Lion's Head Meatballs
A traditional Chinese dish featuring tender braised pork meatballs and leafy greens, where the big fluffy meatball represents a lion's head and the surrounding leafy greens, its mane. Don't you love the fanciful name? Just as much to love is the dish itself — a beloved comforting and satisfying meal.
This Lion’s Head Meatballs recipe comes from my Shanghainese grandmother, passed down to my dad and then to me, along with their tips for making the fluffiest meatballs. Very large and fluffy meatballs are a quintessential feature of the dish. Other than that, I’ve seen varying versions. My recipe here uses Bok Choy for the greens and leans on the brothy side. I know I’m not supposed to be so biased but this recipe is “the best” in my mind because the flavours are nostalgic and the brothiness makes it ultra comforting. 🥰✌️
🎥 Watch video for Lion’s Head Meatballs
Lion’s Head Meatballs are SO good served over steamed rice, so the flavourful brothy-ness soak all the way down into the rice. Yum! I hope you give this delicious dish a try. It’s a one-pot wonder my family adores. If you make this recipe, please consider leaving your feedback in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Eat well and be well,
Sonia x
what you’ll need:
Ingredients for Lion’s Head Meatballs
(scroll down to recipe card for full printable recipe)
Ground pork - traditional meat for the meatballs is pork but if you don’t eat pork, use a different ground meat. If using lean meat like turkey, add a bit of oil to the meatballs mixture to restore some of the juiciness.
Bok Choy - our favourite leafy greens for this dish and the one I always use. Substitute: I’ve also seen versions of this dish made with cabbage or Napa cabbage.
Egg whites - a secret ingredient for fluffy meatballs!! No breadcrumbs needed.
Water - odd to list water as an ingredient but it is crucial, together with egg whites, to create fluffy meatballs.
Soy sauce - adds umami and saltiness to the meatballs.
Shoaxing wine (aka Chinese cooking wine) - optional to replace 1 tablespoon of water with this to add a wonderful nuanced flavour distinctive to many Chinese dishes. Consider it similar to the use of wine in French and Italian cooking. You’ll likely need to visit a Chinese grocery store to purchase it.
Dark soy sauce - optional to add a touch of colour and slightly different dimension of umami. But don’t bother to source it if it’s not already in your pantry.
Chicken broth - combines with the liquid from the cooked leafy greens to make the whole dish broth-y and comforting; use low-sodium broth.
Scallions, garlic and ginger - I call these the holy trinity of Chinese aromatics.
White pepper powder - to Chinese cooking what ground black pepper is to western cuisines, white pepper powder is milder and earthier in flavour compared to black pepper.
Sugar - to balance the other flavours.
Cornstarch - for dusting meatballs before browning; can sub flour or arrowroot starch.
Salt - brings flavour out of everything and makes them taste good :)
High heat oil for browning meatballs.
Steamed white rice for serving.
Steps at a glance:
(scroll down to recipe card for full printable recipe)
Combine ground pork, egg white and water (and Shoaxing wine if using). Mix together with vigour! This is important to add air and make the meatballs fluffy.
Add meatball seasonings soy sauce, dark soy sauce (if using), sugar, salt and white pepper powder. Mix well.
Tenderize the meat by working it and throwing it against the side of the bowl OR tenderize after you form the meatballs (below).
Divide mixture into 4 large meatballs. Tenderize the meatballs individually by throwing them from one hand to the other with some force. For me it’s a lot easier to do compared to tenderizing in the bowl and it’s very fun :)
If you have time, place the tray of meatballs in the fridge for 30 minutes (or longer) to marinade and firm up a bit to make them easier to handle when browning later.
Meanwhile, prep the other ingredients Bok Choy, scallions, garlic and ginger.
Brown meatballs over medium to medium-high heat in a bit of oil until golden on all side. Set aside.
Add a bit more oil and sauté the aromatics garlic, scallions and ginger.
Add Bok Choy and sauté until beginning to wilt. Add broth and bring to a boil.
Return meatballs to the pot.
Cover and braise on a strong simmer for 20-30 minutes or whenever meatballs are cooked through (at least 165°F) and bok choy are cooked to your liking — shorter for firmer texture and longer for super wilted, almost melt-in-the-mouth tender (my fave).
Serve over rice and enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
The key to juicy meatballs is…20-25% fat!
For tender, juicy meatballs, use ground meat with 20-25% fat. Otherwise your meatballs are likely to turn out dense and dry. If the fat % is not labelled, avoid those labelled “lean” or “extra lean”. If lean or extra lean is all you can get or if you suspect that’s what you have, I suggest adding in some oil to the meatball mixture to help.
What is Shaoxing Wine?
It is a rice-based cooking wine famously from Shaoxing, China but there are versions made outside Shaoxing (I often get a Taiwan “Shaohsing Wine”). Shaoxing wine is a clear, medium brown liquid that is aromatic, slightly sweet and fragrant. It is used in Chinese cooking to add nuanced and complex flavour. If you can’t find Shaoxing wine, it can be substituted with dry cooking sherry or omit. It’s best to buy it at a Chinese grocery store. I have no favorite brrand, They are generally inexpensive ($10 give or take) so choose the most expensive bottle in the aisle and you should be good.
What is Dark Soy Sauce?
Everyone knows soy sauce well but many may not be as familiar wth dark soy sauce (aka Lo Chou) since it isn’t used as ubiquitously outside of Chinese cooking. Dark Soy Sauce is aged longer than regular soy sauce and typically mixed with molasses and caramel colour. Even though it is darker and thicker, it is actually less salty than soy sauce, with a touch of sweetness. Popular brands – Kam Lan, Lee Kum Kee, Pearl River Bridge.
Why is cornstarch used to dust the meatballs before browning?
Dusting meatballs with cornstarch seals in moisture and gives the exterior a golden, slightly crusty texture. This technique is common in Chinese cooking, especially for dishes like Lion’s Head Meatballs where a delicate, tender texture is important. Substitutions: arrowroot starch, potato starch, all purpose flour. Or you may omit the dusting.
Most important step when making meatballs
TASTE IT. There’s nothing worst than rolling a bunch of meatballs only to find out when eating that they were not properly seasoned. So always taste test: Scoop 1 teaspoon of meat mixture onto a small dish and microwave on high for ~30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed with salt, soy sauce, sugar, etc.
Lion’s Head Meatballs
Lion's Head Meatballs
A traditional Chinese dish featuring tender braised pork meatballs and leafy greens, where the big fluffy meatball represents a lion's head and the surrounding leafy greens, its mane. Don't you love the fanciful name? Just as much to love is the dish itself — a beloved comforting and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground pork, egg white and cold water. Using your hands preferably, mix everything together with vigour! This is important for fluffy light meatballs and you'll want to put some elbow grease into it. Mix until it is noticeably less dense / lighter.
- Add soy sauce, dark soy sauce (if using), Shoaxing wine (if using), kosher salt, sugar and white pepper powder. Mix and work the mixture, including throwing it against the side of the bowl to tenderize the meat to do it the traditional Chinese way OR I started to do the tenderize step after forming the meatballs and throwing each meatball from one hand to the other with force. It's easier and more fun!
- Next, do yourself a solid and TASTE IT. Scoop 1 teaspoon of meat mixture onto a small dish and microwave on high for ~30 seconds. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Divide meat mixture and roll into 4-6 balls, depending how large you like them. I like making four large ones. If you have time, chill the meatballs for 30 minutes or longer to marinade and firm up so it's easier to brown later.
- Preheat a large (6-7 quart) Dutch oven on the stove over medium to medium-high heat.
- Dust meatballs lightly with cornstarch. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the heated pot and immediately add meatballs. Brown all sides about 1 minute each and keep rotating until it's nicely brown all over. Set aside.
- Tip: If at any point, the bits at the bottom of the pot are starting to get dark, add a splash of water and scrape the bits off to prevent further burning. Let the water evaporate before proceeding to the next step.
- To all the good bits from browning the meatballs, add garlic, scallions and ginger slices and stir around for 30 seconds.
- Add bok choy. At first, it may seem like there is way too much to fit in the pot but have faith. Soon the leaves will begin to wilt and it will be easier to stir them around. Move everything around and be patient. You can put lid on to speed it up. Once the bok choy has noticeably wilted and sank down a bit in the pot, add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Once broth is boiling, add meatballs back in, cover and turn heat down to a simmer. Braise 20-30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through (at least 165°F and greens are tender and wilted to your liking. I love it when the bok choy is sooo tender that they're almost dissolving into the broth so I go on the longer end for sure.
- Do a final taste and adjust seasoning (salt, soy sauce, dark soy sauce) if needed. Serve on steamed rice with some of that broth ladled over it. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
369Fat
25 gSat. Fat
9 gCarbs
9 gFiber
2 gNet carbs
6 gSugar
3 gProtein
25 gSodium
1099 mgCholesterol
82 mgDisclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this recipe? If so, please consider leaving your feedback in the comments below. It helps other readers know a bit more about the recipe and I really appreciate it. x
Hi, I’m Sonia
I share recipes inspired by my food cravings and what I make for my family. My role as a working mom of two girls, my life in Toronto Canada and my background as a Chinese immigrant from Hong Kong all inform the things I love, crave and create. This means an emphasis on wholesome recipes that are approachable for busy weeknights and fun recipes to make on weekends and for friends!
homemade food to nourish and indulge …
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