Pork Meatballs Recipe

These juicy pork meatballs start with a simple base recipe made from ground pork, breadcrumbs, and fresh herbs. From there, you can customize them into Italian-style, Asian-inspired, or breakfast sausage-style meatballs with just a few added ingredients. Great for weeknight dinners, appetizers, or meal prep.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword asian meatballs, breakfast meatballs, meal prep pork meatballs, Pork Meatballs Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Servings Meatballs

Calories 106kcal

Author Bon Appeteach

Ingredients

Base Meatball Recipe

2 lbs Ground Pork
1 cup Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup Milk
4 Garlic Cloves minced
1/2 Onion grated or finely minced
4 tbsp Parsley minced
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper

Italian Pork Meatballs Variation

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Asian Pork Meatballs

2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tbsp Fresh Ginger minced

Breakfast Sausage-Style Pork Meatballs

2 tbsp Maple Syrup
2 tsp Dried Sage
1 tsp Dried Fennel

Instructions

Preheat the broiler in the oven to high (500 F).
Start with the panade: In a large mixing bowl, stir together breadcrumbs and milk. Let it sit for a minute or two so the breadcrumbs absorb the liquid. This is key to creating a tender meatball.
Build the mixture: Add the ground pork, garlic, onion, herbs, salt, and pepper. If making a different variation, add those ingredients in now as well. Use your hands or a spoon to mix until combined, but don’t overwork the meat mixture. Overmixing can lead to tough meatballs.
Shape the meatballs: A small cookie scoop or even an ice cream scoop makes it easy to portion out evenly sized golf ball or 2-inch meatballs. Place them on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet for easy cleanup.
Cook until golden brown: Bake at 500°F for about 12-15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer shows an internal temperature of 165°F. You can also pan-fry them in a cast iron skillet with olive oil over medium heat until browned, then simmer in sauce.
Serve: Enjoy as desired or freeze for 1 hour on a baking sheet, then add to a bag and store for up to 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition