Indonesian meatballs in sweet soy sauce
Finger-licking good
Did you enjoy our Indonesian mini meatballs?
Then you’re going to love these meatballs in a mild spicy sweet soy sauce. They’re perfect served warm as an appetizer or snack, but they also fit right in as part of an Indonesian rice table. The combination of well-seasoned meat and a lightly sweet sauce makes them a favorite with guests. Don’t be surprised if they disappear fast.
Kecap manis
An important ingredient in this recipe is kecap manis. This is a thick, sweet Indonesian soy sauce with a distinctive flavor that’s widely used in Indonesian cooking. Its syrupy texture and rich flavor come from palm sugar and spices like star anise and cloves. It adds sweetness, depth, and a touch of warmth to this dish. Combined with the other ingredients in the sauce, it creates a bold flavor in every bite.
If you don’t have it on hand, you can easily make a substitute at home. In this recipe, we use 5 tablespoons kecap manis. You can replace it with a mix of 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons molasses, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. You can make this ahead of time if you want the sauce to thicken slightly, but that’s not required.
The perfect meatballs
For these meatballs, we mix 2/3 pound ground beef and pork blend with 2 tablespoons kecap manis, 1 large egg, a pinch of ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon sambal oelek (or sriracha) for gentle heat, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, and 2 finely minced shallots plus 1 clove garlic. Season with salt and black pepper, then shape into meatballs.
You can make them any size you like, but we usually shape them into small balls, about 1 big tablespoon of mixture each. Smaller than a golf ball, but bigger than tiny soup meatballs. Cook them in a skillet with a little vegetable oil until browned on all sides and cooked through.
The sweet soy sauce
The sauce is what really brings these meatballs together. Finely chop 2 shallots, 1 clove garlic, and 1 small red chili, with or without the seeds depending on how much heat you want. Sauté them briefly in a saucepan with a splash of vegetable oil until softened.
Add 1/2 cup kecap manis, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 2 tablespoons grated palm sugar or packed light brown sugar, 3/4 cup water, and 1/2 crumbled beef bouillon cube (0.18 oz). Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with a little water and stir it into the sauce a bit at a time until it thickens to your liking. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and let everything simmer together on low heat for a few minutes.
Serve and enjoy
These Indonesian meatballs in mild spicy sweet soy sauce are great as an appetizer, but they’re also delicious served with white rice or nasi goreng. Finish with chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onions for a little color and freshness. One thing’s for sure, they’ll be a hit.
Indonesian meatballs in sweet soy sauce
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
You’re going to love these meatballs in a mild spicy sweet soy sauce. They’re perfect served warm as an appetizer, but they also fit right in as part of an Indonesian rice table.
Ingredients
- 2/3 pound ground beef and pork blend
- 4 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 small red chili pepper (such as a jalapeño)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 beef bouillon cube (0.18 oz)
- 5 tablespoons kecap manis, divided (see above for a subsitute)
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek (or sriracha)
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, knead together 2/3 pound ground beef and pork blend with 1 tablespoon kecap manis (see above for a subsitute), 1 large egg, a pinch of ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon sambal oelek, about 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 2 very finely minced shallots, 2 very finely minced cloves of garlic, and a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- Shape the mixture into meatballs. You can decide how large to make them. I usually make them about 1 big tablespoon each.
- Cook the meatballs over medium heat in a splash of sunflower oil until browned on all sides and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by very finely mincing 2 small shallots, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 red chili, with or without the seeds. You can also use a food processor. Sauté briefly in a pan with a little sunflower oil.
- Add 4 tablespoons kecap manis, 3 tablespoons ketchup, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1 tablespoon palm sugar or packed light brown sugar. Stir well to combine.
- Add 3/4 cup water and 1/2 crumbled beef bouillon cube. Bring just to a boil. Dissolve 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a little water and stir it into the sauce in stages until it begins to thicken.
- Once the sauce has reached the desired thickness, pour it over the meatballs and let everything simmer briefly over low heat. That’s it!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Indonesian
