These Korean BBQ meatballs simmer away in a sticky, sweet-and-savory sauce until they’re glossy and glazed and impossible to stop eating. The sauce does all the work here: soy, brown sugar, garlic, and a little heat, all thickening into a syrup that clings to every meatball. All you have to do is dump everything in the slow cooker, walk away, and come back to dinner.
I’ll be honest, this recipe started as a “what’s in the freezer” night. I had a bag of frozen meatballs and no energy, so I threw together a sauce, dumped it all in the crock pot, and hoped for the best. Now it’s on regular rotation, usually on the nights when I’ve got nothing left to give.
Frozen meatballs are the shortcut that makes this a weeknight winner. You don’t have to get your hands dirty, mixing and rolling raw meat. And although the ingredient list looks long, most of it is just sauce stuff you stir together. There’s no browning or babysitting required.
Below I’ll walk you through the simple steps, along with a few swaps if you want to adjust the heat. Serve the meatballs over rice or mashed potatoes for a real dinner, or pile them on a platter with toothpicks when you need an appetizer that disappears fast.
Looking for more ways to use frozen meatballs? Try slow cooker teriyaki meatballs, meatball sub bubble up, or Coca Cola meatballs.
Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Frozen meatballs: Go with frozen homestyle meatballs, not the tiny cocktail-size ones. Frozen ones hold their shape through five hours in the slow cooker, where fresh meatballs would fall apart.
- Brown sugar
- Beef broth
- Mirin: A sweet Japanese rice wine used for cooking, not drinking. You’ll find it in the Asian foods aisle near the soy sauce. It rounds out the sharpness from the rice vinegar and gochujang.
- Gochujang paste: a thick, fermented Korean chili paste. It’s spicy, but not one-note hot. There’s sweetness and a little funk underneath, which give this sauce its depth. Look for it in a tub near the international foods or in the Asian grocery section.
- Rice vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce: A dark, salty-sweet sauce made from oyster extract, sugar, and salt. Don’t worry, it doesn’t taste fishy. It just adds a deep, almost umami backbone to the sauce.
- Cornstarch
- Minced garlic
- Sesame oil
- Green onions, sliced
- Sesame seeds
- Spicy mayonnaise, for drizzling, optional. A quick mix of mayo and hot sauce (or sriracha) that many grocery stores now sell pre-made. Mix it yourself or buy a bottle.
How to Make Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Meatballs
- Spray the inside of an 8-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. This keeps the sauce from sticking to the crock as it cooks down.
- Pour the frozen meatballs into the slow cooker.
- In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, beef broth, mirin, gochujang paste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, minced garlic, and sesame oil. Whisk it well. The cornstarch likes to clump at the bottom of the bowl, so keep whisking until you don’t see any dry streaks left.
- Pour the sauce over the meatballs.
- Stir everything together so each meatball gets coated.
- Cover and cook on low for 5 hours (or on high for 3 hours, if you’re short on time). Stir the meatballs once or twice during cooking so the ones on the bottom don’t burn or stick.
- Once the meatballs are done, sprinkle the green onions and sesame seeds over the top.
- Drizzle with spicy mayonnaise right before serving.
Serving Ideas
My favorite way to serve these spicy meatballs is to spoon them over steamed white or jasmine rice to soak up the sauce. Or toss it with noodles for a quick Korean-inspired noodle bowl.
You can also make it an appetizer for your next casual gathering. Serve them straight from the slow cooker with toothpicks for a low-effort appetizer your family and friends will love.
When it comes to sides, I’d pair it with a quick cucumber salad or steamed broccoli to balance the richness. Or, if you are in a rush, a simple green salad is a quick, easy side you can throw together.
How to Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days. The sauce actually thickens up a bit more once it’s chilled, so if you’re reheating on the stove or in the microwave, add a splash of water or beef broth to loosen it back up. Reheat until the meatballs are heated through.
Tips & Tricks
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- Stick with frozen homestyle meatballs. They’re sturdy enough to survive five hours of low heat without turning to mush.
- Whisk the sauce well before adding it to the slow cooker. Cornstarch settles quickly, so you want it fully dissolved to keep the sauce from thickening unevenly or going lumpy in spots.
- Try to stir the meatballs a couple of times while they cook, especially if your slow cooker tends to run hot on one side.
- Short on time? Cook on high for 3 hours instead of low for 5.
- Don’t skip the spicy mayo drizzle. It gives the whole dish a creamy, cooling contrast against the gochujang. You can buy a bottle of spicy mayo or make your own by mixing mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce.
- Sprinkle the green onions and sesame seeds right before serving so they stay bright and don’t wilt into the sauce.
Reader Questions
Frozen meatballs are the better bet here. They’re firmer and hold together through the long cooking time, while fresh meatballs are more likely to break apart in a slow cooker.
It has real heat, but it’s not overwhelming. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with less and taste the sauce before pouring it over the meatballs. The spicy mayo drizzle also helps mellow things out.
If you can’t find mirin, a dry sherry or a little extra rice vinegar with a pinch of sugar will get you close enough.
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Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 26 ounces frozen meatballs
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup beef broth
- ¼ cup mirin
- ⅓ cup gochujang paste
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ cup green onions sliced
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- ¼ cup spicy mayonnaise for drizzling, optional
Instructions
- Spray an 8-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray, and pour the meatballs in.26 ounces frozen meatballs
- In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, beef broth, mirin, gochujang paste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, minced garlic, and sesame oil, and stir well.½ cup brown sugar, 1 cup beef broth, ¼ cup mirin, ⅓ cup gochujang paste, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Pour the sauce into the crockpot and stir to coat the meatballs.
- Place the lid on and cook on low for 5 hours. Stir the meatballs around a couple of times during those 5 hours to prevent burning.
- To serve, sprinkle green onions and sesame seeds over top. Before serving, drizzle some spicy mayonnaise on top.½ cup green onions, 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, ¼ cup spicy mayonnaise
Notes
- Stick with frozen homestyle meatballs. They’re sturdy enough to survive five hours of low heat without turning to mush.
- Whisk the sauce well before adding it to the slow cooker. Cornstarch settles quickly, so you want it fully dissolved to keep the sauce from thickening unevenly or going lumpy in spots.
- Short on time? Cook on high for 3 hours instead of low for 5.
- Don’t skip the spicy mayo drizzle. It gives the whole dish a creamy, cooling contrast against the gochujang. You can buy a bottle of spicy mayo or make your own by mixing mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce.
- Sprinkle the green onions and sesame seeds right before serving so they stay bright and don’t wilt into the sauce.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
