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Asian Meatballs with Yakisoba

This Asian Meatball recipe with yakisoba is an easy, flexible, meal solution for busy weeknights but also 5-star spectacular for company! The Asian Meatballs are juicy, tender, flavor bombs, tossed with yakisoba noodles and crisp-tender stir-fried veggies, all enveloped in a dynamic sticky, sweet, tangy, honey sesame sauce punctuated by zesty ginger, punchy garlic and chili sauce. This recipe is a symphony of tantalizing flavors and textures that’s easy to customize with whatever veggies you have on hand. Best of all, the Asian Meatballs get baked while you prep the rest of the ingredients, then it’s just a 10-minute stir fry to dinner!  Serve it up with some potstickers, crispy crab rangoons or egg rolls for pure taste bud magic.
Course Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

MEATBALLS

STIR FRY

  • 1 17.76 oz. pkg. Fortune Yakisoba Noodles (use all three packages within the pack)
  • 1 tablespoon neutral high smoke point oil (peanut, canola, vegetable)
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips, then halved if long
  • 1 large carrot cut into matchsticks
  • 2 green onions, chopped 1/4”-inch, white and green parts separated
  • 1 cup snap peas
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (may sub 1 tsp ground in sauce)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced (may sub 3/4 tsp powder in sauce)
  • sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

HONEY SESAME SAUCE

Instructions

Meatballs

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. Top with a baking rack and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  • Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large bow EXCEPT the ground beef. Whisk together with a fork until thoroughly combined. Add the ground beef and gently combine with your hands (don’t over-mix or your meatballs won’t be as tender).
  • Use a small cookie scoop (1 ½ tablespoon capacity) to roll into meatballs. Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet without touching. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Meanwhile:

NOODLES

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and add the noodles. Stir the noodles with two chopsticks to loosen and separate for up to 1 minute (no more) – don’t overcook!
  • Transfer noodles to a colander and rinse with cold water. Drain VERY WELL then drizzle with toasted sesame oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together; set aside.

HONEY SESAME SAUCE

  • In a small bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together; set aside.

STIR FRY

  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the bell peppers, carrots and white parts of the green onions and stir fry 2 minutes. Add the snow peas, garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add a splash of additional oil if needed.
  • Add the sauce to the skillet, stir to combine and bring to a simmer for 1 minute.
  • Add noodles and toss until evenly coated and warmed through, approximately 1 minute; remove from heat
  • Add the meatballs and green onions and toss to combine. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.

Video

Notes

  • Fortune Yakisoba Noodles are made in the USA, so you should be able to find them in most grocery stores. We are using the plain noodles labeled, "Japanese Stir Fry Noodles with Seasoning Sauce Base."  Look for Fortune Yakisoba in the refrigerated produce section near the tofu and egg roll wrappers.  The noodles come with three packets of yakisoba in each family pack, each with their own ZERO MSG, ZERO CHOLESTEROL seasoning packet. We will use all three noodle packets and one seasoning packet for this recipe.
  • Turkey Meatballs:  My expert tip for juicy turkey meatballs is to add 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt to enhance the juiciness. Also, if you want your poultry to taste like beef, add 2 teaspoons beef bouillon (granulated or crushed cubes) and reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon. 
  • Frozen Meatballs:  The homemade meatballs are infused with garlic, ginger, green onions, soy sauce and toasted sesame oil which is what makes them Asian Meatballs.  However, you can make this recipe with frozen if needed, you'll just be missing some of that authentic flavor. If you go this route, make sure you don’t purchase Italian meatballs.  Prepare according to package directions. 
  • Rice wine:. I use “Kikkoman Aji-Mirin: Sweet Cooking Rice Seasoning” which is commonly found in the Asian section of most grocery stores or you can Amazon it. I highly suggest you google image before you head off to the grocery store so you know exactly what you are looking for.  The best substitute for rice wine is pale dry sherry. 
  • Storage:  Due to the springy nature of the noodles, this recipe keeps very well, without the noodles soaking up all of the sauce. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Meal Prep

  • Meatballs: roll the meatballs and place on a lightly greased baking rack set inside a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two days. Bring to room temperature before popping in the oven.
  • Yakisoba: prepare according to directions, run under cold water and drizzle with toasted oil. Store in an airtight container/plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two days. 
  • Sauce: whisk the sauce ingredients together and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Let the sauce sit at room temperature while preparing the stir-fry; whisk again before using.
  • Veggies: chop the veggies and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
  • Cook: Within the next 48 hours, proceed to cook the Asian Meatball recipe in minutes!