Healthy Pork Meatballs With Dumpling Dipping Sauce

My brother, JT, ALWAYS orders fried dumplings when we go to Asian restaurants. Let me fill you in on the breakdown of a perfect dumpling. The filling has to be tender, and full of flavor. That outer shell is soft and chewy from steaming, with a sticky and crunchy bottom. And the dipping sauce, bright and acidic to balance it all out. We always save what’s left of our sauce to spoon over our entrees later in the meal. Because I’ve been craving the flavorsome appetizer, I decided to make an easier and healthier version at home. Healthy pork meatballs with dumpling dipping sauce will give you all the restaurant dumpling feels!

Does anyone else consider meatballs a food group? They are so versatile. I’ve made them with all kinds of meat– beef, pork, chicken, and even venison. Not to mention, they don’t always have to be italian (obviously). You can make them any flavor situation you want. Be on the lookout for more meatball recipes, I have quite a few in my recipe arsenal!

Let’s talk about the flavors of these pork meatballs. Bok choy adds just the slightest texture and bite, and the cooked garlic and ginger season the meat, without overpowering that savory taste of the pork. What really takes these over the edge, though, is the dipping sauce. It adds just the right amount of piquancy to elevate the substantial flavors of the meatball. YUMMMM!

To Serve

I love serving my pork meatballs with lettuce cups and that zesty dumpling dipping sauce, but they’d also be delicious floating in hot broth with ramen noodles. You know I love a dish that can be transformed! This recipe would be great for a double batch to have leftovers that could be served both ways throughout the week.

Now are you craving takeout? Check out my Garlic Tofu & Vegetable Stir Fry is delicious as well.

Print Recipe

Healthy Pork Meatball with Dumpling Dipping Sauce

Total Time35 minutes mins

Servings: 3

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 2 c baby bok choy about one head baby bok choy, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 2 tbsp ginger about 1 inch, finely minced
• 1 lb ground pork 80/20 ratio holds together best
• ¼ c almond flour
• 1 egg
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• olive oil as needed

For the Dipping Sauce

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 ½ tsp coconut aminos can be subbed for soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp coconut sugar can be subbed for brown sugar
• 1 green onion sliced, to garnish

Optional to Serve

• iceburg lettuce separated into cups
• ramen noodles + broth

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400° F and prep a baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper.
• Preheat a tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
• Finely chop baby bok choy (I recommend cutting it into a few slices longways first, then chopping through)- keep in mind that this will me mixed into the meatball, so the pieces need to be fairly small.
• Peel ginger and garlic and finely mince both.
• Add bok choy, garlic, and ginger to skillet and saute, stirring frequently, until bok choy has softened (5 minutes). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Transfer vegetables to a heat safe bowl to cool while you start on the meatballs.
• To a large bowl, add your pork, egg, almond flour, and crushed pepper. Begin to break up the pork and incorporate ingredients, stopping just before the mixture is combined.
• Add your vegetables to the pork mixture and continue incorporating until vegetables are distributed evenly throughout. Be sure not to overmix, as meatballs can become tough.
• Roll pork mixture into golf ball sized meatballs and transfer to your prepared baking sheet. I use a standard cookie scoop and it makes exactly 18 meatballs.
• Drizzle the top of each meatball with a little bit of olive oil.
• Place meatballs in the oven and bake until cooked through and browning on top, about 20-25 minutes.
• While the meatballs cook, prepare the sauce. Whisk together all sauce ingredients except the green onion. Slice green onion on a bias and add to the sauce.
• Serve in lettuce cups with dipping sauce, or in warm broth with ramen noodles.