Shanghainese Lion’s Head Meatballs are a traditional Chinese New Year dish. These homemade pork meatballs are baked in the oven and then coated with a flavorful sauce. Think juicy, saucy, sweet, and packed with Asian seasonings. The recipe yields 6 large meatballs, but it’s easy to scale up and double the recipe to serve more people.
Start by mixing all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into meatballs and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes until the instant-read thermometer reads 160 ºF. Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth. Reduce the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until the desired consistency is reached. Add the meatballs and toss well to coat. Serve these ground pork meatballs nestled into fried rice, steamed rice, or noodles. Enjoy!
To make the Shanghainese Lion’s Head Meatballs, you will need the following ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 375 ºF and line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 pound ground pork, ½ cup bread crumbs, 2 large eggs, 2 tablespoons Shaoxing cooking wine or mirin, ¼ cup finely chopped green onions, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger, 1 teaspoon grated garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper or white pepper until well blended.
Shape the mixture into 6 equal-sized meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the instant-read thermometer reads 160 ºF.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and ½ tablespoon flour or cornstarch until the flour and sugar dissolve. Transfer to a saucepan and heat over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously, until the desired consistency is reached.
Add the meatballs to the saucepan and toss until well coated.
Serve the meatballs warm garnished with green onions over a bowl of steamed rice.
These Shanghainese Lion's Head Meatballs are the perfect dish for your Chinese New Year celebrations. They are easy to throw together and then just baked in the oven. Give this recipe a go, and please leave a comment below with your thoughts!
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