Dumplings – but no wrapper required. These juicy, flavor-packed meatballs are everything you love about dumplings, just easier. Air fry (or bake) until golden, then pile onto a gorgeously creamy gochujang sauce, swirl with chili crisp and top with tangy pickled cucumber. Serve it up as a crowd-pleasing party platter or a next-level weeknight dinner.
My meatball era continues! They’re one of my absolute favorite easy weeknight meals, and these are pretty special. If you love dumplings but don’t always have the time (or patience!) to fold a whole batch from scratch, these juicy dumpling-style meatballs are the perfect shortcut.
They take all the best parts of a classic dumpling filling – that gorgeously savory, garlicky, herby deliciousness – and turn them into golden, crispy-edged meatballs with zero wrapping required. It’s kind of the ultimate cheat’s dumpling recipe. But if you are in the mood to go all in on folding, try these chicken and mushroom potstickers, juicy pork dumplings, sticky Korean chicken steamed buns or even crispy cheeseburger dumplings!
Piled onto a silky, sweet-spicy gochujang yogurt sauce and finished with zingy pickled cucumber ribbons, chili crisp oil and loads of fresh herbs, this is a serious crowd-pleaser that’s just as beautiful as it is delicious.
If you love the sound of these meatballs, try these chicken Caesar meatballs, sweet and sour chicken meatballs or Greek-style chicken meatballs next.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- All the flavor of the best dumplings, with none of the folding faff.
- Quick and easy. Mix, form, air fry, or bake, and make the sauce while they cook. Just 25 minutes, all in!
- Easy to prep ahead of time. Form the meatballs, make the gochujang sauce and then just pop them in the air fryer (or oven) when you’re ready to serve.
- Fabulous for entertaining. Serve them up as a vibrant party platter or as part of a summery BBQ spread.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground chicken. You can easily swap this for ground turkey, pork, beef or a plant-based alternative. If you can’t find ground chicken, just blitz up 1 lb of skinless, boneless chicken thighs in a food processor to make your own.
- Gochujang paste. This Korean fermented chili paste is an absolute staple in my kitchen. It adds deep umami, sweetness and spiciness. You’ll find it in most larger grocery stores or Asian grocery stores, or you could swap it for sriracha if you can’t find it. You can also pick it up from Amazon.
- Greek yogurt. Swap this for egg-free garlic aioli, homemade Kewpie mayo, whipped cottage cheese or sour cream if you prefer. Full-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt both work well.
- Fish sauce. This gives HUGE savory depth that you can’t mimic with salt alone, and brings that classic dumpling filling flavor. If you’re not a fan or want to make them vegetarian, you can leave it out or use a little extra light soy sauce.
- Chinese black vinegar. If you can’t find this, you can use rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. The black vinegar gives the meatballs a slight sweetness and, again, helps to mimic that classic dumpling flavor.
How to Make Dumpling Meatballs
This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the meatballs – the full instructions and ingredient quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page for you.
1. Add all the ingredients for your meatballs to a mixing bowl.
2. Mix vigorously until well combined.
3. Using wet hands (to prevent the mixture from sticking to them), roll the mixture into meatballs and either pop straight into your air fryer or onto a parchment paper lined tray.
4. Air fry (or bake) the meatballs until golden and charred.
5. Combine your yogurt, lime juice, sweet chili jam and gochujang paste until bright orange and creamy.
6. Spread the gochujang sauce onto a serving platter, then top with the meatballs, pickled cucumber, chili crisp and fresh herbs to serve.
Dumpling Meatballs FAQs
Yes! You can mix and form the meatballs up to a day in advance. Store them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. They also freeze beautifully – just lay them out on a tray to freeze first, then transfer to a container or bag to store. You can cook them straight from frozen.
There are so many ways you can enjoy these – they’re great served over sticky steamed rice, loaded baked rice or air fryer fried rice, wrapped in soft flatbreads, or spooned into lettuce cups. You could also pile them on top of rice noodles or vermicelli, or even serve them as a dumpling-style pasta dish with some sautéed greens on the side.
The meatballs are pretty mild, despite the gochujang and chili crisp, and easy to adjust. If you’re worried, just use a little less of the gochujang paste in the sauce, and only a little chili crisp. You could also serve the sauces on the side, especially if you’re cooking for picky eaters or kids. That way, everyone can decide how spicy they’d like their meatballs to be.
Like this recipe? Try these dumpling-inspired ideas next
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.
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Juicy Dumpling Meatballs with Creamy Gochujang Sauce
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Dumplings – but no wrapper required. These juicy, flavor-packed meatballs are everything you love about dumplings, just easier. Air fry (or bake) until golden, then pile them onto a gorgeously creamy gochujang yogurt sauce, swirl over chili crisp and top with tangy pickled cucumber ribbons.
Serve it up as a crowd-pleasing party platter or a next-level weeknight dinner. Pair with sticky rice, soft two-ingredient flatbreads or lettuce cups!
Ingredients
For the meatballs –
- 1 lb (500g) ground chicken (or turkey, beef, pork, or plant-based alternative)
- 2 scallions (spring onions), finely chopped
- A handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated (or 2 teaspoons ginger paste)
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon black vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Black pepper
For the creamy gochujang sauce –
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon gochujang paste
- 1 teaspoon sweet chili jam or honey
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- Salt, to taste
For the quick pickled cucumber ribbons –
- 1 cucumber, peeled into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
To garnish –
- A handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves
- 2 scallions (spring onions), sliced
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Chili crisp
- Sweet chili jam
Instructions
- Mix the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine 1 lb of ground chicken, the chopped scallions, cilantro, minced garlic, grated ginger, ½ cup of panko breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, ½ tablespoon black vinegar and a good grind of black pepper. Mix gently (but thoroughly) until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. PRO TIP: Try not to overmix so the meatballs stay nice and tender.
- Form the meatballs. If you’re baking the meatballs, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. If you’re using an air fryer, you can place the formed meatballs straight into the basket (in a single layer – you might need to cook them in batches). Lightly wet your hands to stop the mixture sticking, then scoop up a heaped spoonful and roll it into a golf ball-sized meatball. Pop it onto your prepared tray or directly into the air fryer basket. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Cook the meatballs. Air fry for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C), until golden and cooked through (the internal temperature should be 165°F/74°C if using chicken). If you’re using your oven, bake them for 18 – 20 minutes, or you could pan-fry them in a little oil over medium-high heat until golden and cooked through.
- Make the pickled cucumber. While the meatballs cook, pop your cucumber ribbons into a small mixing bowl. Pour over 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well to combine, then set aside to lightly pickle.
- Make the gochujang sauce. In a small bowl, use a fork or small whisk to mix ½ cup of yogurt, 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste, 1 teaspoon of sweet chili or honey and 1 teaspoon of lime juice into a smooth, bright orange sauce. Taste, then season with a little salt to taste and adjust the spice or sweetness to your liking (add a little more sweet chili or honey).
- Assemble and serve. Spoon the gochujang yogurt sauce onto a large serving platter and spread it out with the back of your spoon. Pile the golden meatballs on top, then arrange the pickled cucumber ribbon around them. Scatter the cilantro, scallions and sesame seeds all over, then finish with a generous drizzle of chili crisp and a couple of dollops of sweet chili jam.
Notes
INGREDIENT NOTES: If you can’t find ground chicken, blitz up 1 lb of skinless, boneless chicken thighs in a food processor to make your own. You could swap the fish sauce for more light soy sauce if you’re not a fan. Use egg-free garlic aioli, instant Kewpie mayo, sour cream or whipped cottage cheese instead of Greek yogurt in the sauce if you prefer.
PREP AHEAD: You can mix and form the meatballs up to a day in advance, then store them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. They also freeze beautifully – just lay them out on a tray to freeze first, then transfer to a container or bag to store. You can cook them straight from frozen. The creamy gochujang sauce will keep for about 5 days in the fridge.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: There are so many ways you can enjoy these lovely meatballs. Serve them over steamed rice, loaded baked rice or air fryer fried rice, wrap them in soft garlic flatbreads with a crunchy Asian-style slaw or spoon them into lettuce cups for a low-carb option. You could also pile them on top of rice noodles or vermicelli, or even serve them as a dumpling-style pasta dish with some sautéed greens on the side.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: meat
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 200g
- Calories: 312
- Sugar: 8.1g
- Sodium: 1105mg
- Fat: 16.2g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19.2g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20.2g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
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