The very best keto-friendly Korean BBQ inspired meatball recipe you will find!
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Peace, family.
We love Korean BBQ sauce. We found a really great brand one day at HEB and started eating it on literally everything. Chicken wings, short ribs, ice cream…okay, maybe not ice cream, but still. We loved it. It was a great way to get a small taste of the Korean BBQ experience without having to brave the crowds at popular restaurants. The problem? It had slightly more sugar than we could consume and still adhere to our low-carb lifestyle. *Whispers* It was so dang good though. Ugh.
The lack of reduced sugar options led to me wanting to develop a recipe for my own Korean BBQ inspired sauce. It ended up being easier than I thought. I threw various combinations of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar substitute, garlic, butter, ginger and chili powder in my sauce pan until I found the taste that most closely resembled what I was going for. It’s SO delicious – I can’t believe I didn’t try a homemade version sooner. I’ve used my version to make a Korean BBQ inspired meatloaf that was an absolute hit at a gathering we hosted last year. I’ll post the recipe for that one ASAP.
We all know that soy sauce is on the saltier side of things. It’s for that reason that you will not see any salt added to my sauce recipe. If you want, grab some low sodium soy sauce and start there; then add salt if you choose and have more control over the sodium content.
Meatball recipes are so popular, and for good reason. They’re highly customizable and can be made any number of ways. There’s the ever-popular Swedish meatballs, similar to the ones sold at Ikea (our favorite place to get lost in for a few hours.) There’s also turkey meatballs, chicken meatballs, crockpot meatballs, and meatballs made with jelly and/or breadcrumbs. I think you’ll find that this recipe holds its own up against these iconic versions.
How to make Korean BBQ Inspired Meatballs
The best part about this dish is how easy it is to make! You can’t be afraid of getting your hands dirty, though. In a large glass bowl, I added 2 pounds of ground beef, 2 eggs, some tried and true salt & pepper, chili powder, and a diced garlic glove. I mixed it all with my (clean, obsessively clean) hands. I then formed the meatballs and allowed them to bake for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan I added the ingredients for my Korean barbecue sauce, in no particular order, whisked until well combined, and allowed it to simmer on medium until it thickened. I then removed the meatballs from the oven, drained the excess oil and fat, then coated them in the sauce before returning them to the oven for another 10 minutes. Finally, I garnished with toasted sesame seeds and freshly chopped parsley.
You can serve these meatballs as a side dish, or even as a party appetizer. For a main dish, you can serve over steamed cauliflower rice with a side of broccoli, or just plain old rice if counting carbs is not your thing. You may choose to just stand over the stove and just eat them right out of the pot with a fork; I’m not saying that this is what I did, I’m just saying that it’s something you can do. Do with that information what you will.
This recipe is as easy as it gets! Try it out and let me know what you think.
Peace,
Adri
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Korean BBQ Inspired Meatballs | Keto, Low-Carb
The very best keto-friendly Korean BBQ inspired meatball recipe you will find!
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 lbs Ground Beef
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper, ground
- 1 tsp. Chili Powder
- 1 Garlic Clove, chopped
Sauce
- 3/4 Cup Soy Sauce
- 1/3 Cup Swerve Brown Sugar Replacement
- 1 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 tsp. Ginger, freshly grated
- 1/2 tbsp. Butter
- 1 Garlic Clove, chopped
Garnishment
- Sesame Seeds, to taste
- Fresh Parsley, chopped, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°
- In a large glass bowl, combine the beef, eggs, salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic. Use hands to mix until well combined.
- Form beef mixture into meatballs and arrange on a baking tray or large cast iron skillet.
- Bake for 30 minutes
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan on your stove top, combine soy sauce,Swerve brown sugar replacement, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger, butter, and garlic over medium heat.
- Allow sauce to cook and thicken, about 5 minutes, whisking periodically.
- Remove meatballs from oven and coat with sauce.
- Return to oven for an additional 10 minutes.
- Finally, remove from oven and garnish with sesame seeds and parsley to taste.
I am big fan of Korean foods and always love to eat and cook korean recipe. Thanks for this great recipe tutorial. Can’t wait to try out this today.
This is so delicious. Served over cauliflower rice for an easy, low carb meal.
I’m SO happy you enjoyed the recipe ❤️. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Would substituting gochugaru for the chili powder be ok? I think it’s a little more authentic, and it’s pretty easy to find these days.