• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Meatballs

• In a bowl, add ground beef, grated onion with juices, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, scallion, black pepper, and the egg. Mix gently with your hands or a fork until the ingredients are just combined.
  1 lb ground beef, ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoon grated onion, 1 tablespoon less sodium soy sauce, 1 garlic clove, ½ inch ginger, 1 tablespoon chopped scallion, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, cracked black pepper
• Roll into 20–24 small meatballs, each about 1 inch in diameter. Use a 1½tbsp ice cream scoop for even-sized balls. Place them on a parchment-lined tray.

Bake

• Spray meatballs lightly with oil. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until browned and cooked through (internal temp 165°F / 74°C).

Sauce

• In a saucepan, whisk cornstarch with water. Then add in soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, gochujang, garlic, ginger, and bouillon paste (if using).
  1 tablespoon cornstarch, 6 tablespoon water, 6 tablespoon less sodium soy sauce, ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed, 2 tablespoon gochujang, 2 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 garlic clove, ½ inch ginger, ½ teaspoon beef or chicken bouillon paste, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking often, until glossy and thickened (3–5 minutes). Remove from heat, pour into a serving bowl, and stir in toasted sesame oil for aroma.

Toss

• Reserve about ¼ cup of sauce (loosen with a splash of water if needed) for spooning over rice at serving time. Add baked meatballs into the bowl and toss gently until coated.
• Serve hot over steamed rice with cucumber slices. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.

Other cooking options

• Air Fryer: Cook at 400°F (200°C) for 8–10 minutes, lightly sprayed with oil, until browned and cooked through.
• Stovetop: Sear meatballs in a skillet with 1 tablespoon oil until golden on all sides. Remove and prepare the sauce in the same pan. Return meatballs and simmer in sauce for 3–4 minutes until cooked through and glazed.