These tasty pork and shrimp meatballs make the perfect appetizer or dish to feed a crowd. Each bite is tender and infused with familiar Asian flavors we all love, almost like wontons without the wrapper! They are also delicious with some steamed rice or in a bowl of hot noodle soup!
Ingredients
- Ground pork
- Raw shrimp
- Green onions
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Sesame oil
- Honey
- Fish sauce
- Soy sauce
- White pepper
- Salt
How to Make Pork and Shrimp Meatballs
Pulse the raw shrimp a few times in a food processor to turn it into a paste-like texture. If you don't have a food processor, you can chop it with a knife.
Combine the shrimp, ground pork, chopped green onions, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, honey, fish sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, and salt in a bowl.
Use a spoon or rubber spatula to mix all the ingredients, or go the much easier route and simply use your hands! You want to make sure the mixture is well combined and almost paste-like.
Set the meatball mixture in the fridge for an hour to let it firm up a bit and for the flavors to meld.
Portion out the meatball mixture and roll into balls. If you want to be really precise, you can weigh the meat and divide by how many meatballs you want! For me, this recipe comes to about 500 grams, so I make 10 meatballs that are 50 grams each.
Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 375F/190C oven for 25 minutes.
Serving Ideas
Obviously, these Asian pork and shrimp meatballs are a great appetizer and are a great addition to a food spread when feeding a crowd. Make the meatballs smaller to feed more people or for one-bite poppers!
Don't forget the dipping sauces! I really like eating them with a Thai red chili sauce, or I'll mix up a simple combination of sweet soy sauce and chili crisp! Other great dipping options would be teriyaki sauce, sriracha, or how about a Thai curry dipping sauce??
These meatballs are also great for a meal...add them to a bowl of noodle soup, stuff them in lettuce wraps, or enjoy them with a simple serving of rice and greens. My Savory Ginger Garlic Coconut Rice would also complement the meatball flavors perfectly!
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, that would work! Cooking them in a skillet on the stovetop will also work.
Yes, you can make the meatball mixture ahead of time up to one day. You can also form the meatballs ahead of time and store them covered in the fridge up to one day before baking.
Yes, you can shape the raw meatballs, freeze them in a single layer on a pan lined with parchment paper, then store the frozen meatballs in a zippered freezer bag.
If you're interested in other recipes for small bites, take a look at Cold Spicy Cucumber Bites, Chicken Skewers with Thai Curry Dipping Sauce, GF Pigs in a Blanket, or Dry Rub Roast Pork Neck.
You're going to love how easy it is to make these tasty pork and shrimp meatballs. They're full of flavor and simply fun to eat...they're sure to be a crowd pleaser!
~ Lisa.
Asian Pork and Shrimp Meatballs
Ingredients
- 225 grams ground pork
- 180 grams raw shrimp
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- 1 garlic clove grated or minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¾ teaspoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add raw shrimp to a food processor and pulse a few times until it is like a paste. (See recipe note below.)
- Combine shrimp, ground pork, green onions, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, white pepper, and salt in a bowl.
- Using your a stiff spoon or your hands, mix the ingredients together until well combined. Place meatball mixture in the fridge for at least one hour, up to one day.
- Preheat oven 375 deg F (190 C).
- Form pork and shrimp mixture into balls and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. To make sure the meatballs are all the same size, weigh the meatball mixture, and then divide by how many meatballs you want (eg. 500 grams total, ten meatballs at 50 grams each).
- Bake meatballs for 25 minutes.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Notes
- If you do not have a food processor, chop the raw shrimp using a knife until it is like a paste.
- Use a spoon to mix all the ingredients together if you don't want to use your hands, but I find using my hands works best in getting everything well-blended.
- I weigh the meatball mixture and divide the weight by how many meatballs I want to make. I often get a 500 gram total and portion it into ten 50 gram meatballs.
- Add some chili flakes to the mixture if you want a spicy kick!
- Double the amount of white pepper if you want more of a peppery taste.
- Serve with Thai chili sauce, teriyaki sauce, sriracha, or a simple mixture of sweet soy sauce and chili crisp.
This post was originally published on January 7th, 2019, and was republished May 23rd, 2023 with an updated recipe, new photos and writing.
Lisa
Hi Lisa,
I just made these pork & shrimp meatballs and it was soooooo good. I served it with the Ramen noodles that I made for dinner and it was a big hit with the family. Thank you for another great recipe!
Lisa
Hi Lisa! Having the meatballs with ramen sounds really good! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed them...thanks for making them and for your comments!
Leo proffitt
Great easy recipe and very very tasty I pair it with egg rolls and fried rice and topped them with a Sriracha aioli and green onion wow just wow yummy 😋
Hi Leo! Thank so much for making the recipe! That sounds like a delicious meal and I'm so glad you included the meatballs!
Mari Slifkin
Lisa,
OMG! This recipe made us forget about pot stickers. I added a habanero to the pork and shrimp. We took your lead on the soy sauce and hot oil, we also added rice wine vinegar.
I can't wait to try another recipe!
Thanks so much, Mari! Adding a habanero chili to the meatballs sounds likes a delicious idea! I love the idea adding spice to every bite! I hope you like other recipes you try!
Sue
Had something similar at a restaurant recently and they were delicious. Going to give these a try. Do you think I could used cooked shrimp?
Hi Sue! I would advise against using cooked shrimp because it is too firm and you won't be able to achieve the same paste-like consistency to mix with the raw ground pork. Also, using cooked shrimp and then cooking it again will only result in the shrimp becoming more tough. Thanks for the question!
Rob
I was looking for an idea for dinner and this was interesting since I haven't made meatballs with pork/shrimp combo but it made since since it is similar to dumpling/won ton filling. I love how easy and quick this recipe is. My family loved it.
Thanks again
ps I am really liking your approach with simple but great tasing recipes, which is great for all of us with limited time.
Thanks so much, Rob! I really appreciate your comments and am happy you're finding recipes you like here!
Michael
I love this recipe! It’s the second time I’ve used it, but last night I doubled the garlic, doubled the fish sauce and quadrupled the ginger. I pan-seared the meatballs before putting them in the oven at 300 for 15-20 minutes. Served with Somen noodles in a chicken bone broth seasoned with beets, poblanos, and Serrano peppers. It was the star of the show!
Wow! That sounds amazing, Michael! Makes me want to give your modifications a try myself! Thanks for sharing!
Nunu
Do you think you could substitute chicken or turkey for the pork?
I can't see why you can't substitute chicken or turkey, but they might be a bit drier than pork. I think it would definitely be worth trying out...please let me know how it goes if you do! Thanks for your question!
Darlene
I just made them and they are in the fridge could I freeze them uncooked?
I cannot see why not. If I were to freeze them, I would freeze them on a pan first (so they're not touching), and then once completely frozen, store them in a zippered freezer bag. Thanks for the question, Darlene!
Cathy
It's good to find this, since I'm always on the lookout for great gluten-free, prepared-from-scratch recipes for entertaining! The fact that this one is so easy to put together makes it perfect! Pinning
Thanks, Cathy! I hope you enjoy them!
Sabrina
This recipe has one of my favourite flavour combinations and I love the versatility of using it as appies or on rice with greens, I love it!
Thanks, Sabrina! It's one of my favorite flavor combinations, too!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
Pork and shrimp together in a meatball sounds so delicious! And I bet it's super flavourful! Thanks for sharing Lisa!
Thanks, Leanne!
Kristen
Definitely giving this a try next time I'm feeling Asian food - these sound fantastic.
Thanks, Kristen! I hope you like them!