Korean Meatballs and Noodles Recipe (2024)

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Kitchen Gadget Girl

I baked the meatballs in a 12 inch cast iron skillet, which made the pan sauce a breeze. Also used half ground beef and half ground pork, and a Braeburn apple. Recipes doubles well.

perryan

I didn't think the assertiveness and sweetness of the gochujang would complement udon or pasta so I stuck with serving the meatballs in the traditional manner with regular kalbi or bulgogi with short grain rice, kimchi and lettuce. It was fantastic. Next time I will consider adding cilantro to the meatball mixture.

Lee

As a Korean American, I love to increase the flavor, so I increased to a teaspoon of grated ginger, a teaspoon of black pepper and upped the garlic to six cloves. Tastes great. Definitely recommend greasing the foil to prevent burns. Also, to get the pan juices, drain them about halfway in (you'll be cooking them in the sauce pan so no need to worry about bacteria) before the juices evaporate and start burning. I also did half gochujang and half ketchup for my kids and it was just right.

Sylvia

Meatballs delicious despite the fact that the pan juices burned off in the oven so could not add anything to the sauce. Woudld recommend greasing the pan slightly to avoid burning buttom of meatballs.

Steve H

The meatballs would be very delicious on bahn mi bread with a gochujang mayonnaise.

Caroline Hwang

By gochujang do you mean 2 tbsp of the hot red paste? Or do you mean 2 tbsp of the paste mixed with sugar and vinegar?

seoul cooker

This dish is great as the cookbook intended, eaten wrapped in leafy greens with scallions and a dab of gochuchang. Perhaps a squirt of sriracha, and an assortment of banchan (little Korean side dishes). And lose the breadcrumbs ... very inauthentic.

We don't need pasta with our Korean meatballs. The original is tastier is and healthier.

P.S. Gochuchang is available in lots of markets, including Whole Foods. Look for the "Mother In Law" brand. Yummy.

Christine

We really enjoyed this dish. And it was meant to be as I found a jar of gochujang at the grocery that very day. Look forward to making this again soon.

ps - 1/3 cup pear was one pear.

Marcel

I usually add one tablespoon each of doenjang (or miso), soy sauce, sake and mirin to the sauce, as well as about one teaspoon of honey. Makes the sauce much more complex and tasty, especially the doenjang.

JudiM

Excellent! I used half ground turkey and half ground chuck for the meatballs and included a bit of cilantro. The udon noodles were a split decision; my husband loved them, I would've preferred linguine.

Thanks to the reviewer who recommended using a potato masher to combine the meatball ingredients.

I used gochujang hot sauce in a 10-oz bottle.

I baked the meatballs as directed, but in a 12" stainless sauté/roasting pan (sprayed), made the sauce in the same pan. A keeper!

Esther

The meatballs were wonderful! We are big Korean food fans, and the whole family like this. I didn't do too well with the gochujang and pasta. I used sweet potato noodles from the Korean store, which were excellent, but I the gochujang I used was too spicy hot. It was still good, but.... Next time I will serve it with romaine leaves, gochujang, kimchi, and rice.

Leobot

The meatballs themselves were good and a snap to make. I baked them in cast iron so that I could just make the sauce in the same pan. Even so, the pasta ended up kind of dry and didn't really integrate much with the meatballs. I think next time I'll just serve them with rice or wrapped in lettuce.

Dr Betsy

Really, really good. You do need to use the higher-fat ground beef, or the recipe comes out a little tame.

CJC

Proposed sauce is not nearly enough

S.F.

Used fine ground kasha, lamb, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup instead of breadcrumbs, beef, rice wine vinegar and honey. An extra egg would have been helpful. Added 1 tsp gochujang to the meat mix, pressed the mixture into a greased 8" square pan and baked it like a loaf. Excellent.

Lisa in NC

Instead of the homemade marinade I used jarred version of kalbi marinade. It made the recipe much quicker and easier for a weeknight. I didn’t use any foil so I was able to deglaze my roasting pan over a burner without dirtying another pan.

robert

I only had Italian breadcrumbs so I made this like a quick and dirty Bolognese and it was excellent

Foodie Farmer

Made as described. Used a small stay with STEEL. roasting pan to make sure the juices were retained, no foil needed. Loved the heat, sweet and deep flavor!

Caro

Loved the flavours of this, esp the sweetness of the honey/pear and tang of other spices. For a lighter dish I served on bed of salad greens

yessie

This was so good! It really hits the spot of spicy, salty, and sweet.

Andrew Smyth

I made this last night and just ate the leftovers for lunch. Thank you Lee and Kitchen Gadget Girl for the great tips. This is a fantastic recipe and really hit the spot.

Lisa

I used Impossible ground beef, it worked but I would leave out the pear because it made the "meat" watery and I couldn't taste it. Still baked nicely but no juices to contribute to the sauce.

Andrew Smyth

The cast iron pan was perfect and gala apple worked well. Thanks for the tips.

Grace

Used Mike’s Hot Honey in the meatballs. 10/10 would recommend if you have some on hand

Charley

Very tasty. The honey, ginger and pear give the meat a distinctive flavor. I don’t like baking meatballs. Dries them out. So I sautéed in a little olive oil. They’re not going to hold their shape, if that matters to you. Used whole wheat vermicelli since I didn’t have udon. Double the sauce.

Heidi S. (Woodinville)

Didn't have fruit so I grated in a small zucchini, and I was little short on the honey (1 tbsp). Based on comments, I wasn't expecting lot pan drippings, so I used more spicy ketchup and onions to bulk out the sauce, which was just enough to dress the meatballs. I loved this recipe. 5 stars!

grace

My kid doesn’t like baked meatballs so I sautéed the meat and combined the rest of the liquid and added after cooking meat, onions, garlic, and ginger. So made a meat sauce. Delicious.

M

heaping 1/4c apple butter, 2T scallion and harrisa, 1T gochugaru and ginger and garlic and soya and hoysin and sesame oil and mirin and rice vinegar

Rachel

This was simultaneously too spicy, too bitter, and too bland. It was also way too fussy for what it was. We used pre-ground beef (90/10), so maybe that was the issue, but we had basically no pan drippings.

Rahul

Completely botched this. I used a peach because I couldn’t find any pears at the grocery store otherwise stuck to the recipe. My meatballs fell apart, I very CLEARLY don’t know how to make udon noodles - but man. Delicious! It may have been a mess but it was a tasty mess.

sarah p

I substituted Impossible meat and omitted the egg and it was a delicious vegan dish. I also upped the garlic and ginger.

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Korean Meatballs and Noodles Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are Korean meatballs made of? ›

Korean meatballs are typically made with ground beef, crumbs, eggs, and Asian flavors like gochujang, garlic, scallions, ginger, and soy sauce.

How to make meatballs that don t fall apart in sauce? ›

You can do a few things while preparing the meatballs to ensure they don't fall apart once they go into the tomato sauce.
  1. Don't add too much moisture: ...
  2. Keep the meat as cold as possible: ...
  3. Don't overwork the meat: ...
  4. Add meatballs to a simmering sauce, and don't over-stir:
Mar 15, 2019

How to make meatballs that hold together? ›

How to make meatballs that won't fall apart
  1. Massage your meat. True story. ...
  2. Add breadcrumbs. Add breadcrumbs to the mixture, but not too many breadcrumbs. ...
  3. Add egg. ...
  4. Don't add much apart from meat. ...
  5. Roll your meatballs in flour. ...
  6. Give your meatballs space. ...
  7. Shake your meatballs. ...
  8. Brown your meatballs first.
Mar 3, 2022

What kind of meatballs does Noodles and Company use? ›

The meatballs are blend of pork, beef, Italian herbs, Parmesan and garlic. Noodles & Company said the meatballs also can be added to any of its 18 menu items, such as Wisconsin Mac & Cheese, Penne Rosa or Mushroom Stroganoff. Asmall order of Spaghetti & Meatballs is priced at $5.25 and a regular is $7.25.

What is the Korean meat dish called? ›

Bulgogi, or Korean barbecued beef, is made with marinated sliced beef. Most recipes call for crushed pear to tenderize the meat.

What are homemade meatballs made of? ›

Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Mix in cheese, eggs, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add bread crumbs and slowly mix in water, 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture is moist but still holds its shape (I usually use about 1 1/4 cups of water); shape into meatballs.

Should you cook meatballs before putting in sauce? ›

You can brown the uncooked meatballs in a sauté pan before adding them to the sauce. You can brown them in the oven. Or you can skip browning altogether and put the raw meatballs straight into the sauce to cook.

Do meatballs get more tender the longer they cook in sauce? ›

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

What is the secret of a tender meatball? ›

They are super flavorful but what makes them so so tender and moist is this: Plain Greek Yogurt. The lactic acid from the yogurt tenderizes the meat while adding subtle flavor. The addition of egg and parmesan cheese help keep the meat together so that you get delicious weeknight meatballs in minutes.

What does adding milk to meatballs do? ›

Milk: Adds moisture and tenderizes the meat, making our meatballs juicy and tender once cooked. Egg: Adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up once cooked. Parmesan: My secret ingredient for the best meatballs! Parmigiano-Reggiano adds flavor and salt to our mixture.

What is a good binder for meatballs? ›

Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

Why do my meatballs fall apart when I cook them? ›

Because meat shrinks when cooked, mince proteins are likely to separate and crumble unless bound together. Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart.

What is a spaghetti with meatballs called? ›

However, combinations of pasta with meat date back at least to the Middle Ages, and pasta (including long pasta) dishes with tomato sauce and different types of meatballs are documented in certain Italian regions and in modern Italian cookbooks as maccheroni alle polpette (translated as 'spaghetti with meatballs') and ...

Which pasta is most widely used with meatballs? ›

Spaghetti: The most famous long pasta shape, spaghetti mixes wonderfully with a variety of sauces. It's the classic shape to serve with meatballs.

What do Italians have with meatballs? ›

You can add the meatballs to the Authentic Italian Homemade Tomato Sauce and serve it with a side salad, some focaccia bread and some red wine and you will have a great Italian meal! In Italy we serve meatballs with tomato sauce in the South and over polenta in the North. We never eat meatballs over spaghetti.

What are traditional meatballs made of? ›

Meat: Some say that it's more old-school for traditional Italian cooks to use a combination of beef, veal and pork to make meatballs (and you can too). Because ground veal isn't as readily available, I prefer to use a half-and-half mixture of ground beef and ground pork for the best texture and flavor.

What are most meatballs made of? ›

Meatballs. Meatballs consist of finely minced meat, vegetables, seasonings, and binders like eggs and breadcrumbs to help keep them together. They are then cooked and served in a myriad of ways. These can be made from chicken, fish, beef, or pork.

What meat are Subway meatballs made from? ›

Subway meatballs are made with 100% beef. How many calories are in a Subway meatball sub? There are 480 calories in a 6-inch Subway meatball sandwich with basic salad and cheese.

What are Thai meatballs made of? ›

The meatballs are a pretty simple mix of ground chicken, garlic, ginger, and lots of black pepper. Roll this all together, then pan-fry the meatballs in a bit of olive oil to get them nice and crispy on the outside. At this point, add in the shallots, bell peppers, and peanuts.

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