This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Juicy oven-baked chicken meatballs with kimchi, gochujang and ginger. A little sweet, a little spicy and so easy to make. Serve over rice with a smashed cucumber salad and a quick two-ingredient kimchi mayo for a weeknight dinner you’ll want to make over and over again!
Pin this now to find it later!
Pin ItWhy you’ll love this recipe
I’ve been on a real kimchi kick as of late. Or more so the past five to seven years. In college, it saved a lot of really sad, bland meals. It’s tangy, a little sweet and spicy and a total cheat code for adding flavor with barely any effort. For these meatballs, I experimented by chopping up some kimchi and adding it directly to the ground meat.
Here’s why I love these kimchi chicken meatballs:
- Lots of flavor, not a lot of effort: Store-bought kimchi and gochujang do all the heavy lifting.
- They’re BAKED not fried: more hands-off, a little healthier and you still get that delicious caramelization on the outside
- Good for meal prep. The meatballs reheat well, and the sauce keeps in the fridge.
- Kimchi mayo sauce: I first made this for my Gochujang Chicken Bowls, it’s two ingredients and so addictive.
Ingredients
Ground chicken. You can also use ground turkey.
Panko breadcrumbs. Panko soaks up the juices from the chicken and kimchi and holds them in as the meatballs bake. That keeps them tender and helps them hold their shape. Use gluten-free panko if needed.
Kimchi. A tangy, salty, spicy fermented Korean side dish/condiment and one of my favorite ways to add flavor to otherwise boring food. Napa cabbage kimchi is the classic choice. Chop it finely, since large pieces make the meatballs harder to roll and more likely to fall apart.
Scallions. Adds a mild onion flavor.
Garlic and ginger. Freshly minced garlic and grated ginger build on the flavors already in the kimchi.
Gochujang. A Korean fermented chili paste that adds heat, a little sweetness and savory depth. Heat levels vary by brand, and many tubs list the level on the label. Most brands contain wheat.
Kosher salt. Kimchi is already salty, so don’t add more than the recipe calls for.
Olive oil. For coating your hands while rolling and for greasing the pan so the meatballs don’t stick to the foil.
How to make Kimchi Chicken Meatballs
Step 1: Prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a sheet pan with foil.
Step 2: Mix the meatballs. Add the ground chicken, panko, kimchi, scallions, garlic, gochujang, ginger and salt to a large bowl. Mix with your hands until everything is evenly distributed. It will be a little sticky, that’s ok!
Step 3: Roll the meatballs. With oiled hands, roll the mixture into about 14 golf ball-sized meatballs. Keep them the same size so they cook at the same rate.
Recipe tip: Ground chicken is much stickier than other ground meats. drizzle a little olive oil on your hands before rolling, and add more as you go. This also helps the meatballs brown and crisp up in the oven so win-win.
Step 4: Bake. Drizzle a little olive oil over the foil and spread it around. Arrange the meatballs with some space between them. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until they’re lightly browned and no longer pink in the center.
Step 5: Make the kimchi mayo. While the meatballs bake, whisk the mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons of kimchi brine until smooth. Taste and add another tablespoon of brine if you want it tangier or thinner.
Step 6: Serve. Spoon rice into bowls, add the meatballs and sliced cucumbers, and drizzle with kimchi mayo.
Serving ideas
- Any quick pickled veggies. I like cucumbers but you can try carrots, radishes, and/or daikon. Slice (or smash) the veggies and add a splash of rice vinegar, a good amount of salt and a pinch of sugar.
- Rice: Classic, great for meal prep. I like jasmine rice here.
- Make it a sandwich. Take a toasted baguette or another crusty bread and make a meatball sub with the kimchi mayo and pickled veggies.
Storage + reheating
Store the cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the kimchi mayo in a separate container in the fridge.
Reheat the meatballs in a 350°F oven or an air fryer for 5–8 minutes, or in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out.
To freeze, let the baked meatballs cool, freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the oven until hot all the way through. Don’t freeze the kimchi mayo.
More meatball recipes
Leek and Rice Turkey Meatballs
Lemon Thyme Meatballs with Pumpkin Orzo
Baked Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Golden Rice
Harissa Meatballs with Fregola and Lemony Yogurt
Made this recipe? I would love to hear what you think in the review section down below! Also, make sure to tag @wandering_chickpea on Instagram with your creations and save this recipe on Pinterest for later
Kimchi Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup kimchi, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- Olive oil for rolling
- Rice and cucumbers for serving
Kimchi mayo
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2-3 tbsp kimchi brine
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F and line a sheet pan with foil.
- Combine all meatballs ingredients in a large bowl and use your hands to thoroughly mix. Coat your hands in olive oil and roll out roughly 14 meatballs (about golf ball-sized).
- Spread a drizzle of olive oil on the sheet pan and bake the meatballs for 10-12 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.
- For the kimchi mayo, whisk together the mayonnaise and kimchi brine until smooth.
- Serve the meatballs over rice with cucumber and a drizzle of kimchi mayo.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
