Ingredients (~24 meatballs)
- 2 tsp salted butter
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef (90% meat, 10% fat)
- 4 oz water chestnuts, minced
- 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
Hawaiian Apricot Sauce
- 1/2 cup apricot jam
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup pureed pineapple
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Get Your Oven to 375F and Prep a Sheet Pan
Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or spray with oil for easy cleanup.
The foil makes cleanup way easier since these meatballs will release some fat while baking.
Sauté the Garlic in Butter
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the minced garlic and cook for ~1 minute until fragrant.
Don’t let it brown – you just want it aromatic and softened.
Mix the Meatball Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sautéed garlic, water chestnuts, soy sauce, brown sugar, beaten egg, and onion powder.
Use wet hands to mix everything thoroughly – this prevents the meat from sticking to your hands.
Shape into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball. You should get ~24 meatballs.
Bake the Meatballs for 20 Minutes
Space the meatballs close together on your prepared sheet pan.
Bake uncovered at 375F for ~20 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
The internal temp should hit ~165F if you want to check with a thermometer.
Drain on paper towels once they come out.
Make the Hawaiian Apricot Sauce
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the apricot jam, apple cider vinegar, sugar, pureed pineapple, paprika, and garlic salt.
Stir well, then reduce heat to medium.
The sauce will be thin at first but will thicken once you add the cornstarch slurry.
Thicken the Sauce with Cornstarch Slurry
Mix the cornstarch with 4 tsp of water until completely dissolved – this is your slurry.
Pour the slurry into the sauce while whisking constantly.
Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens – you’ll feel resistance on the bottom of the pan when it’s ready.
This usually takes ~2-3 minutes once it starts boiling.
Coat the Meatballs and Serve
Pour about half the sauce over the meatballs and gently stir to coat each one.
Save the remaining sauce in a serving bowl for extra dipping or to serve over rice if you’re making this a main course.
Keep the meatballs warm in a small crockpot on the warm setting if serving as an appetizer.
Hawaiian Meatballs
Ingredients
Ingredients (~24 meatballs)
- 2 tsp salted butter
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef, 90% meat, 10% fat
- 4 oz water chestnuts, minced
- 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt, optional
Hawaiian Apricot Sauce
- 1/2 cup apricot jam
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup pureed pineapple
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic salt
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Melt butter in skillet, sauté garlic for 1 minute.
- Mix ground beef, sautéed garlic, water chestnuts, soy sauce, brown sugar, egg, and onion powder in large bowl.
- Shape into 24 meatballs.
- Bake at 375F for 20 minutes until browned and internal temp reaches 165F.
- Combine apricot jam, vinegar, sugar, pineapple, paprika, and garlic salt in saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Mix cornstarch with 4 tsp water to create slurry.
- Add slurry to sauce, whisking constantly. Boil 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Pour half sauce over meatballs, coat gently.
- Serve with remaining sauce for dipping.