Ssamjang Pork Meatballs

By Samantha Seneviratne

Published Oct. 22, 2024

Ssamjang Pork Meatballs
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(1,032)
Comments
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Sweet and spicy ssamjang is a Korean sauce, mostly used for grilled dishes. Made with slow-fermented soybean paste, it’s salty and pungent and adds quite a bit of flavor, perfect to spruce up some ground pork for a quick, weeknight meatball. You can buy it in the Asian grocery section or make your own. Try these meatballs in a lettuce cup with rice and kimchi or served straight-up with some grilled vegetables.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1pound ground pork
  • ⅓cup ssamjang, store bought or homemade
  • ¼cup/20 grams panko bread crumbs
  • 3scallions, minced, plus more for serving
  • 3tablespoons minced ginger (from one 2-inch piece, no need to peel)
  • 1tablespoon minced garlic (from 2 to 3 large cloves)
  • Kosher salt
  • Lettuce, for serving
  • Cooked rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

439 calories; 26 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 930 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 the pork, ssamjang, panko, scallions, ginger, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and use your hands to gently mix.

  2. Step 2

    Shape the meat into 16 balls (about 1½ inches in diameter) and arrange on a parchment or foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet.

  3. Step 3

    Bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm, sprinkled with scallions, in lettuce cups with rice if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,032 user ratings
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Comments

julia

I tried this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic. I made a sauce with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and gojuchang to go with it. I used a few tsp of that sauce to glaze the meatballs after baking them and also saved some to drizzle on the lettuce cups. I’ll definitely make this again

Laura

How this recipe doesn't have more reviews is crazy! These are DELICIOUS. We used gochujang instead of ssamjang and they were so so tasty.

Laura

Following up on my earlier review to say we have made these three times since we first tried the recipe a month ago. We have also separately tried making the meatballs with ground chicken for when we had friends over who do not eat pork and they turned out really, really well. Overall an excellent, easy weeknight recipe for folks seeking a flavorful and healthy meal.

JulieID

Wow! Amazing flavor and so easy to make. I doubled recipe and used Gochujang which is all I could find. I will be adding this recipe to our rotation of weekday meals. Served with rice and roasted broccoli with a little soy sauce and toasted sesame seeds.

Liza

I forgot the salt and it was noticed - hey are nice but not zingy enough - next time more ginger and maybe a bit more of the ssamjang. Worth another try

Kenzi

These were SO flavorful! A bit messy to eat as a lettuce cup/wrap but were great on top of rice and veggies.

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