These Saucy Asian Meatballs are a simple but flavorful meal option. Made with ground pork, shredded cabbage, mushrooms, and ginger, they come together quickly for an easy dinner or appetizer.
Serve them in lettuce cups for a low-carb meal, or pair with rice for something more filling. The tangy sauce adds an irresistible finish without over complicating this Asian meatball recipe.
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- This dish is quick to prepare. It uses simple ingredients and is easy to customize. You can swap in different ground meats or other ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Substitute different ground meats or other ingredients to accommodate
- Works as a crowd-pleasing appetizer (skewer them for parties!) or a light, protein-packed meal when served over greens or in lettuce wraps.
- Freezes beautifully for make-ahead meals, and stays low-carb/keto-friendly when served without rice or noodles.
If you need a quick weeknight dinner, a keto-friendly meal, or a tasty party snack, these Asian pork meatballs are perfect. They are easy to make and very versatile.
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients for ground pork meatballs. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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Asian meatballs
- Vegetable oil - A neutral oil like canola or avocado oil works too.
- Coleslaw - Finely shredded cabbage (known as angel hair coleslaw) for a delicate, noodle-like texture.
- Shiitake mushrooms - A staple in Asian cooking. Remove the stems and slice thin.
- Eggs - The binder for tender meatballs. Let them come to room temp first!
- Ground pork - Juicy and flavorful, but swap in beef, chicken, or turkey if you like.
- Green onions - Fresh, sharp, and a must for brightness.
- Ginger - Adds a zesty warmth to these meatballs.
- Soy sauce - provides a salty depth in every bite. Use low-sodium soy sauce, if needed.
- Honey - Balances the savory with a touch of sweetness.
- Cornstarch - Keeps this dish gluten-free and binds perfectly. Use regular flour in a pinch.
- Kosher salt, white pepper - Simple seasoning to let the bold flavors shine.
- Butter lettuce - Soft, pliable leaves for holding the baked meatballs. Iceberg or romaine lettuce work too!
Asian sauce and dip
- Hoisin sauce - Sweet, tangy, and packed with umami depth.
- Sriracha - Adds a spicy kick. Adjust to taste!
- Rice vinegar - Brightens everything up with a little acidity.
- Honey - Smooths out the flavors with subtle sweetness.
- Toasted Sesame seeds - Nutty crunch for garnish. I prefer toasted sesame seeds for added depth of flavor.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the easy ground pork meatball appetizer with Asian flavors instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add angel hair coleslaw and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Remove from the skillet and pat dry with paper towels.
- Add more oil to the skillet and cook sliced mushrooms until tender. Remove and pat dry.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked coleslaw, mushrooms, eggs, ground pork, green onions, ginger, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. Mix gently with your hands just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Shape the mixture into 1½–2 inch meatballs and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk together hoisin sauce, sriracha, rice vinegar, and honey. Set aside half for serving.
- Brush remaining sauce over meatballs and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Serve each meatball wrapped in a butter lettuce leaf with reserved sauce for dipping.
🥫 Storage
Once they are completely cool, put these Asian meatballs in an airtight container. You can keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat these leftover Asian pork meatballs in the microwave or in the oven, covered with foil to prevent them drying out.
📚 Variations
- Protein swaps: Swap ground pork for leaner ground chicken or turkey and add 1 tablespoon of oil to prevent dryness. Use ground beef for a richer flavor (85% lean works best).
- Thai-Inspired: Add 1 tablespoon of red curry paste and replace the hoisin with peanut sauce.
- Korean-Style: Use gochujang instead of sriracha and add 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
- Vietnamese: Add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and garnish with fresh mint and cilantro.
- Japanese: Substitute panko breadcrumbs for cornstarch and add 1 teaspoon of miso paste.
- Gluten-free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce and ensure the hoisin sauce is also gluten-free.
- Low-carb/Keto: Skip the honey in the meatball mixture and the sauce to keep the carbs at a minimum.
- Spicier: Double the sriracha or add in cayenne pepper or red chili flakes.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Chill your hands before shaping the meatballs or lightly oil them to prevent sticking.
- Dry your veggies well. Any excess moisture from the coleslaw and mushrooms makes meatballs fall apart.
- Don’t overmix your meatball mixture. Gently combine just until the ingredients are incorporated to avoid tough meatballs.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized meatballs (about 1.5 tablespoon each).
- Roll the meatball mixture lightly. Compact them just enough to hold their shape. Remember, tight packing will create dense meatballs.
- Air-fry your meatballs at 375°F for 12-15 minutes for extra crispiness instead of baking them. Make sure that you don't overcrowd the air fryer basket or the meatballs will steam.
- Double the sauce - it’s great for drizzling over rice or noodles.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for 1-2 minutes to enhance nutty flavor.
🤔 FAQs
The ingredients can include soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, green onions, and sesame seeds. Sometimes, hoisin or chili paste is also added.
Certainly. Make and shape them ahead, then bake and freeze until ready to finish and serve.
Yes, these meatballs will freeze well in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
You can add more sriracha sauce, a pinch of red pepper flakes, or chili garlic sauce for heat.
📗 Related Recipes
Love juicy, flavorful meatballs for a comforting meal? Here are my favorite tried-and-true recipes that never disappoint!
- Authentic Swedish Meatballs and Sauce- Soft, juicy meatballs covered in a rich, creamy beef sauce. It's just like the famous IKEA version! Perfect served over mashed potatoes, buttery noodles, or steamed rice.
- Spicy Baked Venison Meatballs - These gamey, tender meatballs are versatile enough for hoagies, appetizers, or a main course. Freezer-friendly and endlessly adaptable - let your creativity run wild!
- Meatballs in Creamy Mushroom Sauce - This rich sauce features nutty brown butter, garlic, shallots, and three types of mushrooms. It is finished with a smooth swirl of sour cream for a delicious touch.
🍽 What to serve with Saucy Asian Meatballs Wrapped in Lettuce
These Asian meatballs are great in many ways. You can put them in baguettes with pickled carrots, daikon, and jalapeños for a banh mi sandwich. Or, serve them over jasmine rice with stir-fried veggies for a filling bowl.
For lighter options, mix them with cold rice noodles and sesame dressing. You can also make appetizer meatballs on skewers, accompanied by dipping sauce.
Round out the meal with fresh sides like Basil Tomato Cucumber Salad, Zucchini Noodles, or crunchy Ramen Broccoli Slaw. Each of these add vibrant texture and flavor to balance the rich, savory Asian meatballs.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Large mixing bowl – Perfect for thoroughly combining all meatball ingredients without spills.
- Deep skillet – Ideal for sautéing the coleslaw and mushrooms evenly.
- Measuring cups and spoons – Ensures precise seasoning and sauce balance.
- Large rimmed baking sheet – Provides ample space for meatballs to bake without crowding.
- Parchment paper – Prevents sticking and makes cleanup effortless.
- Small mixing bowl – Great for whisking together the flavorful Asian sauce for meatballs.
- Basting/pastry brush – Helps evenly coat meatballs with glaze for maximum flavor.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
I originally came up with these saucy Asian pork meatballs as a fun little appetizer—something bit-sized and packed with flavor for get-togethers. But you know what happened? I made extra, and we turned them into cena (dinner) the next night.
We served them in crisp lettuce cups with rice on the side. They're juicy, gingery, a little sweet, a little savory, and totally addictive. Whether you serve them as a starter or the main event, they're sure to be a hit.
Don't be surprised if someone asks for the sauce recipe—I've had that more than once. 😉 Buon appetito, amici!
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Saucy Asian Meatballs Wrapped in Lettuce — A Flavor Explosion!
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
Ground pork meatballs:
- 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 3 Cups Angel Hair Coleslaw
- 7 oz Shiitake Mushrooms stems removed and thinly sliced
- 2 Eggs
- 1-½ pounds Ground Pork
- 4 Green Onions chopped
- 2 Inches Ginger grated
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon White Pepper
- 1 Butter Lettuce
- Sauce/Dip
Asian sauce and dip:
- ½ Cup Hoisin Sauce
- 3 teaspoons Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- ¼ Cup Toasted Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large skillet add 1 Tablespoon of oil then cook the angel hair coleslaw over medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, until soft, remove from the skillet then pat dry with a paper towel.
- Add another Tablespoon of oil and add the sliced mushrooms, cook until soft again then remove and pat dry with paper towels.
- Put the cabbage, mushrooms, eggs, ground pork, green onions, ginger, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper into a large bowl. Mix everything with your hands. Mix until combined—don’t overmix the meat.
- Form 1-½” to 2” meatballs using your hands and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, add the hoisin sauce, sriracha, vinegar and honey and mix well. Reserve about half of the mixture to be able to dip afterward. The other half, brush onto the meatballs liberally.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes (or until a meat thermometer reads 160°F).
- Remove from the oven and take each meatball and lay in 1 butter lettuce leaf.
- Serve with the remaining hoisin dip.
Notes
Nutrition
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