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Home » Recipes » Main Course

Modified: Oct 4, 2022 | Categories: Main Course

Sesame Pork Meatballs

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These sesame pork meatballs will absolutely blow your mind!

They're uber flavorful and are served with a super fresh and simple cucumber salad that really rounds out the meal.

Start making your grocery list and get cooking!

Finished overhead shot of Asian-Style Pork Meatballs with Sesame Cucumber Salad
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How to make sesame pork meatballs

Featured Ingredients

For the sesame meatballs:

  • Ground pork: The most juicy and flavorful of the ground meats, in my opinion.
  • Eggs and breadcrumbs: To hold everything together.
  • Cilantro: Provides fresh herbiness and a pop of color and flavor.
  • Brown sugar: For a hint of sweetness.
  • Soy sauce: For that umami and rich flavor.
  • Toasted sesame oil: Because they're sesame meatballs.
  • Sriracha: A little heat, of choice.
  • Garlic and ginger: Because you need garlic and ginger in sesame meatballs.

For the cucumber salad:

  • Cucumber and carrot: I like to thinly slice them lengthwise, but chop them however you like.
  • Rice wine vinegar: For a little acidity and pop.
  • Toasted sesame oil: To bring that sesame flavor home. Be sure it's toasted oil!
  • Crushed red pepper flakes: For a little more heat.
Close up photo of Asian-Style Pork Meatballs on a white plate.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. To make meatballs, thoroughly mix all of the meatball ingredients together in a bowl.
  3. Form 2-inch meatballs and place on the wire rack about an inch apart.
  4. Bake 15-18 minutes, until internal temperature of meatballs reaches 145 degrees.
  5. To make cucumber salad, toss together all ingredients.
  6. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
  7. Serve salad with meatballs.
Overhead shot of Asian-Style Pork Meatballs with Sesame Cucumber Salad and a small wooden bowl with red pepper flakes.

Recipe Substitutions and Alterations

  • For the pork: Swap for ground turkey, chicken or beef.
  • For the cilantro: Leave it out if you don't like it.
  • For the Sriracha: Try gochujang or any chili garlic paste.
  • For serving: Serve with fluffy rice and the cucumber salad or stuff the meatballs in lettuce cups.

Nutrition Considerations

  • To make them gluten free: Use gluten free breadcrumbs.
    • Use low sodium tamari instead of soy sauce.
    • Be sure all other ingredients are gluten free.
  • To make them dairy free: This recipe does not contain dairy.
  • To make them nut free: This recipe does not contain nuts.
    • Be sure all ingredients are nut free.
    • FYI, this recipe contains sesame.
  • To make them egg free: Try with an egg replacer such as Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer or a flax 'egg' (although I haven't tested this).
Asian-Style Pork Meatballs with Sesame Cucumber Salad with one meatball cut in half with a fork.
PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Meaty recipes you'll love:

  • Curry Chicken Meatballs
  • Cocktail Meatballs with Cranberry BBQ Sauce
  • Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs
  • Greek Lamb Meatballs
  • Swedish Meatballs
  • Italian Skillet Meatballs
Print

Sesame Pork Meatballs with Cucumber Salad

Print Recipe

Pork meatballs with sesame and soy served with a light cucumber carrot salad.

  • Author: Julie Andrews
  • Prep Time: 10-15 mins
  • Cook Time: 15-20 mins
  • Total Time: 25-35 mins
  • Yield: Serves 4
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

Scale

Pork Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon Sriracha or gochujang (or more to taste)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • ¾ teaspoon coarse salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Cucumber Salad:

  • 1 large English cucumber, shaved
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and shaved
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Pinch coarse salt and crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. To make meatballs, thoroughly mix all of the meatball ingredients together in a bowl. Form 2-inch meatballs and place on the wire rack about an inch apart.
  3. Bake 15-18 minutes, until internal temperature of meatballs reaches 145 degrees.
  4. To make cucumber salad, toss together all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
  5. Serve salad with meatballs.

Notes

Substitution Tip: Use ground turkey instead of pork for a lower fat option.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ¼ of serving
  • Calories: 394
  • Sugar: 9g
  • Sodium: 544mg
  • Fat: 25g
  • Saturated Fat: 8g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 17g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 21g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 22g
  • Cholesterol: 164mg

Keywords: oven, baked, asian, simple, easy, healthy

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. akashocd says

    May 12, 2018 at 1:53 am

    wow this recipe is so good thank you for sharing it

    Reply

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chef, registered dietitian & mom
passionate about simple, healthy cooking

*formerly the gourmet RD*

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