These Soy Ginger Pork Meatballs are a simple, quick dish that can be made as an appetizer served on their own or served over rice for a flavorful, hearty main entree. This recipe combines ground pork, fresh grated ginger, minced garlic, sliced green onions, and soy sauce to create a juicy baked meatball. The accompanying sauce is equally simple, made of soy sauce, water, sugar, green onions, and fresh grated ginger.
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Each juicy, two-bite meatball is baked in the oven to cook the pork thoroughly and then broiled to brown the meat until crispy. Once removed from the oven, the meatballs are drizzled with a sweet soy ginger sauce to create a balance of sweet, savory, and spicy elements. And because these pork meatballs are baked in the oven, you can do double-duty in the kitchen by making the sauce (and rice) at the same time on your stove top.
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INGREDIENTS ★ TIPS & TRICKS ★ HOW-TO ★ RECIPE
Soy Ginger Pork Meatballs
If you’re looking for a quick, simple meal to get on the table in 30 minutes, these Soy Ginger Pork Meatballs will check off all the boxes on your list. Just a few minutes of prep work grating the fresh ginger, mincing the garlic, and slicing the green onions will have you well on your way to this ridiculously easy appetizer/main entree.
These meatballs don’t require any filler like breadcrumbs or binder such as an egg. Ground pork has enough fat in it that it shapes easily and holds together well when not moved much during cooking. That’s why these meatballs are baked! The crispy exterior you know and love from frying meatballs in a skillet can still be achieved when baking them. The trick is to take advantage of your oven’s broiler setting during the last few minutes of baking.
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Ingredients For Soy Ginger Pork Meatballs
…a few notes about ingredients and making this recipe for Soy Ginger Pork Meatballs…as noted above, you don’t need any filler or binder for these meatballs. However, if you’re looking to stretch this recipe to fill more bellies you can certainly use them. I’d suggest using 1/2 cup of unseasoned panko breadcrumbs and 1 egg, lightly beaten.
A lot of the cooking in this recipe is hands-off, so not a ton of attention is needed…making it great for those days and nights when you need to multitask while making a meal. However, it’s very important to keep an eye on the meatballs once you get to the broiling step. You’ll be broiling on the high setting and ovens can vary greatly so you may not need the full 5 minutes of broiling time to get to the deep brown color.
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Recipe Notes, Tips & Tricks
Ingredient Swaps & Variations – If pork isn’t your thing, you can easily swap it out for ground beef, ground chicken, or even ground turkey. As mentioned above, you can extend this recipe by adding in breadcrumbs and an egg. You can also add in additional veggies such as bell peppers and mushrooms.
Ways to Use Soy Ginger Pork Meatballs Leftovers – These meatballs are a great addition to a stir fry or fried rice by cutting them into large chunks and adding them to your veggie/rice mix. You could even do a riff on a fusion between a bahn mi and a meatball sub if you’re feeling adventurous because the pork, ginger, and scallion flavor combo pairs well with the flavors traditionally found in a bahn mi.
Recipes That Go Well with Soy Ginger Pork Meatballs – If rice isn’t what you’re in the mood for (or isn’t enough), some other sides that would go well with these meatballs include these Super Garlicky Green Beans, this Crispy Roasted Broccoli, or even these Dill Roasted Potatoes (I know, it sounds like a crazy combo but give it a try).
How to Make Soy Ginger Pork Meatballs
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Measure out and set aside 2 tablespoons of green onion and 1 tablespoon of ginger for the sauce that will go with the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce plus the garlic, salt, and black pepper as well as the remaining green onions and ginger.
Step 2. Mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and the mixture sort of “sticks” together.
Step 3. Use a large spoon to scoop 1 to 1.5 ounces of the pork mixture and form the mixture into a ball. (If you eyeball this step, it’s a rounded spoonful and the meatballs should be about 1.5 inches in diameter.)
Step 4. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The recipe should give you 12-16 meatballs depending on how large you make them. Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 5. While the meatballs bake off in the oven, begin making the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, soy sauce, water and the green onions and ginger that had earlier been set aside.
Step 6. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil over medium-high heat. Continue boiling for 15 minutes, then set aside.
Step 7. Remove the meatballs from the oven to check doneness. Switch the oven from bake to broil.
Step 8. Return the meatballs to the oven and broil on high for 5 minutes or until a deep brown.
Step 9. Drizzle the meatballs with the sauce and serve over rice or alongside your favorite vegetables.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely. I’d suggest using a sweet onion as a replacement because a sweet onion is going to have a more mild flavor like green onions do. Avoid red onions as they have more of a bite than green onions or a white or yellow onion. Also if you use a sweet onion, I’d suggest using a microplane to grate it rather than chopping or mincing. The sweet onion takes longer to cook through than a green onion and grating will significantly reduce the size of the onion pieces and, in turn, reduce cooking time needed.
Yep! Make the meatballs and line them in a single layer on the baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour, then transfer the meatballs to a ziploc bag.
Certainly! Despite not having an egg or breadcrumbs to help bind the ingredients, these meatballs will still do well when cooked in a skillet. Cook them over a medium high heat and move them around sparingly (to help ensure they don’t break apart from handling them).
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- Ginger Beef Lettuce Wraps
- Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Green Chile Pork Chops
- Kale and Sausage Stuffed Peppers
- Butternut Squash Black Bean Chili
Soy Ginger Pork Meatballs
Juicy, flavorful baked meatballs made of ground pork, fresh grated ginger, fresh minced garlic, sliced green onions topped with a sweet soy-based sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 6 green onions, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Measure out and set aside 2 tablespoons of green onion and 1 tablespoon of ginger for the sauce that will go with these meatballs.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce plus the garlic, salt, and black pepper as well as the remaining green onions and ginger. Mix well until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and the mixture sort of "sticks" together.
4. Use a large spoon to scoop 1 to 1.5 ounces of the pork mixture and form the mixture into a ball. (If you eyeball this step, it's a rounded spoonful and the meatballs should be about 1.5 inches in diameter.)
5. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The recipe should give you 12-16 meatballs depending on how large you make them. Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
6. While the meatballs bake off in the oven, begin making the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, soy sauce, water and the green onions and ginger that had earlier been set aside.
7. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil over medium-high heat. Continue boiling for 15 minutes, then set aside.
8. Remove the meatballs from the oven to check doneness. Switch the oven from bake to broil. Return the meatballs to the oven and broil on high for 5 minutes or until a deep brown.
9. Drizzle the meatballs with the sauce and serve over rice or alongside your favorite vegetables.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 4 meatballs and 1/4 of the sauceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 430Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 2055mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 32g
This nutrition data is provided and calculated by Nutritionix. Please keep in mind that your specific nutritional values may vary based on the brand of ingredients you use to make this recipe.
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