Pork Meatballs With Ginger and Fish Sauce

By Kay Chun

Updated July 27, 2020

Pork Meatballs With Ginger and Fish Sauce
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(5,479)
Comments
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These nuoc cham-inspired meatballs are perfect to fill lettuce cups topped with fresh basil or cilantro. (Add steamed rice for a more substantial meal.) The Ritz crackers here make for a juicier meatball, but feel free to substitute plain dry bread crumbs. To make the Ritz crumbs, place the crackers in a resealable plastic bag and lightly crush them with the back of a wooden spoon or measuring cup. For an easy dipping sauce, spike ¼ cup mayonnaise with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil or soy sauce. And save any leftover meatballs: They're great simmered in chicken broth the next day. The ginger and garlic in them release their aromatics into the broth for a deeply flavorful soup base.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
  • 1tablespoon minced garlic (from about 3 large cloves)
  • 1tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½cup finely crushed Ritz crackers (12 crackers)
  • 1pound ground pork
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

356 calories; 26 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 20 grams protein; 505 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and use your hands to gently mix.

  2. Step 2

    Shape the meat into 12 golf-ball-size rounds (about 2 inches in diameter) and arrange on a greased rimmed baking sheet.

  3. Step 3

    Bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Tip
  • Leftover meatballs freeze well and can be reheated in the oven at 375 degrees until warmed through (about 20 minutes).

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Ratings

5 out of 5
5,479 user ratings
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Comments

Cameron

Absolutely delicious, but the meatballs need to be cooked a bit longer than the recipe prescribes. At 15 minutes, they were still raw in the center. I let them back for closer to 25, which resulted in perfectly cooked, juicy meatballs with a nice caramelized outer layer. Served over brown rice dressed with nuac cham and chopped cilantro.

CFXK

It seems that whenever there is a recipe calling for ground meat, the question is asked: can substitute ground turkey?. Of course you can. It's your meal. But keep a few things in mind: Fat content: this affects flavor and texture. Use ground turkey with higher fat content (not the super lean), and/or supplement with another fat. Doneness: ground turkey is unforgiving if cooked too long; loses taste and crumbles. Keep an eye on it. Flavor: turkey is bland. Amp up the herbs and spices

Did a kind of Nuoc Cham sauce with it instead of the mayo sauce. To taste: rice vinegar, sugar, splash of rooster sauce, splash of lime juice, thin sliced red chilis and grated ginger. Great with the lettuce cups!

Did a kind of Nuoc Cham sauce with it instead of the mayo sauce. To taste: rice vinegar, sugar, splash of rooster sauce, splash of lime juice, thin sliced red chilis and grated ginger. Great with the lettuce cups!

Jennifer

This was great. I used panko instead of Ritz, baked for about 20-25 minutes or until the meatballs started to brown. Made a sauce by combining Korean Ssamjang and Gochuchang with sesame oil, finely chopped green onions (scallions) and finely chopped apple. The apple provides both crunch and a tangy counterpoint to the pork. Absolutely delicious and super easy. Served with rice and lettuce cups.

Hailey

These are a HUGE college student favorite for me. I've made these like a million times at this point. Two things I've learned: always broil on high for a few extra minutes after the initial bake to get some crisp and color, and serve in ramen noodles with sesame oil and cut up green scallions.

grocerystories

Gosh these are excellent. Made using minced chicken instead of pork and used regular breadcrumbs in place of the ritz crackers. Delicious!

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