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Easy Chinese Pork Meatballs Recipe

An easy, freezer-friendly Chinese pork meatballs recipe with garlic, ginger, and scallion — like a dumpling without the wrapper. Pulse in a hidden vegetable, bake on one sheet pan, and freeze for quick postpartum meals.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 20 meatballs
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Calories: 165
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground pork (minced pork)
  • 1 small head broccoli (about 90 g) or sub napa cabbage, bok choy, kale — any vegetable
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 slices fresh ginger
  • 2 scallions, whites and greens separated
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp water
  • 1/2 tsp salt (plus more to taste - see note)

Equipment

  • food processor
  • sheet pan

Method
 

  1. Pulse: Add broccoli, garlic, ginger, and scallion whites to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
  2. Mix: Add ground pork, scallion greens, egg, cornstarch, soy sauce, sesame oil, water, and salt to the bowl. Mix until just combined and slightly tacky. Don't overwork.
  3. Taste-test: Microwave a small spoonful for 30 seconds, cool, and taste. Add salt if needed.
  4. Scoop: Scoop golf-ball-sized mounds onto a parchment-lined sheet pan.
  5. Bake: Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned (160°F / 71°C internal). Cool completely.

Notes

This recipe is light on salt on purpose — soy sauce and table salt both vary, so always test a spoonful in the microwave before baking and adjust from there. The same trick works for dumplings, meatloaf, and burgers.
Keeps up to 3 months in the freezer. Reheat from frozen.