Saucy Asian Meatballs Wrapped in Lettuce — A Flavor Explosion!

Ground pork and cabbage Asian meatballs in lettuce cups.

5 from 1 vote

Saucy Asian Meatballs Wrapped in Lettuce — A Flavor Explosion!

Packed with umami, these Asian meatballs are perfect for appetizers or light dinners. The ground pork gets a boost from cooked slaw, mushrooms, and aromatic ginger. Served in lettuce cups and glazed with sauce, they're fresh, fun, and full of flavor.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Appetizer, Main Course Pork

Cuisine: American-Asian

Servings: meatballs

Calories: 126kcal

Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Equipment

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

Storage Instructions: Once the meatballs have cooled completely, store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You may freeze the meatballs in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition