Have you ever steamed a meatball? The result is something a lot juicier and delicate than what an oven can give you. Plus it’s such a simple and easy way to cook meats and veggies alike!
These meatballs have very few ingredients and taste like the inside of a dumpling, especially when paired with the sesame soy dipping sauce. You can add them to soups, eat them as a snack, or turn them into a simple rice bowl (my personal favorite).
Ingredient highlight
Animal protein! The protein you get from eating meat and seafood are the most high quality and absorbable protein that also come packed with lots of other vitamins and minerals.
Have these meatballs prepped in the fridge means you have a high quality protein source you can add to meals or just snack on!
Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 15 minutes Ingredients
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 lb ground meat*
- 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, divided
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Dipping sauce (optional):
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
To serve:
- With rice, steamed veggies, herbs, and dipping sauce above
- Added to miso soup
- Eat as a high-protein snack
- *It helps to use a mix of lean and fattier meats. I tested these both with a 50/50 mix of ground pork and lean ground beef and a 50/50 mix of ground turkey and ground beef. The pork version was juicier, but both were delicious. Feel free to make them with just ground chicken or turkey.
- *Boil them! ~ If you don't have a steamer basket or don't want to deal with it, you could also just simmer these gently in water until cooked through.
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with about ½-1 inch of water. Place a steamer basket inside. If your steamer basket is not non-stick (AKA if it’s metal like mine), drizzle or brush some olive oil all over the steamer basket and rub around to lightly coat (this will help prevent the meatballs from sticking).
- In a medium-large bowl, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and egg and whisk to combine. Add the meat, ½ of the scallions (about 1 cup), tapioca, and salt. Use your hands to mix everything together well. Form into medium-sized meatballs (the smaller they are, the faster they’ll cook).
- Arrange the meatballs in the steamer basket (they will be touching). Cover with a tight fitting lid, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium or medium low heat to steam the meatballs for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size.
- If they appear stuck together, they should easily separate when you remove them. Transfer to a plate or bowl.
- Once the meatballs are out of the basket, you can add any veggies (leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, etc…) you want in there and steam for a couple of minutes. Then just serve with rice and the dipping sauce (see below) for a delicious dinner!
- To make the dipping sauce: add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix together.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Thinly slice 1 bunch scallions
- Make the meatballs
- Make the dipping sauce
Substitutions:
- These can’t be made vegetarian.
- See the recipe not about which ground meat to use. A 50/50 mix of pork or beef with chicken or turkey works great, or a mix of beef and pork is even better. If you use just ground chicken or turkey, look for dark meat (higher fat content) if it’s available.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm the meatballs up in the microwave or you can reheat them like you cooked them – in a steamer basket! I love doing this because then I can add veggies in there to steam with them.
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