These sriracha beef meatballs are made with purple sweet potato, fresh ginger, turmeric, garlic, scallions, celery, and cilantro. Kimchi sriracha adds a savory, tangy heat, while the sweet potato keeps the meatballs soft and tender. This is also a practical way to stretch a smaller amount of ground beef into a generous batch. The vegetables and sweet potato are incorporated directly into the mixture, but the meatballs still feel satisfying and substantial. Serve them with cauliflower rice, broccoli slaw, roasted vegetables, or a crunchy cabbage salad for a complete meal.
Purple Sweet Potato Makes These Meatballs Extra Tender
I originally made these meatballs during a weekend meal-prep session, using a Stokes Purple sweet potato and a kimchi sriracha sauce I had found at Whole Foods. The combination worked beautifully: the earthy sweetness of the potato balanced the heat of the sauce, while ginger, turmeric, garlic, scallions, celery, and cilantro added plenty of fresh flavor and nutrients.
The purple sweet potato also gives the meatballs a particularly soft texture. Since the original version was blended quite thoroughly in a food processor, the vegetable mixture became almost like a mash before being combined with the beef.
If you enjoy very tender meatballs, process the vegetables and sweet potato until finely blended. For a firmer, more textured result, pulse the mixture just until everything is finely chopped. In that case, grate the ginger, turmeric, and garlic first so you don’t end up with large pieces in the meatballs.
What Is Kimchi Sriracha Sauce?
I originally made these meatballs with Wildbrine Kimchi Sriracha, a store-bought sauce that combines the tangy, fermented flavor of kimchi with the heat of sriracha. Since this particular sauce might not be available everywhere, you can create a similar flavor by combining a few tablespoons of finely chopped kimchi with a few drops of sriracha, adjusting the amount to your preferred level of heat.
If your kimchi contains large pieces, chop it finely or blend it briefly before adding it to the meatball mixture. Remember that both kimchi and sriracha can be salty, so taste and adjust the added salt accordingly.
Preparing the Purple Sweet Potato
The sweet potato needs to be baked before you make the meatballs, but this can easily be done in advance.
Cut the sweet potato in half, brush the cut sides with a little avocado oil, and place it cut-side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for approximately 30 minutes, or until tender. Allow it to cool, then scoop out and mash the flesh.
You will need 8 ounces (227 grams) of baked, mashed purple sweet potato for this recipe.
How to Serve Sriracha Beef Meatballs
These meatballs can be served hot or cold, making them useful for meal prep, packed lunches, or an appetizer platter. Offer additional kimchi sriracha sauce on the side if you enjoy more heat.
For a main meal, serve them with:
- Cauliflower rice and broccoli slaw
- A crunchy cabbage salad
- Steamed or roasted broccoli
- Sautéed greens
- Roasted vegetables
- Lettuce cups with fresh herbs
- A simple dipping sauce made with coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and sesame oil
My original serving combination was cauliflower rice and broccoli slaw sautéed in avocado oil, then finished with coconut milk, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds. It complemented the meatballs beautifully, but you can pair them with almost any simple vegetable side. For a flavorful twist, serve them alongside Mediterranean cauliflower fried rice.
More Meatball Recipes
If you enjoy these sriracha beef meatballs, you might also like:
- Za’atar Chicken Meatballs with Hemp Seeds (Gluten-Free)
- Almost Italian Meatballs with Baked Vegetables and Rhubarb
- Lectin-Free Scandinavian Meatballs with Curry Sauce
- One-Pan Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs
- Boiled Meatballs, Scandinavian Style
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Sriracha Beef Meatballs with Purple Sweet Potato
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 26 meatballs
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Gluten-Free
Description
These sriracha beef meatballs are made with purple sweet potato, fresh ginger, turmeric, garlic, scallions, celery, and cilantro. Kimchi sriracha adds a savory, tangy heat, while the sweet potato keeps the meatballs soft and tender. This is also a practical way to stretch a smaller amount of ground beef into a generous batch. The vegetables and sweet potato are incorporated directly into the mixture, but the meatballs still feel satisfying and substantial. Serve them with cauliflower rice, broccoli slaw, roasted vegetables, or a crunchy cabbage salad for a complete meal.
Ingredients
- 0.65 pounds (295 grams) 100% grass-fed ground beef
- 8 ounces (227 grams) baked and mashed purple sweet potato
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 handful fresh cilantro
- 1 thumb-size piece fresh ginger, preferably grated
- 1 thumb-size piece fresh turmeric, preferably grated
- 2 garlic cloves, preferably grated
- 3 scallions
- 1 pasture-raised egg
- 3 tablespoons cassava flour
- 2 tablespoons Wildbrine Kimchi Sriracha Sauce (see notes for substitute)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Avocado oil, for greasing the pan
- Toasted sesame oil, for greasing the pan
- Sesame seeds, for baking
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a large sheet pan with avocado oil and a small amount of toasted sesame oil.
- Add the baked purple sweet potato, celery, cilantro, ginger, turmeric, garlic, and scallions to a food processor. Process until well combined. Blend thoroughly for very soft meatballs, or pulse briefly if you prefer more texture.
- Transfer the vegetable and sweet potato mixture to a large bowl. Add the ground beef, egg, cassava flour, kimchi sriracha sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix until evenly combined.
- Shape the mixture into meatballs, using approximately 1 tablespoon for each one. Arrange them on the prepared sheet pan, leaving a little space between them.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve hot or cold, with extra kimchi sriracha sauce if desired. Enjoy them as an appetizer or pair them with vegetables for a main meal.
Notes
This recipe makes approximately 26 small meatballs.
The baking time for the purple sweet potato is not included in the recipe preparation or cooking time. It can be baked and mashed in advance.
For a more textured meatball, grate the ginger, turmeric, and garlic, then pulse the remaining vegetables only until finely chopped.
The finely processed purple sweet potato and vegetables create especially soft, tender meatballs.
I originally made these meatballs with Wildbrine Kimchi Sriracha, a store-bought sauce that combines the tangy, fermented flavor of kimchi with the heat of sriracha. Since this particular sauce might not be available everywhere, you can create a similar flavor by combining a few tablespoons of finely chopped kimchi with a few drops of sriracha, adjusting the amount to your preferred level of heat.
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