30 Minute Korean Beef Bulgogi Meatballs

Published: Aug 5, 2024 by Lucy · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

These Korean beef bulgogi meatballs are so juicy, and are packed with sweet and salty flavours.

Popular with all the family, these oven baked meatballs take just 10 minutes to prepare, and dinner can be on the table in under 30 minutes!

These juicy oven baked meatballs are packed full of sweet, salty bulgogi flavour, using the marinade in both the meatball itself AND then to coat the meatball before being browned in the oven.

For a fuss-free family dinner you cannot go wrong with meatballs! From Asian turkey meatballs to Italian sausage meatballs, and these oven baked Thai chicken meatballs that are packed with SO much flavour, they are guaranteed to be greeted with BIG smiles when served!

The perfect beef mince recipe for busy weeknights. If your family are fans of burgers and beef rissoles, then they will LOVE these Korean beef meatballs too!

Why You’re Going To Love This Recipe

• Easy recipe – bulgogi meatballs take just 10 minutes to prepare: just mix, roll and bake! No frying required.
• Full of flavour – made with bulgogi marinade, onion and ginger, these meatballs are bursting with flavour!
• Economical meal – made with beef mince and served with rice, this is a budget friendly family meal.
• Family favourite – tasty oven baked beef meatballs are loved by both young and old!
• Freezer friendly – bulgogi meatballs can be frozen both uncooked AND once cooked, making them perfect for meal prepping.
• Conventional and Thermomix – both methods are written in the recipe card at the end of the post.

What You Need 

These oven baked beef meatballs are made from just 8 basic ingredients!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

• Beef mince – also known as ground beef.
• Bulgogi marinade – used both inside and to coat the meatballs.
• Panko crumbs – are a Japanese-style breadcrumb that are larger and lighter than regular breadcrumbs. You can buy them from the international/Asian section of any major supermarket. If panko crumbs are unavailable, you can use regular breadcrumbs.
• Brown onion – medium, or use a yellow onion.
• Minced ginger – gives the meatballs a subtle Asian flavour! You can use fresh ginger and grate it yourself, or store bought minced ginger.
• Spring onions – also called green onions.
• Salt and pepper – to season.
• Sesame seeds – these are optional but make a tasty and pretty garnish to sprinkle over the meatballs when serving.
• Extra spring onions – to garnish.

Equipment Required 

• Large mixing bowl or Thermomix – for mixing the meatball ingredients.
• Baking tray – for baking the meatballs on.
• Oven – I use a fan forced oven. If you use a conventional oven, increase the temperature by 10-20 degrees celsius.

Step By Step Instructions

It takes just 10 minutes to prepare these easy Korean bulgogi meatballs!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

Step 1 – Place Meatball Ingredients Into A Bowl

Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius (fan forced).

Lightly grease a non-stick baking tray with cooking oil and set aside. Note: if you don’t have a non-stick tray, line your tray with baking paper. 

Place the beef mince, ½ cup bulgogi marinade, panko crumbs, finely diced onion, ginger, spring onions, salt and pepper into a bowl.

Mix well to combine all ingredients.

Step 2 – Roll Into Balls

Take 1 tablespoon of mixture and roll into a ball using wet hands (see ‘Expert Tips’ section below for tips on rolling the meatballs).

Step 3 – Bake

Place meatballs onto the prepared baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Remove the meatballs from the oven and brush the tops with the remaining bulgogi marinade. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Place back into the oven for a further 5 minutes. 

Serve immediately with steamed rice and finely sliced spring onions (optional).

Expert Tips

• Rolling the meatballs – the mixture will be very sticky so wet your hands with water before rolling the mixture to stop it sticking to your hands and this will ensure your meatballs are perfectly round in shape. You can also add a little more panko crumbs if the mixture is too wet.
• Baking tray – if you don’t have a non-stick tray, line your tray with baking paper. 
• Storing – store any leftover cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat thoroughly before consuming (or serve cold).
• Freezing uncooked meatballs – you can prepare the beef meatball mixture, roll into balls and freeze spread separately on a tray before storing the uncooked meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost in the fridge before baking in the oven as per the recipe instructions.
• Freezing cooked meatballs – you can also freeze any leftover cooked meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Either allow the meatballs to defrost in the fridge before reheating or reheat directly from frozen. Ensure the meatballs are hot all the way through before consuming.

FAQs

For more family friendly dinner recipes made with beef mince, check out these popular recipes:

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Bulgogi Meatballs

Flavour packed Korean Beef Bulgogi Meatballs made with bulgogi marinade! Serve with steamed jasmine rice for an easy family dinner.

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Course: dinners, healthy snacks

Cuisine: Korean

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 serves

Calories: 519kcal

Author: Lucy – Bake Play Smile

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius (fan forced).

• Lightly grease a non-stick baking tray with cooking oil and set aside. Note: If you don’t have a non-stick tray, line your tray with baking paper.
• Place the beef mince, ½ cup bulgogi marinade, panko crumbs, finely diced onion, ginger, spring onions, salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix to combine.If using a Thermomix: Place the brown onion and spring onion stems (roughly chopped into the Thermomix bowl. Mix for 5 seconds, Speed 6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat until finely chopped. Place all remaining ingredients into the Thermomix bowl and mix for 5 seconds, Speed 4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for another 5 seconds or until combined.

• Take 1 tablespoon of mixture and roll into a ball using wet hands (see Notes).

• Place onto the prepared baking tray.Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove the meatballs from the oven and brush the tops with the remaining bulgogi marinade. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

• Place back into the oven for a further 5 minutes.

• Serve immediately with steamed rice and finely sliced spring onions.

Notes

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS
Ingredients Info:

• Panko crumbs – help to bind the meatballs together. Panko crumbs are a Japanese-style breadcrumb that are larger and lighter than regular breadcrumbs. You can buy them from the international/Asian section of any major supermarket. If panko crumbs are unavailable, you can use regular breadcrumbs.
• Bulgogi marinade – available in most major supermarkets, usually in the sauces or Asian section. Bulgogi marinade is a Korean BBQ sauce, similar, but with more depth of flavour, than teriyaki marinade.

More Recipe Tips:

• Rolling the balls – the mixture will be very sticky so wet your hands with water before rolling the mixture to stop it sticking to your hands and this will ensure your meatballs are perfectly round in shape. You can also add a little more panko crumbs if the mixture is too wet.
• Storing – store any leftover cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat thoroughly before consuming (or serve cold).
• Freezing uncooked meatballs – you can prepare the beef meatball mixture, roll into balls, and freeze uncooked in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost in the fridge before baking in the oven as per the recipe instructions.
• Freezing cooked meatballs – you can also freeze any leftover cooked meatballs in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Either allow the meatballs to defrost in the fridge before reheating or reheat directly from frozen. Ensure the meatballs are hot all the way through before consuming though.

Nutrition

Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1140mg | Potassium: 459mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 4mg