Can these meatballs be made ahead of time?

Yes! When stored in an airtight container, these sriracha meatballs will last up to 5 days. Or, store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just be sure to keep them separate from the sauce. Otherwise, you’ll get soggy meatballs.

How can I reheat cooked meatballs?

The best way to reheat meatballs is to stick them in the oven at a temperature of 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until they are well heated. However, if you’re in a pinch, the microwave will do. To keep them moist, place a damp cloth or paper towel over them, and microwave for about 1 minute.

Is it better to fry or bake meatballs?

For these Honey Sriracha Meatballs, I suggest sticking with our baking method as it reduces the amount of fat used. Baking also allows for more flavor as the seasonings are locked in when the meatballs begin to brown. If you like your meatballs on the cripsier side, place them under the broiler for a few minutes before they finish cooking.

How can I prevent my meatballs from falling apart?

The key to keeping your meatballs intact is to have the right balance of dry and liquid ingredients. If you have too much liquid, they won’t stick, but if you have too much of your dry ingredients, they will crumble to pieces. If you feel your meatballs are too dry feel free to add more water or an extra egg. Or, if they’re too runny, add a bit more starch. If the batter feels too soft to shape into a ball, then stick the batter in the fridge for 30 minutes or freezer for 10 -15 minutes before rolling.

Honey Sriracha Meatballs

Name: Sweet and Spicy Honey Sriracha Meatballs (Paleo)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: asian american
Ingredients: 1 pound ground lean chicken, turkey, or beef (see notes for cooking time adjustment); 1/4 cup diced red onion; 2 1/2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch or potato starch; 2 Tablespoons Sriracha (see notes for whole30 option); 1 Tablespoon unsweetened tomato sauce or tomato paste; 1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or 1 Tablespoon Tamari sauce; 1/2 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 large clove or 2 small cloves); 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; dash of black pepper; 1 large egg, whisked; 1 1/4 cup tomato sauce (see notes for thicker sauce option); 8 ounces crushed pineapple – partially drained (reserve 1-2 Tablespoons of the pineapple juice, drain the rest); 2 Tablespoons Sriracha or whole30 sriracha; 1/2 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or 1 Tablespoon tamari sauce; 1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 large garlic clove or 2 small cloves); 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to make spicier add more); 2 – 3 Tablespoons honey. Adjust to taste. (Omit for whole 30 option); salt/pepper to taste; Garnishes – fresh cilantro

Description

Sweet and Spicy Honey Sriracha Paleo Meatballs are easy to make and freezer friendly. Made with homemade sweet sriracha sauce, you’ll want to double, even triple batch this recipe for a quick meal when the craving hits. Whole 30 option included.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Recipe updated 6/2021

For the Meatballs:

1 pound ground lean chicken, turkey, or beef (see notes for cooking time adjustment)
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 1/2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch or potato starch
2 Tablespoons Sriracha (see notes for whole30 option)
1 Tablespoon unsweetened tomato sauce or tomato paste
1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or 1 Tablespoon Tamari sauce
1/2 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 large clove or 2 small cloves)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
dash of black pepper
1 large egg, whisked

For the sweet and spicy Sriracha sauce:

1 1/4 cup tomato sauce (see notes for thicker sauce option)
8 ounces crushed pineapple – partially drained (reserve 1-2 Tablespoons of the pineapple juice, drain the rest)
2 Tablespoons Sriracha or whole30 sriracha
1/2 Tablespoon fresh grated ginger or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or 1 Tablespoon tamari sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 large garlic clove or 2 small cloves)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to make spicier add more)
2 – 3 Tablespoons honey. Adjust to taste. (Omit for whole 30 option)
salt/pepper to taste
Garnishes – fresh cilantro

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a large sheet pan or line with foil. Set aside.
In a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), combine the ground meat, onion, starch, sriracha, tomato sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and salt/pepper. Lastly add the whisked egg, stir into mixture.
Using hands or a mixer, mix all ingredients until combined. (A stand mixer works best.) If the batter is too moist, place mixture in fridge to chill/thicken for 30 minutes before rolling into meatballs.
Next, shape mixture into 15-18 meatballs, approximately 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons each (a little larger than the size of a golf ball).
Place on greased baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes (rotating pan halfway), or until they are firm and slightly cooked/browned. Internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit for poultry or 160 degrees Fahrenheit for beef.
While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sweet and spicy sriracha sauce.
In a food processor bowl, blend together tomato sauce, pineapple plus 2 Tablespoons of the juice, sriracha, ginger, vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth.
Add the honey, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and salt/pepper to taste. Blend and taste. Adjust sweetness as needed.
Pour the sweet and spicy sauce in medium pan. Bring to a quick soft boil then reduce and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove cooked meatballs from oven while sauce is simmering.
After the sauce has simmered for 10 minutes, place the baked meatballs in sauce.
Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, coating all meatballs evenly.
Once cooked, remove and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately.
Store leftover meatballs and sauce in a sealed container in fridge for up to 5 days. Or freeze meatballs and sauce (separated) for up to 2 months.

Notes

For thicker sauce blend 2 Tablespoons tomato paste with sauce ingredients before transferring to saucepan.

Whole 30 options- Omit honey in the sauce. Feel free to use an unsweetened chili paste instead of sriracha or my whole30 sriracha sauce.

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Category: appetizer/main
Method: stove
Cuisine: asian american

Nutrition

Serving Size: 3 Meatballs with sauce
Calories: 216
Sugar: 10.1 g
Sodium: 363.4 mg
Fat: 8.8 g
Saturated Fat: 2.4 g
Carbohydrates: 17.1 g
Fiber: 1.9 g
Protein: 18.2 g
Cholesterol: 114.3 mg