Name: Asian Pork Meatball Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 2 tsp fresh ginger or ginger paste; 2 cloves garlic; 2 green onions; 1 small jalapeño or serrano pepper; 1 lb ground pork; 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (use tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free); 4 oz thin rice noodles (use brown rice noodles if you can find them!); All-purpose Thai Peanut Sauce; 1 head butter lettuce (or iceberg lettuce); Shredded purple cabbage; green onions, chopped; Radishes, sliced thinly; Raw red onion or pickled red onions; Jalapeno or serrano pepper, sliced; Avocado, diced; Fresh herbs: cilantro, mint, Thai basil; Chopped peanuts

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Asian inspired pork meatball lettuce wraps make a fun, fresh, and nutritious family dinner in just 30 minutes! With easy Asian meatballs and a delicious peanut sauce, they’re a fun change-up from everyday meals. (dairy-free, gluten-free option)

overhead view of two pork meatball lettuce wraps on small plates surrounded by small bowls of peanut dipping sauce, chopped peanuts, and green onions on a white background.

This recipe is sponsored by the National Pork Board. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Lively Table running!

With the weather warming up, it’s time to bring out all the fresh, veggie-packed meals! To me, nothing tastes quite as fresh as a crisp lettuce wrap packed with herbs, veggies, and Asian flavors. If you’re a fan of lettuce wraps, you will love this recipe. So grab your family or some close friends and gather around the table to savor this delicious, healthy meal together!

asian pork meatball lettuce wrap with fresh cilantro and sliced jalapeño on a small grey plate.

Why You’ll Love These Pork Meatball Lettuce Wraps

These lettuce wraps are the perfect spring recipe to liven up your dinner table! They’re:

Full of Flavor - Juicy pork meatballs with ginger, green onions and soy sauce are the star of these lettuce wraps, but a delicious peanut dipping sauce, tons of fresh herbs and veggies bring the flavor, too! With so many different tastes and textures, they’re anything but boring.
Nutritious - Ground pork is a great source of protein, while fresh veggies add fiber, and avocado and peanut sauce contribute healthy fats.
Family Friendly - I love meals like this for families because each person gets to build their own wrap just how they like it. It makes dinner fun, low stress, and engaging for everyone, so you can enjoy your meal mindfully without having to worry about mealtime battles.
Easy to Make - The 6 ingredient meatballs are baked in the oven while you prep the fillings for less mess and no babysitting. Then simply bring everything to the table!

How To Make Asian Pork Meatballs

four image collage showing steps to making asian pork meatballs.

Finely chop the ginger, garlic, jalapeno and green onion. Or use a food processor to make it easy.
Mix the ground pork, soy sauce, and chopped veggies to combine. I use my hands. Then roll the mixture into 1-inch balls.
Place in a cast iron skillet that has been preheated in the oven, and bake until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 160°F. You can broil them for the last few minutes of baking for a nice color and crispiness on the tops.

Secrets for the Juiciest Meatballs

Keep handling to a minimum when making the meatballs. You can stop mixing as soon as everything is blended in well. I use a small cookie scoop to shape the balls, then just briefly roll them in my hands. Over-handling and squishing will make the meatballs tougher.
Always use a meat thermometer to determine when the meatballs are cooked through. That way you know they’re safe without over cooking them. Ground pork is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.

overhead view of a DIY meatball lettuce wrap tray with pork meatballs in the center surrounded by lettuce, herbs, jalapeño, pickled onions, peanut sauce, avocado and radishes.

How To Build A Family-Style Lettuce Wrap Tray

While the meatballs cook, prepare the peanut sauce, cook the rice noodles, and chop any veggies or herbs that need chopping.
Arrange lettuce, fresh veggies and herbs on a serving tray, large cutting board, or even a sheet pan. Place the noodles and sauce in bowls.
Once the meatballs are ready, place them in a serving dish and bring everything to the table so the family can dig in!

More Topping and Filling Ideas

I used rice noodles here, but you can also use cooked quinoa or brown rice, or leave them off for a lower carb option.
I chose my all-purpose Thai peanut sauce for dipping and drizzling here, but more ideas for sauces include sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, or sriracha.
Besides all the veggies and herbs I included, you can also add anything else that you have on hand or that you think would be tasty, such as sliced cucumbers, fresh or pickled carrots, fresh red onion, pickled radishes, shelled edamame, or bean sprouts.

pork meatball lettuce wrap on a small plate with a bowl of chopped peanuts and another plate with a lettuce wrap on it in the foreground.

Can These Lettuce Wraps Be Made In Advance?

If you’d like to do some of the prep work ahead of time, the meatballs can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 days until you are ready to bake them. The peanut sauce can also be made 1-2 days in advance. I recommend chopping veggies and preparing the noodles just before serving for the best texture.

For even more inspiration for cooking with fresh pork, head to pork.org/realpork.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Asian Pork Meatball Lettuce Wraps

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Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: main dish
Method: baked
Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

Scale

For the meatballs:

2 tsp fresh ginger or ginger paste
2 cloves garlic
2 green onions
1 small jalapeño or serrano pepper
1 lb ground pork
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (use tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free)

For the Lettuce Wraps:

4 oz thin rice noodles (use brown rice noodles if you can find them!)
All-purpose Thai Peanut Sauce
1 head butter lettuce (or iceberg lettuce)
Shredded purple cabbage
green onions, chopped
Radishes, sliced thinly
Raw red onion or pickled red onions
Jalapeno or serrano pepper, sliced
Avocado, diced
Fresh herbs: cilantro, mint, Thai basil
Chopped peanuts

Instructions

Heat oven to 425°F, placing a cast iron skillet inside to preheat.
Finely chop ginger, garlic, green onions, and jalapeño. A mini food processor makes it really easy if you have one.
Mix chopped veggies and soy sauce into ground pork. I use my hands.
Scoop or roll pork mixture into one-inch meatballs. Place into the preheated cast iron skillet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 160°F.
While meatballs cook, prepare rice noodles according to package directions and make the peanut sauce.
Wash lettuce and chop any vegetables you are using. Arrange everything on a platter for serving.
Once meatballs are done, place in a serving dish. Serve everything family style so that each person can build their own lettuce wrap.

Notes

For gluten-free, use coconut aminos or tamari in place of soy sauce.
You can use cooked brown rice or quinoa in place of noodles if you like. For a lower carb option, leave off the rice noodles.
Meatballs can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to bake.
Peanut sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
For juicy meatballs, avoid over-handling them, and always use a meat thermometer to check for doneness to avoid overcooking. Ground pork is done when the internal temperature reaches 160°F.

Keywords: asian pork lettuce wraps, pork meatball lettuce wraps