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The secret is out: pork is better than beef, especially when it comes to stove-top cooking. These Pork Meatballs are loaded with flavorโsoy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and green onions. Serve them with rice and a steamed green vegetable, or just line them up on a plate with toothpicks for a game day appetizer.
Iโm playing favorites with meatballs, and I have to say: pork is better than beef. Ground pork has a higher fat content than most ground beef (depending on what you buy), and it holds together better while it cooks. The resulting meatball is more tender than anything Iโve ever cooked on the stove top.
Because pork holds together better while cooking, the flavors of the garlic, scallions, soy sauce and brown sugar really shine here. The flavor of these pork meatballs is like teriyaki sauce, but on the inside. If you wish they were covered in a sweet sticky sauce, you will love my honey garlic pork recipe.
Ways to Serve Pork Meatballs
- My favorite way to serve these pork meatballs is over freshly cooked rice and with steamed broccoli or bok choy on the side.
- Serve them as-is with a small dish of toothpicks for a party appetizer. Check out all off my Party Food Ideas here.
- Pile these meatballs into a mini baguette sub, top with pickled vegetables and a drizzle of sriracha, mayo and fresh cilantro sprigs for bรกnh mi-like flavors!
The Ingredients
- Ground Pork. One pound of ground pork. You can find this in the sausage section of the market, but be sure that youโre buying plain ground pork, not sausage which has seasonings and flavors already mixed in!
- Garlic. Three cloves of garlic, minced very finely. I like to use a microplane to grate it very finely.
- Brown Sugar. A small amount of brown sugar to bring some sweetness to the pork.
- Soy Sauce. Instead of salt, weโre using one and a half teaspoons of soy sauce.
- Rice Wine Vinegar. This acts as a tenderizer in the mixture and adds saltiness without salt.
- Black Pepper. One-half teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.
- Scallions. Two fresh scallions (also called green onions) thinly sliced. Be sure to save a few on top for garnish.
- Cornstarch. Adding one tablespoon of cornstarch into the pork meatball mixture makes a super tender meatball, just trust me on this one!
- Cooking Oil. We need roughly two tablespoons of olive for browning the meatballs in the skillet. This can be any neutral oil, like canola oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, anything you like to sear with.
- Chicken Broth. Once the meatballs are brown, add one cup of chicken broth to the pan to continue to cooking process. The steam from the chicken broth is what makes these meatballs cook gently and become so tender.
- For serving: You can serve these over rice with a steamed vegetable on the side, or with toothpicks as an appetizer.
How to Make Pork Meatballs
In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, garlic, brown sugar, soy, rice wine vinegar, peppers, scallions and cornstarch. Mix just to combine.
Use a small cookie scoop to make bite-size meatballs, placing them on a plate while you work.
Heat the cooking oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the meatballs in a single layer, lowering the heat to medium to prevent burning. Let the meatballs cook until golden brown on one side. Flip, and cook the other side.
Once the meatballs are brown on both sides, add the broth to the pan and slightly lower the heat. Cook until the meatballs are no longer pink in the middle, about 5 minutes. Itโs okay if most of the broth evaporates.
Other meatball and appetizer recipes for you:
- Whole30 Meatballs made with ground turkey and sweet potatoes.
- Swedish Meatballs for Two are just like the ones at IKEA.
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus is another crowd favorite.
Pork Meatballs
Pork meatballs with brown sugar, soy and scallions. So tender and flavorful!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 scallions, minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons oil, for cooking
- 1 cup chicken broth
- For serving: hot rice and steamed broccoli
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, minced garlic, brown sugar, soy, rice wine vinegar, peppers, sliced scallions and cornstarch. Mix just to combine.
- Use a small cookie scoop to make bite-size meatballs, placing them on a plate while you work.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the meatballs in a single layer, lowering the heat to medium to prevent burning.
- Let the meatballs cook until golden brown on one side. Flip, and cook the other side. This should take about 5-7 minuts per side.
- Once the meatballs are brown on both sides, add the brown to the pan and slightly lower the heat.
- Cook until the meatballs are no longer pink in the middle. Itโs okay if most of the broth evaporates. Serve the meatballs over the rice with the vegetable on the side, or serve on a plate with toothpicks.
Notes
Ground Pork: One pound of raw ground pork. You can find this in the sausage section of the market, but be sure that you're buying plain ground pork, not sausage which has seasonings and flavors already mixed in!
Rice Wine Vinegar: You can use rice wine vinegar, cooking wine (Shaoxing) or mirin here. Anything slightly acidic but delicate in flavor. Do not use plain white vinegar, red wine vinegar or balsamic--they're too strong!
Cooking Oil: This can be any neutral oil, like canola oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, anything you like to sear with.
Chicken Broth. Any type of broth you have works here.
For serving: You can serve these over rice with a steamed vegetable on the side, or with toothpicks as an appetizer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 321Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 289mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 21g
Love the banh mi idea. Baking meatballs works better for my meal prepping (more hands off); any idea what temp/how long you might recommend baking them?