Orange Teriyaki Meatballs

Flavor blast time! Orange juice is the base of this phenomenal sweet and sour sauce. It's silky, herby, tangy, salty, and speckled with sauteed peppers and onions. Those roasted meatballs are having the time of their lives.

And I bet you have a jug of that morning beverage in your fridge right now; which means you can whip up this sauce with ease. I know you'll love it; the sweet juice partners perfectly the salty soy sauce, tangy mirin, nutty sesame oil, and fragrant cilantro. Just add those meatballs and you have the most scrumptious thing. Way better than takeout.

And since the meatballs are roasted, there's no messy splatters to clean off the cooktop. I ALWAYS roast my meatballs - first because a lot of fat cooks off (and doesn't end up in your dish), second because the meatballs get golden brown ALL OVER without me tending to them, and third, because there's zero mess to clean up. Win. Win. Win.

Note that I season the meatballs with cilantro, garlic powder and onion powder. I ALSO season the sauce with cilantro, fresh green pepper and onion. That's why there's a flavor explosion from the middle of those meatballs, right straight through to the shimmery sauce.

Orange Teriyaki Meatballs

1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon dried cilantro, divided
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup beef broth, divided
1 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Cooked rice or Asian noodles for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
In a large bowl, combine the beef, 1/2 teaspoon of the cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well and shape the mixture into 16 meatballs. Transfer the meatballs to the prepared pan and roast for 20 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft and golden.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups of the beef broth, orange juice, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cilantro. Add the mixture to the skillet and bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes (or until the meatballs are finished; you can simmer the sauce for up to 20 minutes without it reducing too much).
Whisk the cornstarch into the remaining 1/4 cup of beef broth until completely blended. Add the mixture to the pan and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture thickens. When the meatballs have finished roasting, add them to the sauce and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through.
Serve the meatballs and sauce over rice or noodles.
Serves 4