Slow-Cooker Korean Meatballs
with sesame vegetable stir-fry
No need to heat up your kitchen for these meatballs in a Korean-inspired sauce with ginger and kimchi. The slow-cooker produces tender, saucy meatballs served alongside a quick, crunchy vegetable stir-fry.
Ingredients
- Kimchi (opt) - 2 Tbsp , chopped
- Ginger - 2 tsp , grated
- Onions - 1/2 , chopped
- Stock, low-sodium beef (sub any low-sodium stock) - 1 cup
- Bragg's / coconut aminos - 5 Tbsp
- Oil, toasted sesame - 2 Tbsp
- Arrowroot powder - 1 tsp
- Vinegar, rice - 2 Tbsp
- Chili-garlic sauce (sub any hot sauce) - 2 tsp
- Beef, ground and lean - 2 1/2 lbs
- Eggs - 2
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
- Limes - 1/2 , juice of
- Onions - 1/2 , sliced
- Bell peppers, any color - 1 , sliced
- Sugar snap peas (frozen or fresh) - 1 lb , trimmed
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Chili-garlic sauce (sub any hot sauce) - 1 tsp
- Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Prep
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Kimchi / Ginger / Onions (for both the meatballs and the stir-fry) / Bell peppers - Prep as directed. Combine kimchi, ginger and the chopped onions (for meatballs) in one container. Store sliced onions (for stir-fry) and bell peppers in another container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make sauce - Combine kimchi, onions (for meatballs), ginger, stock, aminos, sesame oil, arrowroot, rice vinegar and chili garlic sauce (the portion for the meatballs). (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Snap peas - Trim peas. (Skip if using frozen.) (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
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Form meatballs - This makes enough for two nights. Mix beef with egg, salt and black pepper. Form into 1” (2.5 cm) wide meatballs. You should have roughly 10 meatballs per serving (this amount is for two nights). (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
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Slow-cook meatballs - Place meatballs in the bowl of a slow-cooker. Pour sauce over top (don’t worry if the meatballs aren’t fully covered). Set cooker to low and cook until meatballs are cooked through and very tender, 4 to 5 hours. (Note: If you prefer not to use the slow-cooker, you can also brown the meatballs with a bit of oil in a Dutch oven. Add sauce and simmer on low until meatballs are cooked through and sauce thickens, 6 to 8 minutes.)
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Make
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Heat a saute pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil. When oil begins to shimmer add onions (for stir-fry) and bell peppers. Saute until vegetables start to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Add snap peas and saute until tender, ~2 minutes more.
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Add chili garlic sauce and sesame seeds and stir just to coat vegetables.
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When meatballs are done cooking, gently stir them. Use a slotted spoon to remove meatballs, leaving sauce in the bowl of the slow-cooker. Set half the meatballs aside for Tuesday’s meal.
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Taste sauce that remains in slow-cooker and season with some salt if you'd like it more salty, chili-garlic sauce if you'd like more spice or lime juice to add citrus flavor.
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Serve meatballs with vegetable stir-fry on the side. Spoon sauce over both dishes and finish with a squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy!
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