Description
Sesame Apple Cider Pork Meatballs are a perfect snackable appetizer and make a great addition to pasta for weeknight dinner. The meatballs have a balance of sweetness from the apples and cider and savory elements from the soy sauce. The apples provide a nice crunch and pair perfectly with the ground pork.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped fine – honeycrisp, gala or fuji
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 cup cooked rice – white or brown will work great in this recipe
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 scallions, chopped – optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and apple to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes until softened.
- Add apple cider, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and pepper then reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been evaporated and the mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer apple mixture to a plate to allow to cool quicker. Let cool at room temperature then transfer to refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. Once chilled, reserve 1/4 cup of the mixture to use as a sauce for the cooked meatballs.
- In a large mixing bowl, use your hands to combine pork, rice, egg, sesame seeds and chilled apple mixture. If the mixture seems too wet, add some additional rice, panko or breadcrumbs until desired thickness is achieved.
- Chill mixture for at least 1 hour (this will help the meatballs to hold their shape better).
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Using a 2 tbsp ice cream scooper (or a spoon), create 18 equal sized meatballs then place on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the meatballs get golden brown on the outside.
- While meatballs are cooking, prepare the sauce: Create a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1/4 cup water with 1/2 tbsp cornstarch. In a small saucepan, heat the 1/4 cup reserved apple mixture with the cornstarch slurry over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, stirring often, until sauce is thickened and reduced.
- To serve, top meatballs with sauce and a garnish of sesame seeds and scallions. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop + oven
Nutrition
- Calories: 312
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 640mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 85mg