Asian Pork Meatballs

Asian Meatballs served with toothpicks.

Feeding a crowd? Crockpot appetizer recipes are the way to go. Asian pork meatballs are easy to make, juicy and flavorful. This Asian meatball recipe makes enough for your next party!

If you’re having a party, these Asian pork meatballs need to be on the menu. The flavor is SPOT ON and this Asian meatballs recipe makes a metric ton (or one large crock pot full). These savory cocktail meatballs are absolutely delicious and as with any vat of meaty orbs, they’re a hit at any gathering.

panko and breadcrumbs in a bowl.

It’s graduation time.  Not only for my daughter, Emily, who now has a big, bad Environmental Science & Policy degree, (anyone in need of an Entry Level Environmental Scientist? I’m completely serious…) but for many of my friends’ kids as well.  My next door neighbor’s  son  just graduated from high school (Congratulations, Max!) Naturally, she threw a graduation party for him…

Mixing soaked breadcrumbs with ground pork.

There was a big crowd (about 60 people) coming to the party, so I offered to bring a dish. I debated between a multitude of finger food options, but they all required more à la minute, hands-on effort than I was willing to make during a party… i.e.   potstickers  (I’d be steaming them all night), mini quiches (constantly heating up batches in the oven), and bite sized canapés (arranging a series of ingredients for the canapés themselves and THEN arranging them on platters all night) … I decided the crock pot was the best weapon um, method to achieving a  hot dish that didn’t require my constant attention — Meatballs…

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Carrots, garlic and scallions, finely minced.

Let’s be honest, easy crockpot meatballs are a universal favorite but rather than go with the traditional grape jelly/chili sauce blend or those Ikea-esque Swedish meatballs, I wanted something with more oomph.

I was cracking eggs for the meatballs.

Then I thought about those potstickers again — and realized that their filling (which I love) could easily be rolled into little bite sized meatballs.  All it needed was a little sauce and a warming vessel to keep them hot and appetizing. Asian Pork Meatballsfor when you’re too lazy too busy to make chinese dumplings… 😛

Water chestnuts, hoisin and soy sauce.

This Asian meatballs recipe starts with a panade (bread soaked in milk) and gets layered with Asian flavors like sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, hoisin and water chestnuts for a tender meatball with a noticeable Asian bite.

Use your clean hands to mix the pork mixture so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout.

Scooping the meatballs with a cookie scoop.

How To Make Asian Pork Meatballs:

  1. In a large bowl, combine the milk and panko and let sit for 5 minutes so the breadcrumbs absorb the milk.
  2. Drain the water chestnuts and finely grate half of them.  Finely chop the other half.Add the pork, eggs, garlic, ginger, green onions, carrot, jalapeño, soy sauce, sesame oil and hoisin to the panko.
  3. With your clean hands, mix very well until ingredients are incorporated evenly.Fill a small bowl with water.
  4. Using a small (2-3 teaspoon ice cream scoop) measure out the meat and roll into balls.  Place the meatballs onto the parchment paper.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are firm and set. (my meatballs measured 2 teaspoons each and it took 10 minutes… if your meatballs are larger, you may need to add 3-4 minutes to the cooking time.  Test with your finger to see if it’s done — they should be firm to the touch.)
  6. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes.  Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  7. Transfer the meatballs to a crock pot and pour the sauce over.  Simmer for 30 minutes on low heat, stirring carefully once or twice to make sure they’re bathed in the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped green onion, cilantro and sesame seeds. Let guests spoon out the meatballs – or offer cocktail forks.
Forming the meatballs to bake on a rimmed baking sheet.

I use my favorite small cookie scoop to portion out uniform orbs, that way, I’m assured of a quick and even cooking time.

Mixing the sauce for the pork meatballs.

The sauce is ready in just a few minutes and it gets poured over the crock pot Asian meatballs for extra zing.

a crock pot of asian meatballs with sesame seeds.

A liberal sprinkling of green onions, sesame seed and cilantro are the final flourish on this pot.  Make sure you keep a serving spoon alongside the crock pot as well as appetizer forks for skewering  the Asian Pork Meatballs.

We are serving the pork meatballs on a tray.

The steady stream of  party-goers never waned around these easy crockpot meatballs. I was so glad I did the work ahead of time, so I could enjoy the festivities instead of being cooped up in the kitchen all night.

This recipe can be halved for a smaller group and I’ve also given instructions to do these as a passed appetizer instead of in the crockpot.


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A tray filled with Asian meatballs.
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4 from 10 votes

Asian Pork Meatballs

Great for a party, these Asian pork meatballs with sweet, tangy glaze are the hit of the occasion.
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Asian Inspired
Keyword asian meatballs, crock pot, meatballs
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 20

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE MEATBALLS

  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1 8 oz can water chestnuts
  • 3 pounds ground pork
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 4 large cloves garlic peeled and minced (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
  • 4 green onions white and pale green parts, minced
  • 1 medium carrot peeled and finely grated
  • 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper minced, do not discard seeds or membranes
  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

FOR THE SAUCE:

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon ginger grated
  • ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
  • ¾ cup hoisin sauce
  • ½ cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

  • Preheat the oven to 400°. Line two half sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the milk and panko and let sit for 5 minutes so the breadcrumbs absorb the milk. 
  • Drain the water chestnuts and finely grate half of them. Finely chop the other half.
  • Add the pork, eggs, garlic, ginger, green onions, carrot, jalapeño, soy sauce, sesame oil and hoisin to the panko. With your clean hands, mix very well until ingredients are incorporated evenly.
  • Fill a small bowl with water (this is so you can wet your hands before handling/rolling the meatballs — it makes them less likely to stick and become tacky). Using a small (2-3 teaspoon ice cream scoop) measure out the meat and roll into balls. Place the meatballs onto the parchment paper.
  • Bake for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are firm and set. (my meatballs measured 2 teaspoons each and it took 10 minutes… if your meatballs are larger, you may need to add 3-4 minutes to the cooking time. Test with your finger to see if it’s done — they should be firm to the touch.)

MAKE THE SAUCE:

  • In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

FOR CROCK POT METHOD:

  • Transfer the meatballs to a crock pot and pour the sauce over. Simmer for 30 minutes on high heat, stirring carefully once or twice to make sure they’re bathed in the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped green onion, cilantro and sesame seeds. Let guests spoon out the meatballs – or offer cocktail forks.

FOR PLATTERS OR PASSED HORS D’OEUVRES:

  • Coat the meatballs in the marinade and transfer back to the oven for 3-4 minutes or until glazed and sticky. Sprinkle with chopped green onion, cilantro and sesame seeds. Arrange on a platter and serve with cocktail forks or toothpicks.
  • Makes 120-150 1″ meatballs.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 586mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 600IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1.2mg

“Pin It” For Later!

Feeding a crowd? I always go to crockpot recipes for appetizers, like these crockpot Asian meatballs. They're perfect for a party and Asian Pork Meatballs remind me of pork potsticker filling. This Asian meatball recipe will have everyone coming back for more. #crockpot #meatballs #crockpotmeatballs #asianmeatballs #appetizers #horsdoeuvres #bitesizedappetizers #partyrecipes #porkmeatballs #partyfood #foodforacrowd

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11 Comments

  1. I will be making this for sure, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why I need to “fill a small bowl with water.” It seems like an empty step that is not referenced anywhere else. Is it for rinsing the scoop after each meatball is formed?

    1. Hi Cobi! Sorry about that, I’ve fixed it in the instructions — so thank you for notifying me. If you dip your fingers/hands in a bit of water, the meatballs won’t stick to your hands as you roll them. It’s not required, just makes it easier.

  2. I don’t usually feed a crowd, just 2 people, but I am trying to make large batches of food that I can pull out of the freezer and cook in a few minutes for days when I forget to plan (and make) a meal. Things like standard frozen foods, but homemade and delicious. How well do you think this would work freezing it after the initial bake, before the saucing?

    1. I think that would work fine. Here’s a tip on freezing the meatballs: Line a baking sheet (that fits in your freezer) with parchment paper. Place the meatballs on the parchment paper so they aren’t touching and freeze until solid, THEN transfer to a ziplock bag and back to the freezer. That’s so you can take out what you need without all the meatballs freezing into a solid block (ask me how I know that — LOL!)

  3. I love these! Pretty and the Asian twist makes them unique! I bet you could freeze the meatballs ahead for even more convenience!

  4. 5 stars
    These sure do sound delicious. I love to make asian meatballs, but have never tried them in the crockpot. Totally giving this a shot!

  5. Love this recipe. Pinning it for later reference. Love orientalist flavours and can see my kids eating this.

  6. Jessica Formicola says:

    5 stars
    I am loving that Asian flavor! They look so delicious!

  7. 5 stars
    These meatballs along with the sauce look absolutely scrumptious. Wouldn’t mind having these for our next backyard party.