them intact. I threw some pearl onions onto the grill to caramelize and they paired nicely with the meatballs. You can skewer a thick veggie, like zucchini, if that's your thing. I like to serve these as an appetizer with little baby skewers spiked into each meatball.

    A woman's hand picking up a skewered sweet and spicy BBQ meatball above a row of meatballs placed on a thin white rectangular serving platter with a mug of beer and a checkered napkin on the side.

    These Sweet and Spicy BBQ Meatballs will WOW your tastebuds! Holy Meatballs, Batman! Serve these at your next BBQ or dinner party and get ready for some ultimate praising!

    So much love in these meatballs! The flavor is incredible and the glaze is great on just about any protein!

    Follow my blog with Bloglovin!

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    A woman's hand picking up a skewered sweet and spicy BBQ meatball above a row of meatballs placed on a thin white rectangular serving platter with a mug of beer and a checkered napkin on the side.

    Sweet and Spicy BBQ Meatballs

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Fire up the grill for these drool-worthy, gluten-free Sweet and Spicy BBQ Meatballs! These are the BEST Asian-inspired meatballs you'll ever put in your mouth! They're made with ground ground turkey and pork, herbs and seasonings, and a super simple glaze of classic flavors.

    • Total Time: 25 mins
    • Yield: 25 meatballs 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    For the meatballs:

    • 1 pound ground turkey
    • 1 pound ground pork
    • 3 cloves crushed garlic
    • 4 green onions, finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
    • 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
    • 1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
    • ¾ cup gluten-free bread crumbs
    • 1 cup pearl onions, peeled
    • Chopped green onions for garnish

    For the glaze:

    • 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
    • 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
    • ¼ cup honey
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons corn starch
    • 2 tablespoons warm water

    Instructions

    Make the meatballs:

    1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, pork, garlic, green onions, sambal oelek, red curry paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, cilantro, and bread crumbs. Mix until mixture holds together well.
    2. Form into 25 two-inch round balls (I like to use a small scooper to make the meatballs uniform in size). Place the meatballs into the freezer for about 10 minutes. (This helps to keep the meatballs firm for threading onto the skewers.)
    3. Remove from freezer and thread the meatballs onto metal or wooden skewers with pearl onions in between the meatballs (about 3 meatballs per skewer).
    4. Make the glaze: In a small mixing bowl whisk together the soy sauce, Sriracha, honey, and brown sugar.
    5. In a separate small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and water until dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture the sauce mixture and combine well.
    6. Place the sauce in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken into a glaze. Do not overcook or it will burn and be too thick! Remove from stove and set aside, stirring occasionally.

    Grill the skewers:

    1. Place the skewers on an oiled grill rack or grill pan, turning to brown on all sides until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Brush the meatballs with the glaze about halfway through.
    2. Remove skewers from grill and spoon more glaze over the meatballs. Serve with pearl onions. Garnish with green onions.

    Notes

    • Place the meatballs in the freezer to firm up before threading onto skewers. That way they won't fall apart!
    • You can use either a grill pan or outdoor grill for these meatballs.
    • Author: Asian Caucasian
    • Prep Time: 15 mins
    • Cook Time: 10 mins
    • Category: Appetizer
    • Method: Grill
    • Cuisine: Asian-Fusion
    • Diet: Gluten Free

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 5 Meatballs
    • Calories: 573
    • Sugar: 25 g
    • Sodium: 1095.7 mg
    • Fat: 29.1 g
    • Carbohydrates: 39.3 g
    • Protein: 38.6 g
    • Cholesterol: 165.2 mg

    Keywords: meatballs, easy meatball recipe, BBQ, BBQ meatballs, spicy meatballs, turkey meatballs, pork meatballs

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @AsianCaucasianBlog on Instagram and hashtag  #AsianCaucasianEats

    « Asian Style Tofu Burger
    Lobster Bánh Mì »

    You may also like:

    A large black bowl filled with Chinese chicken salad featuring shredded chicken, shredded carrots, broccoli slaw, scallions, water chestnuts and chow mein noodles, with a pair of brown chopsticks on top and a linen napkin on the side.

    Easy Chinese Chicken Salad

    Two bowls filled with Chinese curry chicken and potatoes with whole red chili peppers on top all placed on a white wooden board with a white spoon on the side.

    25 Easy Chinese New Year Recipes

    Two white bowls with Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken with a fork on top placed on top of a marble surface.

    20 Healthy Asian Salad Recipes

    A bowl of Furikake chex mix with a linen napkin on the side and a baking tray in the background.

    Furikake Chex Mix Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mike from Chili Pepper Madness

      June 18, 2018 at 4:43 pm

      It's hard to go wrong with meatballs! I always love the combination of turkey and pork. Definitely one of my faves. This looks like just the right amount of spicy for me.

      Reply
      • Asian Caucasian

        June 18, 2018 at 5:16 pm

        Well you have the best spices, Mike! Wish I had some for my grilled meatballs.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Lesli Schwartz.

    Hi, I'm Lesli! Welcome to Asian Caucasian, a healthy-ish food blog born out of a passion for home-cooked, Asian-inspired cuisine. I always cook with market-fresh ingredients and prepare simplistic, healthy Asian recipes so you can throw away those take-out menus! Come share my culinary love of beautiful Asian-fusion food, and get cooking in the kitchen! READ MORE!

    Let's Connect

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Reader Favorites!

    Easy Chinese Chicken Salad

    A large black bowl filled with Chinese chicken salad featuring shredded chicken, shredded carrots, broccoli slaw, scallions, water chestnuts and chow mein noodles, with a pair of brown chopsticks on top and a linen napkin on the side.

    25 Easy Chinese New Year Recipes

    Two bowls filled with Chinese curry chicken and potatoes with whole red chili peppers on top all placed on a white wooden board with a white spoon on the side.

    20 Healthy Asian Salad Recipes

    Two white bowls with Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken with a fork on top placed on top of a marble surface.

    Furikake Chex Mix Recipe

    A bowl of Furikake chex mix with a linen napkin on the side and a baking tray in the background.

    Christmas Popcorn Santa Munch

    Christmas popcorn Santa munch in a white bowl on top of a round wooden board with a green napkin on the side.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact Us
    • Work with Us
    • Featured In

    © 2016-2022 Asian Caucasian

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission.
    If you want to share this recipe, please provide a link back to this post for the original recipe.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT