A homemade version of Hello Fresh firecracker meatballs made with tender, juicy meatballs tossed in a creamy, sweet, savory, and spicy sauce. No meal service needed!
Love meatball recipes? Other favorites include easy air fryer meatballs, grape jelly chili sauce meatballs and Asian meatballs recipe.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- So much flavor. Smothered in creamy, spicy firecracker sauce made with hot sauce, soy sauce, and honey, then served over rice as a meal or with toothpicks for an appetizer.
- Easy. A batch is made in just 35 minutes and can easily be doubled to freeze some for later.
Firecracker Meatball Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Lean ground beef: I use about 80/20 beef, but you can also substitute half of that with ground pork for extra juiciness.
- Large egg: Helps to keep the meatballs moist and binds them together.
- Panko breadcrumbs: This is another way to bind the meatballs together. Breadcrumbs keep the moisture contained as they absorb a lot of it.
- Aromatics and seasonings: Chopped onion, minced garlic, and grated ginger. You’ll also need soy sauce, salt, and pepper.
- For the firecracker sauce: Mayonnaise, sour cream, honey, Sriracha sauce, and soy sauce.
How to Make Firecracker Meatballs
Toss ingredients into a large bowl. Mix everything together, being careful not to overmix. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out enough for 1 1/2-inch balls. Use your hands to roll them and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake meatballs in a preheated 400°F oven for 17-20 minutes, flipping halfway so they brown on both sides. Once they they are no longer pink in the center, they’re done.
In a large serving bowl, mix the firecracker meatball sauce ingredients. Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce and gently toss to coat. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder and onion powder if you don’t have any fresh.
- If using ginger paste, 1 tablespoon is equal to a thumbful of fresh ginger.
- For juicier meatballs, you could use 1/2 pound of ground beef and 1/2 pound of ground pork.
- To make lighter meatballs, you could make turkey meatballs or chicken meatballs.
- While not as fresh, store bought frozen meatballs can make fire cracker meatballs even easier. Prep according to package, then make your sauce and toss together.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this firecracker meatballs recipe for an easy weeknight dinner over coconut rice or white rice alongside green beans, steamed vegetables, or roasted broccoli and cauliflower.
For a low-carb alternative you could serve firecracker meatballs over zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.
Wrap them up in lettuce wraps or pile them onto a bun for meatball subs at lunch.
More meatball recipes to try include sweet and sour meatballs, teriyaki meatballs and Hawaiian meatballs.
More Meatball Recipes
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Firecracker Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound 80% lean ground beef (could sub with half ground pork)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¼ cup panko crumbs
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 thumb grated ginger
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ Tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine meatball mixture: In a large bowl, combine 1 pound ground beef, 1 large egg, ¼ cup panko crumbs, ¼ cup chopped onion, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 thumb grated ginger, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, 3/4 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Form meatballs: Use a medium cookie scoop or spoon to scoop the meat mixture. Form into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake uncovered 17 to 20 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle. Turn halfway through, so the bottoms don't brown.
- Firecracker sauce: Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 1/2 Tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 2 teaspoons sriracha. Set aside.
- Combine: Carefully add meatballs and sauce in serving bowl; toss to coat. Serve over rice, if desired.
Notes
- You can use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and onion powder if you do not have fresh garlic and onions.
- A thumb of ginger is approximately one inch or use 1 Tablespoon ginger paste.
- If I have pork on hand, I like to use 1/2 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound ground pork. It creates juicier meatballs. You can also do half ground beef and half ground turkey to cut back on fat.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees, then reduce it to 380 once the meatballs are in the basket. Then, cook for 12 minutes.
Use a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the meatballs in about 2 Tablespoons of oil. Cook them for 7-10 minutes, flipping occasionally so they don’t brown unevenly.
Keep the meatballs fresh by storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To reheat them, thaw first in the fridge overnight and then use a skillet on the stove to reheat over medium-low heat.
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, American, Appetizers, Beef, Dinner, Freezer-Friendly, Meal Prep
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This recipe is sooo good. Exactly like the ones I made from Hello fresh. I make & freeze a lot of meatballs then grab them when needed and make more sauce. Serve over Jasmin rice…mmmmm
So glad you enjoy them! Great time saving tip to make ahead the meatballs.
These meatballs were amazing and I loved the kick that the sriracha added.
So glad you enjoyed them!
Love that little kick at the end!! These meatballs are full of flavor & would be so good with pasta too!
Yum, right? Thanks for the review!
We loved these! So much flavor and the spicy heat we really enjoy in food.
So glad you enjoyed them!
These meatballs are so good! The sauce makes this recipe….it starts sweet and ends with a bit of heat! – recipe tester
Agreed on the sauce, so good!
Another fantastic way to enjoy meatballs, this was a home run for dinner!
So happy to hear!