Asian Pork Meatballs are delicious and easy-to-make. They are packed with flavor. These juicy and flavorful pork meatballs are made with a blend of regular ground pork and aromatic spices then baked to perfection. Then they are coated in a sweet and tangy Asian BBQ sauce that's sure to leave your taste buds tingling.
This recipe is carefully crafted to ensure that each bite of juicy meatball is perfectly seasoned, so it's full of delicious flavor. Whether you're cooking for a family dinner or need an appetizer for a party, these Asian-inspired pork meatballs are sure to be a hit.
I've partnered with my friends at Ohio Pork Council to create this delicious recipe and blog post for you. Make sure to visit OhioPork.org for more delicious pork recipes!
Easy Asian Meatballs
I may be biased, but I think these are the best Asian meatballs I've ever made! This is a great recipe. Not only is it super flavorful, but it's so easy to make. It's also a quick recipe and can be on the table in about 30 miutes from start to finish!
If you aren't familiar with cooking with ground pork, get prepared to get excited! Ground pork makes wonderfully moist and tender meatballs.
Ground pork is also quite economical when compared to other ground meats, such as ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, and ground lamb. The addition of Asian flavors such as fresh ginger, fresh garlic, soy, and sesame, take these easy pork meatballs over the top!
The easy-to-make sweet, tangy, and sticky Asian BBQ sauce they are coated in is the icing on the cake, so to speak! It's made with easy to find ingredients. You probably already have most of them in your refrigerator or pantry right now. This pork meatball recipe is perfect for beginner cooks as well as seasoned cooks too!
These Asian pork meatballs make a wonderful main dish meal and they are a great party food when served as an appetizer!
Ground Pork Meatballs
Ground pork meatballs (or minced pork meatballs) are so good. Ground pork is perfectly suited for making juicy and tender meatballs because of it's 80/20 lean to fat ratio.
Ground pork is an excellent source of protein and meatballs are a great way to feed your family and friends!
When making meatballs with ground pork, it's important to ensure the internal temperature in the center of the meatball is a minimum of 160 degrees F for safe eating. (Source: OhioPork.org) You can check for this with an instant read meat thermometer.
This recipe for pork meatballs produces moist, tender, and flavorful meatballs with an Asian style flair.
If you are searching for sweet and sour pork meatball recipes, this recipe for Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork Meatballs is delicious also.
Grocery List for Asian Pork Meatballs
You'll find the ingredients for Asian Pork Meatballs at most grocery stores. Many stores have an aisle dedicated to international foods. The ingredients in this Asian pork meatball recipe are fairly common and easy to find. (For exact amounts, scroll down to see the recipe card below.)
- Ingredient list for pork meatballs:
- ground pork
- panko bread crumbs
- reduced or low sodium soy sauce (It's important to use reduced sodium in this recipe to keep the meatballs from tasting too salty)
- mayonnaise
- minced fresh garlic or dried granulated garlic
- minced fresh ginger or dried ground ginger
- green onions (aka spring onions)
- black pepper
- Ingredient list for Asian BBQ sauce:
- ketchup
- Dijon mustard
- brown sugar
- unseasoned rice vinegar
- minced ginger or ground ginger
- low sodium soy sauce
- toasted sesame oil
- garlic chili sauce (such as siracha) - optional for a little heat
You also may want to garnish your meatballs with sesame seeds and/or minced green onion.
Substitutions for Ingredients
If for some reason you can't find certain ingredients to make either the Asian style meatballs or the Asian style bbq sauce don't worry. Here are a few ingredient swaps that would work:
- Panko bread crumbs can be swapped with plain breadcrumbs or cornflake crumbs.
- Toasted sesame oil can be swapped with regular sesame oil.
- Granulated garlic can be swapped with garlic powder. But don't use garlic salt. It will be too salty.
- Dijon mustard can be swapped with any grainy type mustard.
- Unseasoned rice vinegar can be swapped with apple cider vinegar.
- Garlic chili sauce can be swapped with red pepper flakes. (Add to taste.)
- Mayonnaise can be left out. But I highly recommend using it for best results!
The end result of your Asian-inspired meatballs won't be exactly like mine, but they will still be good!
How to make Asian Pork Meatballs
First start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F. (This recipe is for oven baked pork meatballs. You can cook them in a frying pan or make them in the air fryer, but I find for this particular recipe, oven baking is most efficient cooking method.)
Prepare a sheet pan by covering with foil and lightly spraying with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. This will help with clean up!
Next, in a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients. (You might be curious about the mayonnaise in the ingredient list. It makes a great "binder" that keeps the meatballs from drying out and helps them hold together. Mayo is, afterall, made with egg. You only need a small amount in this recipe, but it does a great job here.)
Mix the ground pork mixture just until combined, being careful not to overwork it.
Place on prepared baking sheet in single layer, leaving about 2-inches between meatballs. Make sure to wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.
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Food Blogger Tip --> Use wet hands to form meatballs. This will help keep the meat from sticking to your hands when forming them!
Bake in oven as directed in recipe card below.
While the Asian meatballs are baking, start the sauce. In a large heavy pot, with a whisk, combine all the sauce ingredients. Warm on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is bubbly and heated through. Take off heat.
When meatballs are done, check for internal temperature with an instant read meat thermometer.
When it comes to cooking pork, cuts like tenderloin and chops should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. However, ground pork should always be cooked to a minimum of 160 degrees F.
Add fully-cooked meatballs to pan with sauce and gently stir to coat.
Remove Asian BBQ meatballs to serving dish and garnish with sesame seeds and minced green onion, if desired.
What do you serve with Asian Pork Meatballs?
These sweet and spicy pork meatballs are great as a main dish when served with white rice or rice noodles and sugar snap peas or steamed broccoli for a complete meal.
Keep it low carb by serving them in lettuce cups and making Asian pork meatball lettuce wraps.
Consider making an easy meal for busy weeknights with Asian pork meatball bowls! Start with white rice or cauliflower rice and add water chestnuts, snow peas, and top with these juicy meatballs in sauce and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds!
Anyway you serve them, they make a delicious quick weeknight dinner.
They also are great served as appetizers! Place them with their sauce in a slow cooker on warm and serve with toothpicks. Serve remaining sauce in a small bowl on the side as a dipping sauce.
Store fully cooked leftover meatballs with or without sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
Can I freeze Asian Pork Meatballs?
Yes! You can freeze the meatballs once they are fully-cooked and cooled from the oven by placing them into zipper plastic freezer bags or an airtight freezer container. I do not suggest freezing them in the Asian bbq sauce. Make the Asian bbq sauce just before serving.
To reheat the meatballs, thaw completely, Make the Asian bbq sauce and instead of taking it off heat, maintain a low simmer and add the meatballs until they are heated through.
More amazing pork dishes you might enjoy!
My love of pork doesn't end with this wonderful Asian-inspired pork meatball recipe. Here are a few of my other favorite pork recipes:
Cottage Ham is a regional comfort food dish made with boneless pork shoulder butt that has been brined and smoked. It's a delicious "boiled" meal and served with carrots, potatoes, and cabbage.
This recipe for "meaty" Country Style Pork Ribs with Sauerkraut is a winner! The pork cooks to "fall off the bone" tender and is braised with a sweet and sour sauerkraut mixutre.
Ever wonder about where your food comes from? Check out my visit to a working Ohio hog farm!
If you love this Asian pork meatballs recipe, be sure to click in the star ratings in the recipe card below!
Yield: 6
Asian Pork Meatballs
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min
These juicy and flavorful Asian Pork Meatballs are made with a blend of ground pork and aromatic spices then baked to perfection. Then they are coated in a sweet and tangy Asian BBQ sauce that's sure to leave your taste buds tingling
Ingredients
For the Pork Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/3 cup plain panko breadcrumbs
- 2 TBSP reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 TBSP mayonnaise
- 1 clove minced garlic (or 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic)
- 1 TBSP minced ginger root (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
- 2 TBSP finely minced green onion (green and white portions are fine)
- pinch of black pepper
For the Asian BBQ Sauce:
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 TBSP minced ginger root (or 2 tsp. ground ginger)
- 1 TBSP reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp. (or more to taste) garlic chili sauce (optional)
Instructions
Make the Asian Pork Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray or use parchment.
- In large bowl, combine all ingredients for the Asian Pork Meatballs. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overwork the mixture. (Or you could get tough meatballs).
- Form the pork mixture into golf-ball sized meatballs using approximately 2 TBSP pork mixture per meatball. Place on prepared baking sheet. Continue with pork mixture until it's all gone. Leave about 2-inches between meatballs on baking sheet. You should get about 14-15 cocktail sized meatballs.
- Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until internal temperature of meatballs are 160 degrees F. While meatballs are baking, make the Asian BBQ sauce.
Make the Asian BBQ Sauce:
- In a large, heavy pot, combine all the ingredients for the Asian BBQ Sauce and heat on medium heat.
- Heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is bubbly and heated through. Take off heat.
- Add in the cooked meatballs and stir gently to coat.
- Serve garnished with sesame seeds and minced green onion, if desired. Extra sauce can be served on the side for dipping.
Notes
These meatballs make a great appetizer! Keep them warm in the sauce in a small slow cooker set to low or warm. Serve with toothpicks.
These meatballs make a flavorful main course served with rice or rice noodles. Serve with steamed broccoli or sugar snap peas for a complete meal!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
335.58Fat (grams)
18.75 gSat. Fat (grams)
6.34 gCarbs (grams)
27.47 gFiber (grams)
0.94 gNet carbs
26.54 gSugar (grams)
21.02 gProtein (grams)
14.98 gSodium (milligrams)
861.93 mgCholesterol (grams)
55.4 mgNutritional Information provided is an estimate.
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