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Home For Parties

Sweet Gochujang Meatballs Appetizer – Instant Pot or Regular

pc
Posted:11/13/201933 Comments
Recipe Print

This Gochujang Meatballs appetizer was a BIG HIT at our recent neighborhood party so I decided to share! And it’s super easy to make!! I used FROZEN mini cocktail meatballs and it can be made in the Instant Pot or on stove-top. The sauce uses lots of garlic, ketchup, gochujang and maple syrup — soooo you know it’s going to be GOOD!!

gochujang meatballs finished in pot topped with green onions and sesame
Gochujang Meatballs Appetizer in Pot

I recently came up with this Gochujang Meatballs appetizer idea when I was trying to make something for our neighborhood Halloween party. On Halloween night, my neighbors love to just sit out on the driveway around a fire pit and share food, drinks and chat while giving out candy to the kids – whenever they come by.

Sometimes we even chase after them – the ones who are too shy to come up to such a big crowd. HAHAHA..

I love being part of this group because it sure beats opening the door all evening, every time some kids come by which can get a bit tiring after a while. And kids also love it because they feel as one kid once said – “it’s very efficient”. 🤣😂 One-stop and they get about 10+ house visits worth of candies.

I even heard one boy say “Oh, wow, I hit the jackpot!! All the houses on this street are here??”

I was hoping to cook something good this year but I had too much going on that day and I knew I was not going to have enough time to make something. So.. I brainstormed and came up with this semi-home made idea of using my Sweet Gochuajng sauce with it. BTW, the sweet gochujang sauce was developed for a Korean Fried Chicken dish a couple of years ago for a restaurant.

Talking about Meatballs..

Did you ever realize how universal meatballs are? If you think about it, every cuisine has meatballs – they may be called differently but they are essentially the same. In Korean, it’s called Wanja and we pan-fry them to make Wanjajeon. In Korean Chinese, we have one called NanjaWans which I just posted recently. I’m sure there are other Chinese dishes that use it.

I personally love Italian, Swedish ones and then Koftas which come from the Indian subcontinent. Here’s a great Wiki article if you want to read more about it.

So I decided to buy frozen mini meatballs from Trader Joe’s and use it to make my meatballs appetizer. Because their meatballs are really yummy. Now, if you want to make your own, you can make my Korean style meatballs from scratch. Just follow my recipe for Korean style meatballs with Sweet Soy glaze.

Korean cocktail meatballs with Sweet Soy Glaze
Korean cocktail meatballs with Sweet Soy Glaze

I use tofu and little bits of kimchi mixed in with ground pork and beef in that recipe so it’s really different from most and has a wonderful Korean flavor.

Tips for perfect Gochujang Meatballs Appetizer

  • Make sure to simmer it sufficiently so the sauce doesn’t reduce too quickly before it has a chance to flavor the meatballs
  • If you like SPICY, add little extra gochujang and/or hot sauce (like an extra 1~2 tsp)
  • Serve warm for best results – in a crockpot/slow cooker
  • COOKING TIMES
    • Instant Pot – 15 min SAUTE  then SLOW COOK (HIGH) for 2 hrs
    • Crock Pot/Slow Cooker – SLOW COOK (HIGH) – 3 to 3 1/2 hrs
    • Stove Top – 30 min simmer
  • Serving Suggestions
    • Serve with a side of veggie sticks or bread to balance out the flavor

Instant Pot Slow Cook function vs a Slow Cooker/Crock Pot Slow Cook function:

Do you ever wonder why the slow cook function on your IP never works as well as regular slow cookers? It’s because the temperature is a bit different. In general, your IP’s  Slow Cook temperature is lower than your regular slow cooker.

Each brand may be a bit different but based on my research, this is what I found. First, note that the official crockpot and Instant Pot site state that they measure the temperature differently.

While the Instant Pot try to maintain a certain temperature, Crockpot defines it in terms of how long it takes to reach a certain temperature. Crockpot defines ‘low’ as taking 7-8 hrs to reach a simmering temperature of 209°F and ‘high’ as taking 3-4 hrs to reach the same 209°F.

However, when I researched various sources, it seems the temperatures that the slow cooker reaches on HIGH gets to be much hotter (eventually) – up to 300°F.

  • Instant Pot Slow Cook (from IP site)
    • Low: 180 – 190°F, Normal: 190-200°F, More: 200-210°F
  • Slow Cooker like Crockpot
    • Low: 190-200°F, High: 225 – 275°F even up to 300°F

So this is why people have trouble with the slow cook function in the IP if they try to just straightforwardly use a slow cooker recipe. Anyway, hope that was helpful. Now back to my recipe!

Step-by-Step Instructions

This Gochujang Meatballs Appetizer recipe is so simple and easy, it almost needs no instructions but here it is -😝

Ingredient Notes

  • I used Trader Joe’s Frozen Mini Cocktail Meatballs but you can use any frozen meatballs or use my Korean cocktail meatballs recipe above 👆
  • Maple Syrup – I use 100% maple syrup from Costco
  • Sugar – I add only 1 tsp, you can omit this if you want and use more honey instead
  • Gochujang – I make my own (see How to make Gochujang at home) but you can also buy them from Asian grocery stores or online on my Amazon store.

Let’s get started!

Sauce ingredients measured and laid out on tray
Sauce Ingredients
  1. Make sauce – add and mix all sauce ingredients.
Gochujang Sauce
Gochujang Sauce
  • Choose the cooking method of your choice (instant pot/stove top/slow cooker). If cooking on stovetop, you will need to cook the sauce first a little bit and then add the meatballs. For IP and slow cooker, just add sauce and FROZEN meatballs, stir to make sure meatballs are covered and then cook according to each method. See recipe card below.
  • frozen meatballs and sauce in Instant Pot
    Frozen meatballs and sauce added to Instant Pot – ready to cook
  • This is how it looks when it’s done cooking in the Instant Pot/Slow Cook – after 2 hrs.
  • gochujang meatballs instant pot with sesame seeds spinkled
    Gochujang meatballs finished in Instant Pot

    And here’s how it comes out in the stovetop after 30 min. They both look good no?? And they taste good too~ 😍😋

    Gochujang meatballs appetizer finished in pot with sauce
    Korean Gochujang meatballs appetizer stovetop
  • Sprinkle some chopped green onions and sesame seeds for that extra freshness and nuttiness – but not necessary.
  • Korean meatballs appetizer finished in pot, garnished with green onions, sesame seeds and with cocktail toothpicks
    Korean meatballs appetizer finished in pot

    If you liked this recipe, please leave me a comment and 5 ☆☆☆☆☆ rating below!

    Oh and try my Korean Fried Chicken with this Gochujang sauce recipe instead of the soy glaze for even a greater punch of flavor!

    Korean Fried Chicken with Soy Glaze
    Korean Fried Chicken with Soy Glaze

    FOLLOW ME on  INSTAGRAM or join my FACEBOOK GROUP  to ask and share everything about Korean food with others just like you! ❤️

    Take care ❤️

    JinJoo

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    5 from 10 votes
    gochujang meatballs finished in pot topped with green onions and sesame

    Gochujang Meatballs Appetizer – Instant Pot & Stove Top

    Easy Meatballs appetizer recipe with Gochujang ketchup and garlic sauce. In the Instant Pot or on Stove Top. Use Trader Joe's frozen meatballs to make like super easy and simple!
    Prep: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    serves: 6 people

    Ingredients

    • 1 bag meatballs (frozen) (20 oz Trader Joe's frozen mini meat balls)

    sauce

    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 2 Tbsp Gochujang (add 1-2 tsp extra to make it more spicy)
    • 2 Tbsp ketchup
    • 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce (Jin Ganjang)
    • 2 Tbsp garlic (chopped)
    • 2 tsp sugar
    • 1 Tbsp honey
    • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 2 tsp onion powder
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a bowl, add all the sauce ingredients and mix.

    Stove Top

    • In a thick bottom pot, add the sauce and cook on medium heat for few minutes until it starts to bubble.
    • To the pot with sauce, add all a bag of frozen meatballs. Turn the meatballs to make sure everyone is covered by the sauce. Turn heat to medium-low and then to low once it starts to bubble. Simmer for 30 minutes. Turn over meatballs 2-3 times during.

    Instant Pot

    • In the instant pot, add the frozen meatballs then cover with sauce. Stir until meatballs are evenly coated. Cover with a glass lid (no pressure cooking needed) and select SAUTE function and press adjust to select LESS heat. Let it simmer for 15 minutes then turn off. Select SLOW COOK function and choose MORE temperature then cook for 2 hrs. Switch to WARM setting to serve.

    Slow Cooker (Crockpot)

    • If using a slow cooker, you can simply add the meatballs and sauce and cook. First, stir until meatballs are evenly coated. Heat 2-3 hours on HIGH, stirring after 1 hour. Switch slow cooker to warm setting to serve.

    Equipment

    • pressure cooker
    • pot (for stove top)

    Tips & Notes:

    • The reason why I don’t just do simple SLOW COOK in the IP is because Instant Pot’s Slow Cook temperature is lower than a regular slow cooker and these meatballs are frozen so I just want it to get a head start.
    • To serve warm, use the WARM function on both the IP and the slow cooker. For stove top, use a heavy pot and it should stay warmer  a bit longer.

    Nutrition Information:

    Calories: 368kcal (18%)| Carbohydrates: 17g (6%)| Protein: 20g (40%)| Fat: 24g (37%)| Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)| Cholesterol: 82mg (27%)| Sodium: 381mg (17%)| Potassium: 406mg (12%)| Fiber: 1g (4%)| Sugar: 14g (16%)| Vitamin A: 11IU| Vitamin C: 3mg (4%)| Calcium: 38mg (4%)| Iron: 1mg (6%)
    Author: JinJoo Lee
    Course:Appetizer
    Cuisine:Koreanfusion
    Keyword:garlic, gochujang, holiday, instant pot, ketchup, party
    Did You Make This?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @Kimchimari or #kimchimari and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below!

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    33 Comments
    1. ANALYN WHITE says

      Posted on 24 November 2024 at 10:05 am

      5 stars
      Delicious

      Reply
      • JinJoo says

        Posted on 24 November 2024 at 10:15 pm

        Thank you!!

        Reply
    2. Greg K says

      Posted on 17 February 2023 at 2:08 pm

      I’m going to make them this weekend and take them to work for lunch meals with rice & veggies…..One of my work colleagues is Korean, so I’ve promised to bring some extra for him ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
      진주 씨 진심으로 남사드립니다~~

      Reply
    3. DessertForTwo says

      Posted on 13 February 2023 at 12:17 pm

      5 stars
      These are so delicious! Made them for the Super Bowl party, and everyone loved them! I did the crockpot method 🙂

      Reply
      • JinJoo says

        Posted on 15 February 2023 at 11:17 am

        I’m so happy that you enjoyed them. Thank you for coming back to share your feedback.

        Reply
    4. Phyllis says

      Posted on 17 November 2022 at 5:52 pm

      Question. Can you make this recipe the day before and reheat for the day of party?

      Reply
      • JinJoo says

        Posted on 19 November 2022 at 10:24 pm

        Hi Phyllis, yes, you can totally make it the day before and reheat. Just make sure you don’t reheat for too long so the sauce reduces too much. If there’s too little sauce, you can always add a splash of water. Good luck!

        Reply
    5. Phyllis says

      Posted on 13 November 2022 at 2:27 pm

      Can you double this recipe?

      Reply
      • JinJoo says

        Posted on 14 November 2022 at 9:00 pm

        Yes, you totally can! As long as your Instant Pot can handle the amount.

        Reply
    Older Comments

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    Nutritional facts, MSG & gluten free

    Nutritional Facts in my recipe cards are provided PER SERVING and it’s an estimate and may not be accurate. Due to different brands of ingredients having different nutritional values, the values I provide here may be different from your preparation.

    – Gluten-Free recipe assumes you are using gluten-free soy sauce (since many soy sauces contain gluten or wheat) and/or gluten-free gochujang.

    – MSG & Corn Syrup FREE – these are never used in my recipes

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