Asian Pork Meatball Bowls are savory and pillowy pork meatballs are served on top of a bed of fluffy sesame rice. Broccoli, which is roasted alongside the meatballs, is the perfect side kick. Garnish with all the things that you love and enjoy!
These Asian pork meatball are also the perfect healthy meal prep recipe. Make it on a Sunday afternoon and you'll have lunches all week long. It's great for meals at the office, on the go, and your kids will devour it (because meatballs).
Just don't forget the sauce!
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And, if you in the mood for more fantastic recipes just like this, you've got to try my Pork Banh Mi, Egg Drop Soup, or my Cheeseburger Bowls! All so good and all so easy!
What You'll Need
- Ground Pork - My favorite ground protein for this dish, but you can use your favorite.
- Eggs - Acts a binder for the meatballs.
- Ginger - For that lovely warmth and aroma that is quintessential to Asian cooking.
- Garlic - Measure with your heart.
- Green Onion - Gives a mild sweet, savory flavor to this dish.
- Tamari Or Soy Sauce - For a salty bite.
- Fish Sauce - For salt and umami. Don't be scared. It's delicious, just don't sniff it.
- Toasted Sesame Oil - An incredible Asian flavor that is a requirement in my opinion.
- Sesame Seeds - For flavor and texture.
- Rice Vinegar - Gives out sauce a nice tangy flavor.
- Sweet Chili Sauce - Sweet, heat goodness for the sauce.
- Jasmine Rice - One of my favorite long grain rices. You can use whatever rice you prefer.
- Broccoli - For some green vegetable action. I love broccoli, but use your favorite.
How To Make Them
The Pork Meatballs
The meatball mixture is super simple. Just fold meatball ingredients together until just combined. Using a tablespoon scoop, portion the balls out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. For this recipe, I use two baking sheets.
I love using the tablespoon scoop for my Asian pork meatball bowls because it makes the work of meatballs so easy and it makes a bite-sized balls of deliciousness. Perfect for the little ones!
Cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces and scatter amongst the meatballs. These will cook at the same time as the meatballs!
The Sauce
This sauce is so good AND you can use for many, many different things. I always make extra and use it for a marinade and dipping sauce. This sauce is perfect for meats and veggies alike. For these Asian pork meatball bowls recipe, we will use it as a coating for the meatballs and for a drizzle at the end just to guild the lily
This multipurpose sauce is super simple as well. All you'll need is tamari (or soy sauce), sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and some grated garlic. Just mix all of this together and set it aside. And, I'm not kidding, once you taste it, you'll be able see the many ways you'll be able to use it.
How To Make No-Fail Rice
I have a no-fail way to cook rice that will make this recipe even easier. You don't even need a measuring cup!
- Pour rice into a pot.
- Rinse the rice in the pot until the water is clear. The first few times, the water will turn milky. Dump that water. Repeat the "rinse and dump" until the water is clear. (You can water your plants with the discard water, too!)
- Add the rice to a small saucepan and level it out. Gently touching the top of the rice with your fingertip, add fresh, clear water until it reaches the first knuckle on your finger - approximately one inch of water. Or, you can use a 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice if that's more your speed.
- Add one tablespoon of sesame oil and one tablespoon of sesame seeds to the rice and water.
- Bring this to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cover with a lid for 20 minutes. Do Not Peak. No Touchy for 20 minutes.
That's it! Rice is done and fluffy and wonderful.
If you don't want to use the fingertip method, rice is a 1:2 ratio with water. Use 2 cups of water per 1 cup of rice. The fingertip method is an old grandmother method I like because I'm lazy and don't like any extra dishes.
Assembly Instructions
After the rice, meatballs, and broccoli are cooked and the sauce mixed, it's time for the all important step of the Asian pork meatball bowls assembly. This is my favorite step because you can make your bowl just the way you like. It's like decorating a room, but you get it eat it at the end!
- Start with base of the sesame rice.
- Spoon on a mound of the pork meatballs
- Flank the meatballs with roasted broccoli
- Garnish until your heart's content - think bean sprouts, cucumber, carrot, jalapeños, green onion slices, radishes, chili crisp - anything with crunch and color is what I love
- Devour
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Asian Pork Meatball Bowls recipe dairy and/or gluten-free?
This recipe is both dairy and gluten-free!
Can I make this recipe on the stove top?
The Asian pork meatball bowls can all be made on the stovetop! No problem. Use your favorite large skillet and sauté the meatballs and broccoli until they are cooked through. This will probably take 12-15 minutes. I just like the oven method because its less babysitting.
Serving Ideas
One of my favorite parts of these Asian pork meatball bowls is the garnish situation. The best part? You cannot go wrong.
Think:
- bean sprouts, cucumber, carrot, radish - anything fresh and crunchy is great
- jalapeños and Thai chilis - I love spicy. Use what you love!
- cilantro and Thai basil - Fresh herbs send this recipe over the top. Use them. Even fresh chives would be great!
- green onion slices - For that delicate onion flavor and because they're so pretty cut on the bias.
- chili crisp, sriracha, sweet chili sauce - I love all of these.
Tips and Tricks
- Use a scoop for the meatballs. They'll be the same size and cook more evenly!
- Use parchment paper on the baking sheet to make cleanup easier.
- If you like things spicier, you can add chili flakes to the meatball mixture or even a bit of sriracha.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you're not feeling rice, use your favorite noodle! Ramen, udon, a veggie noodle, or even a shirataki noodle would be great!
- Use ground chicken or ground beef instead of pork.
- Use any veggie you like instead of broccoli. Anything that roasts fairly quickly would be great - squash, zucchini, asparagus, etc. You could even throw some coleslaw mix during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking for a really quick veg option!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store the Asian pork meatball bowls leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. They will do better if the ingredients are stored separately from each other. Assemble and reheat in the microwave.
You can store the meatballs in the freezer for up to 3 months. I don't recommend freezing the rice.
Asian Pork Meatball Bowls Recipe
Ingredients
Meatballs and Broccoli
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- ½ tsp turmeric optional
- kosher salt to taste
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
Sauce
- ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- jalapeno, chopped optional
Assembly
- 2 cups cooked long grain rice
- garnishes of choice
Instructions
Meatballs and Broccoli
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Gently combine the ground pork, eggs, ginger, green onions, garlic, sesame oil, tamari, fish sauce, turmeric, and sesame seeds until just mixed. Season with salt and pepper, per your taste.
- Using a tablespoon scoop, portion out the pork meatball mixture and transfer to a parchment paper lined baking sheet. For this amount of meatballs, I use two baking sheets.
- Add the broccoli to the baking sheets with the meatballs. Cook for 15 minutes and then drizzle a few spoonfuls of the sauce on top of the meatballs and broccoli. Toss and continue cooking for an additional 5-10 minutes until the meatballs are just cooked through.
- Remove from oven and set aside.
The Sauce
- While the meatballs and broccoli cook, mix all sauce ingredients together and set aside.
Assembly
- Start with a base of the sesame rice. Add the meatballs and broccoli. Garnish until you can garnish no more. I used carrots, bean sprouts, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, radish, and chili crisp - basically anything with crunch and color.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you guys make this Asian Pork Meatball Bowls, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Asian Pork Meatball Bowls recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or review. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
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Dee says
How much ginger goes into the meat?
Rufus says
1 tablespoon of fresh, grated ginger. If using dried, I would cut that amount at least by half. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Thanks!