These pork meatballs are a crowd-pleaser. Baking them in the oven is super easy, so I make them often for dinner. They're ready in less than 30 minutes, and the only ingredients you'll need are ground pork and spices.
These juicy and flavorful pork meatballs are one of my go-to weeknight dinners. They are delicious, easy to make, and go with just about any side dish you can think of. To make them, you will mix ground pork with a few spices, shape the mixture into meatballs, and bake. Easy!
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- Ground pork: I use lean ground pork, which is typically an 85/15 mixture of lean and fat.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and lots of spices, including onion and garlic powders, paprika, dried thyme, coriander, and cumin.
Variations
- For a slightly smoky flavor, use smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika. Chili powder is another good option.
- Sometimes, I replace the coriander with dried oregano or thyme.
- Add ¼ cup of minced fresh herbs such as parsley or cilantro.
- Add moisture to the meatballs with a tablespoon of mayonnaise. If you do this, the mixture might become a bit sticky. Simply use moistened hands to form the meatballs.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Your first step is to combine the ground pork and spices.
Form the mixture into meatballs. It's easier to shape them if you slightly moisten your hands with water. Arrange the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet lined with heatproof parchment paper or lightly greased foil.
Bake the meatballs until they are browned and cooked through. This should take about 15 minutes in a 400°F oven, and they should reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
These are delicious! I've been making these meatballs for four years for our annual family 4th of July party. My family loves them so much, I double the recipe for leftovers
Lucille
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These are delicious! I've been making these meatballs for four years for our annual family 4th of July party. My family loves them so much, I double the recipe for leftoversRecipe Tips
- Handle the meatballs lightly to make sure they are not too dense. Don't over-mix the ingredients, and when shaping the meatballs, try to use a light touch.
- There's no need to add an egg. All you need are ground pork and spices. The meatballs hold their shape well, so there's no need for any additional ingredients.
- Sometimes, when pressed for time or just feeling lazy, I take a package of pork sausage, shape the mixture into meatballs, and bake them! These one-ingredient meatballs are a bit less flavorful than the original recipe, and they're also paler, as the photos below show. However, they are still delicious and so, so easy.
Serving Suggestions
Pork meatballs are versatile and can be served with any of your favorite side dishes. Since I bake them in a 400°F oven, I like to serve them with a side dish I can bake in the same oven, such as:
- Roasted asparagus
- Roasted carrots
- Jicama fries
- Broccoli bites
- Roasted mini sweet peppers
- Roasted cabbage, as shown in the image below:
It's also nice to serve them with a dipping sauce. In the photo above, I used store-bought harissa. Other tasty options include sriracha mayo drizzled on the meatballs (as shown in the photo below - note that those are the one-ingredient meatballs), sour cream dip, or ranch dressing.
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in freezer bags for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
I love having the leftovers the next day for lunch! I make a plate like the one shown below, with these meatballs, plus veggies and quick pickles (or store-bought pickles).
Recipe Card
Juicy Pork Meatballs
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground pork - 85/15
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or 1 teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme - dried
- 1 teaspoon coriander - ground
- 1 teaspoon cumin - ground
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with heatproof parchment paper or nonstick foil.
- In a large bowl, use your clean hands to combine the ground pork, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, coriander, and cumin.
- Shape the mixture into 32 meatballs, each weighing about 1 ounce (30 grams). It's easier to shape the meatballs if your hands are moistened.
- Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs until they are browned and cooked through, for about 15 minutes. Their internal temperature should reach 160°F. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Handle the meatballs lightly to make sure they are not too dense. Don't over-mix the ingredients, and when shaping the meatballs, try to use a light touch.
- For a slightly smoky flavor, use smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika. Chili powder is another good option.
- Sometimes, I add moisture to the meatballs with a tablespoon of mayonnaise.
- Sometimes, when pressed for time or just feeling lazy, I take a package of pork sausage, shape the mixture into meatballs, and bake them! These one-ingredient meatballs are a bit less flavorful than the original recipe, and they're also paler. However, they are still delicious and so, so easy.
- It's nice to serve these meatballs with a dipping sauce like harissa, sriracha mayo, sour cream dip, or ranch dressing.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the cooled leftovers in freezer bags for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition per Serving
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Lynn says
Delicious meatballs! I made them exactly like recipe written and would not change a thing. This one is a keeper!
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you enjoyed these meatballs, Lynn! Thank you very much for the review.
esther says
Our oven is broken, can they be pan-fried instead? for how long? and can i use canola oil to fry them?
thank you.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Esther,
Yes. You can use this chicken meatballs recipe.
I'm not a fan of canola oil, but if that's what you have on hand, it will work.
Karen S says
Making half a recipe, I subbed chili powder for the paprika, and Mexican oregano for the thyme, and added extra cumin. All I had was 95% lean ground pork, so I mixed in about 1 Tblsp of vegan butter. Baked them in the air fryer. Not surprisingly, because of the meat's leanness, they came out a bit dry. (NB: That was MY fault, not the recipe's!) Will make them again, with the correct kind of meat.
Mons says
Love this recipe, so easy and taste absolutely YUMMY . My husband wants the recipe. Says he will cook a massive batch to freeze ❤️❤️❤️
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yay! So glad you guys enjoyed these meatballs! They freeze well, so your husband's plan sounds great!
Karen says
Can you freeze these meatballs after baking?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Karen,
Yes! They freeze and thaw well. After they are cool, place them in freezer bags and freeze for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge.
Andy says
Hi. I thought I would let you know our thoughts on your recipe. Overall it taste very good but with an issue. I am an old man (76) of Italian descent and have been cooking all my life. I did make a few changes to the recipe due to the ingredients. The pork used was 90/10% and since I didn’t have any coriander I used ground caraway seeds. Otherwise I followed the recipe to the letter. It looked great and tasted very good but was a quite dry. My wife and I felt that it may have helped to have added some olive oil, which I use in making regular beef meatballs. What do you think?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Andy,
I'm glad you liked the flavor! I suspect the meatballs were dry because extra-lean ground pork was used. Your suggestion is spot on - when using extra-lean meat, it's very helpful to add a tablespoon of olive oil.