Sticky, sweet Asian Pork Meatballs tossed in your favorite sauce are quick and easy to make! Serve as an appetizer party bite or piled on white rice for a quick weeknight dinner.
Next time try these Asian Turkey Sliders - they’re another finger-lickin' good party appetizer you don’t want to miss!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- These delicious asian pork meatballs are incredibly easy to make in very little time - ideal for busy holidays or a main dish for dinner time!
- Freeze for up to 3 months - a great way to save even more time and effort.
- Similar to beef, the ground pork meatballs have a naturally higher fat content, adding great flavor and resulting in fork-tender meatballs - YUM!!!
Ingredients
For the exact measurements for the Asian style meatballs, For the exact measurements, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- ground pork - you can substitute ground turkey or ground beef
- garlic, green onion or spring onions, fresh ginger
- toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds for a toasty flavor
- sriracha or sweet chili sauce
- teriyaki sauce, sweet and sour sauce, soy sauce, peanut sauce, hoisin sauce - use any of your favorite asian sauces!
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
Oven
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, garlic, green onion, ginger, sesame oil, sesame seeds. Mix together with a fork to keep the meat mixture light.
- Use a small ice cream scoop. Scoop the meatball mixture and roll them into balls. Keep the size of your meatballs uniform so they cook evenly.
- Place meatballs on baking sheet and cook for 20-22 minutes.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve with your favorite sides and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onion.
Meatballs are done when internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees.
- Add meatballs and cook, shaking the tray halfway through. Cook until browned, tender about 10 minutes.
Equipment
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FAQ's
Using a cookie scoop is a great way to make uniform-sized meatballs from the pork mixture. It’s also an added bonus that the meatballs will cook evenly when equally sized.
These ground pork meatballs can lose some shape while cooking in the frying pan - it’s totally normal! Simply rotate them gently and frequently to help them keep their shape.
While some recipes call for eggs, buttermilk, or breadcrumbs to bind the meatballs, I’ve found that the ground pork is fatty enough that they don’t fall apart in the frying pan.
Leftover meatballs can be reheated at 300℉ for 30 minutes in a covered baking dish in the oven with any remaining spicy sauce.
Tips
- Mixing the meatballs with a fork will keep them light and make a tender meatball.
- It can help to lightly oil your hands while you roll the meatballs. It keeps them from sticking to your hands.
- Dipping your scoop in water often will keep the pork from sticking to the cookie scoop.
- Ground turkey or beef can be used instead of ground pork although the taste will differ slightly, particularly in leaner meat such as turkey and ground chicken.
- You can make smaller or larger meatballs with this recipe but then you’ll need to adjust the cooking time.
- Serve extra sauce in small bowls alongside each plate for dipping.
- Use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. Meatballs are done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Variations
- Ground chicken, beef, or turkey can be used instead of ground pork.
- These Chinese pork meatballs can also be cooked in the oven. Bake them at 425 ℉ in a greased baking dish with the spicy sauce for about 15-20 minutes.
- For extra spice and a kick of heat to these juicy meatballs, consider adding in some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes into the ground pork mixture.
- Low carb options - use cauliflower rice instead of white or brown rice. Or skip the rice altogether and serve in lettuce cups.
- Making your own teriyaki sauce is easier than you think! The sauce ingredients are soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, green onions, toasted sesame oil. There's a great teriyaki sauce recipe on the blog here.
- Optional garnishes - thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Storage
Ground pork meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
They can also be frozen for up to 3 months when stored in an airtight container or in freezer bags.
Leftover meatballs can be reheated at 300℉ for 30 minutes in a covered baking dish in the oven with any remaining sticky sauce.
Related recipes
- If these juicy meatballs have your mouth watering, consider trying this Mexican Albondigas Soup (Meatball Soup)- the perfect option for a chilly evening.
- Chicken Teriyaki Ramen - you'll even get your picky eaters to eat this easy recipe!
- Another one of my favorite meatball recipes is this one for Easy Turkey Meatballs.
- Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe is yet another Asian-inspired dish that proves you don’t always need to order takeout to satisfy those cravings!
Serve with
This Asian pork meatballs recipe can be served alongside a dipping sauce as a delicious party appetizer or served over freshly steamed rice or noodles like my Teriyaki Noodles or Black Bean Noodles with a side of Roasted Broccoli.
If you're having a party, be sure to include potstickers, this post includes easy step-by-step instructions - they are great for any gathering!
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Asian Pork Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green onion very thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon sriracha optional
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions optional garnish
- ¾ cup teriyaki sauce
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Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, garlic, green onion, ginger, sesame oil, sesame seeds. Mix together with a fork to keep the meat mixture light.
- Use a small ice cream scoop. Scoop the meatball mixture and roll them into balls.
- Place meatballs on prepared baking sheet and cook for 20-22 minutes.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve with your favorite sides and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onion.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Notes
- Ground chicken, beef, or turkey can be used instead of ground pork.
- These Chinese pork meatballs can also be cooked in the oven. Bake them at 425 ℉ in a greased baking dish with the spicy sauce for about 15-20 minutes.
- For extra spice and a kick of heat to these juicy meatballs, consider adding in some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes into the ground pork mixture.
- Low carb option - skip the rice and serve in lettuce cups.
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