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Lion's Head Meatballs

Perfectly cooked Lion's Head Meatballs made and served in the glass Anyday dish, featuring tender pork meatballs infused with ginger, scallion, and sesame oil. This method ensures juicy and flavorful meatballs, ideal for a comforting and delicious meal.
Lion's Head Meatballs
PT10M PT7M

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

7-8 mins

Free Time

to declutter your countertops

A traditional Chinese dish, Lion’s Head Meatballs are often eaten during celebrations, but they’re easy enough to prepare on a regular weeknight too. Pork meatballs, infused with ginger, scallion, and sesame oil, become fluffy, light, and tender when they’re gently steamed in this flavorful broth.

All of Anyday’s recipes are tested (and retested!) in many different microwave and home kitchens to make sure they work—, and work well. Unless specified otherwise, all recipes should be cooked at full power.

Meat, Chinese, chinese new year, ground meat, ground pork, lunar new year, meatball, meatballs, pork, Deep Dish, Shallow Dish Meat

What You’ll Need

What You’ll Need

The Medium Deep Dish

The best dish for 1-2 portions of grains, veggies, mac and cheese, ramen, and more.

The Anyhand Mitts

Handle hot Anyday dishes with care with these microwave mitts that double as trivets!
Try Anyday

Select your serving size and microwave wattage in the dropdown. The recipe will change accordingly.

1-2
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Select your microwave wattage in the dropdown. The cook times in this recipe will automatically change accordingly.

[[video-wattage]]

To find your microwave’s wattage, look at the front panel, the side of the door, in the back, in the user manual, or Google the model number. If both an input and output wattage are listed, use the output.

Wattage translates to how powerful the microwave is. The higher the wattage, the faster your food will cook. The lower the wattage, the longer the cook time.

When in doubt, start with less time — you can always add more.

700w

Recommended 

Dish

The Medium Deep Dish

Ingredients

  • 6 oz (170g) ground pork
  • ⅛ teaspoon sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon ginger, finely chopped or grated
  • ½ scallion, finely chopped
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1½ tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • ½  tablespoon soy sauce
  • ½  tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • ½  tablespoon oyster sauce
  • ⅛ teaspoon five-spice powder
  • ¾ teaspoon cornstarch
  • ¼ cup (50g) canned water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
  • 1½ cups (360ml) chicken stock
  • 1 bok choy, cut into large pieces

Preparation

  1. In a bowl, combine pork, sesame oil, ginger, scallion, eggs, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, five spice powder, cornstarch, and water chestnuts. Mix until fully incorporated.
  2. Divide the mixture into 4-5 even-sized portions. Roll them between your palms into ball shapes and set the meatballs aside.
  3. Place the chicken stock in the Anyday dish and cover with the lid (knob lifted). Cook in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until the stock is very hot.
  4. Add the meatballs and bok choy to the hot stock. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Serving suggestions & tips

  • If you’d like some more flavor, add soaked salted bamboo shoots into the stock and remove before adding the meatballs.
  • Add some chili flakes for a spicy alternative.

Recipe notes

  • Make this dish up to 5 days ahead of time and reheat as needed.
  • Microwave ovens vary, even with the same wattages. Adjust cooking times as needed.