Asian Pork Meatball Bowls. This wonderfully fresh and healthy recipe is full of phenomenal flavor and texture. The 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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ingredients
- 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 salt.
- 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.
the meatball bowls details
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 this Asian pork meatball bowl 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.
The Sesame 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.
- 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.
how to assemble asian pork meatball bowls
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
recipe frequently asked questions
Is this Asian Pork Meatball Bowls recipe dairy and/or gluten-free?
This recipe is both dairy and gluten-free!
What garnishes do you recommend?
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
-jalapeños
-cilantro
-green onion slices
-radishes
-chili crisp
Do I have to use ground pork?
Absolutely not. You can use any ground protein you like. You can even turn this into a vegetarian/vegan situation by adding tofu or more veggies!
recipe tips, tricks, and variations
- Store the Asian pork meatball bowls leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. They will do better if stored separately.
- If you like things spicier, you can add chili flakes to the meatball mixture or even a bit of sriracha.
- Serve these Asian pork meatball bowls over noodles if you're not feeling like rice.
- Keep this recipe low carb and serve over veggie noodles!
And, if you're in the mood for some other fun Asian flavors, try my Coconut Curry Shrimp, Asian Chicken Wings, or even my Thai Steak Salad! They're all amazing and so easy to make!
shop kitchen essentials
Recipe
Asian Pork Meatball Bowls
Ingredients
Meatballs and Broccoli
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- ½ tsp turmeric optional
- kosher salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 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
- 1 cup cooked rice see note below
- 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, to 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
-
- Pour 1 cup rice into a pot.
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- 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.
-
- Bring two cups water, with the one cup of rinsed rice to a boil. Add one tablespoon of sesame oil and one tablespoon of sesame seeds to the rice and water.
-
- Lower to a simmer and cover with a lid for 20 minutes. Do Not Peak. No Touchy for 20 minutes.
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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