These Meatless Meatballs are dripping in a sweet and spicy Korean glaze. Packed with the unique flavors of soy, hoisin, ginger, and lemongrass. Plus, they are completely vegetarian and vegan friendly.
This post was originally a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of GardeinTM. It has since been updated. The opinions and text are all mine.
While you’re here, don’t forget to grab a free copy of my Top 15 Reader-Favorite Recipes! It’s loaded with delicious vegetarian-friendly recipes that are surefire crowd-pleasers.
I am a huge fan of Asian foods of all varieties. I think this love affair stems from my honeymoon, where my husband and I spent two weeks travelling around Thailand.
There were so many amazing flavors, and the vegetarian options were more plentiful than anywhere else I’ve traveled (with the exception of India!)
It was also the inspiration for these tasty One-Pot Thai Green Curry Noodles and this Butternut Squash Curry.
Since that trip, I’ve been experimenting with flavors from a variety of Asian cuisines, including Thai, Chinese, Indian, and Korean.
In fact, we are lucky enough to have a fantastic Korean restaurant in our neighborhood. And when we head over there, my husband always orders the Korean meatballs.
Now as a vegetarian, I have never been able to partake, but I have to admit that I’ve been jealous of the sticky, sweet glaze and pretty sesame seed sprinkles on this particular dish.
So when Gardein asked me to try out their Meatless Meatballs, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.
I created my very own take on those Korean Meatballs with these vegetarian-friendly Meatless Meatballs with a Spicy Korean Glaze.
They’re a fun twist on my usual vegan meatball recipe!
If you’ve never tried Gardein products, you are definitely missing out. Gardein (pronounced “gar-deen”) is a delicious plant based protein. In fact, their brand name is a combination of “garden” and “protein.”
Gardein is made from non-GMO soy and wheat, ancient grains, and veggies. You get all of the taste, texture, and nutrition of meat with less fat, fewer calories and no cholesterol.
And the ethical benefits are obvious! Check out www.gardein.com to see all of their product offerings.
Let’s make Meatless Meatballs!
First we start off by cooking the Gardein Meatless Meatballs. These things are pretty fantastic. They can be cooked on the stovetop, in the oven, or in the microwave. So if you’re really in a rush, they can be prepared in just a few minutes.
I had plenty of time set aside for this, so I baked mine in the oven for about 15 minutes.
While my Meatless Meatballs were cooking, I prepared the sauce. It’s really more of a glaze as it gets pretty thick (and delicious).
For this, I mixed up a combination of soy, hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass. I added a bit of red curry paste to give it a little heat.
When my Meatless Meatballs were done cooking, I let them cool for a few minutes until I could handle them comfortably.
Then I tossed them in a big bowl with the Korean glaze. I followed that up by rolling them in sesame seeds. I love the pretty color and slightly crunchy texture from the sesame seeds!
I served my Meatless Meatballs with some rice noodles. I just cooked them on the stovetop while everything else was being prepared.
I tossed the noodles in a little bit of sesame oil and a spoonful of the glaze from the Meatless Meatballs.
These would also make amazing appetizers on their own – just stick a toothpick in each meatless meatball and serve them on a party platter.
If you would like to check out these Gardein Meatless Meatballs for yourself, you can find them at Kroger. They are also available in Crispy Tenders, Fishless Filets, and Sweet and Sour Porkless Bites. Visit gardein.com for details!
If you love these meatless meatballs, be sure to check out these other delicious recipes:
While you’re here, don’t forget to grab a free copy of my Top 15 Reader-Favorite Recipes! It’s loaded with delicious vegetarian-friendly recipes that are surefire crowd-pleasers.
Meatless Vegan Meatballs with Korean Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 package Gardein Meatless Meatballs
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp ginger peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp lemongrass paste
- ¾ cup soy sauce, gluten-free variety if needed
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Spread Meatless Meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Set aside.
- On the stovetop, heat sesame oil over medium heat.
- Cook garlic and ginger for 1 minute.
- Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, lemongrass paste, red curry paste, vegetable broth, and brown sugar.
- Bring sauce to a simmer and cook 10-15 minutes until thickened into a glaze.
- In a large bowl, toss meatless meatballs with Korean glaze.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and toss to coat.
- Serve warm.
