These easy low carb Air Fryer Asian Pork Meatballs will leave you with loads of time to spare. Keto and Whole30 friendly, serve these juicy and flavorful appetizers in a lettuce cup with a sesame ginger sauce.
Jump to RecipeI ended up trying this recipe during my LIVE cooking session on INSTAGRAM the other week. My family LOVES meatballs, and these Air Fryer Asian Pork Meatballs were no exception! Served in lettuce cups, topped with veggies and a yummy sesame ginger sauce, they couldn’t get enough.
Who could blame them? They’re a total crowd-pleaser. Using a mix of ground pork and chicken, as well as a variety of delicious vegetables and seasonings, these meatballs are perfect to serve at your next party, or as an added protein to a light lunch.
A wealth of benefits
Let me tell you, the results for these low carb Asian pork meatballs were EPIC. The best part? Mess-free in an air fryer, they cook in only 10 minutes at 400ºF and still come out super juicy.
As if this recipe couldn’t get any better, the dipping sauce also comes together with just a few ingredients that you probably already have in your cupboard. Whisk them together in a bowl and voila! The perfect, zesty sesame ginger sauce.
These meatballs and dipping sauce are super easy to make gluten-free and are naturally low carb, keto, and Whole30 friendly as well. Plus, cooking in an air fryer is a healthy, low-oil alternative to heavy-fat deep frying.
The magic of air fryers
Do you have an air fryer yet? If not, I would highly recommend picking one up before attempting these low carb Asian meatballs. This is the one I own, and I’m obsessed.
It’s the mess-free version of cooking that I quickly fell in love with. Easy to clean and super quick, my air fryer has been a lifesaver when it comes to cooking meat. While there’s usually oil splatter all over my stovetop, the air fryer completely eliminates this!
Tips for Making these Air Fryer Asian Pork Meatballs:
- No need to preheat your Air Fryer. Just turn it on and you’re ready to get cooking.
- Before adding the meatballs, lightly grease your Air Fryer basket with cooking spray. This will helps prevent sticking and allow the tiny bit of oil in the air fryer to do its job in making the outside of the meatballs crisp up.
- Before mixing the meatball ingredients, wet your hands with a little water. This will prevent sticking.
- For consistent sizing, I recommend using a small cookie or ice cream scoop while forming the pork meatballs.
How Long to Air Fry the Asian Pork Meatballs:
Depending on the size of your meatballs, cooking times will vary. I would recommend sticking between 8 to 12 minutes at 400ºF.
Looking For More Low Carb Meal Ideas?
Serve these low carb Air Fryer Asian Pork Meatballs with some of the options below for added protein or the ultimate keto or Whole30 meal:
- ROASTED CAULIFLOWER STEAKS WITH CHIMICHURRI RECIPE
- LOW CARB BREAKFAST BOWL
- EXTRA CRISPY AIR FRYER WINGS
- INSTANT POT EGG BITES RECIPE
- RIB-EYE STEAK COOKED IN THE OVEN
These low carb Air Fryer Asian Pork Meatballs are perfect for your weekly meal prep. Add them to salads, over quinoa with roasted veggies, or serve with Asian stir fry and noodles to mix it up day after day. The possibilities are endless!
FRESHNESS TIP: To keep the meatballs fresh, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 10 days. Alternatively, freeze them for up to a month and reheat easily in the oven or microwave.
Air Fryer Asian Pork Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
AIR FRYER ASIAN PORK MEATBALLS
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground chicken, dark meat if possible
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 3 shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 stalks green onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos or light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- oil spray for air fryer basket
GARNISH
- 1 head butter leaf lettuce
- radishes, finely sliced
- avocado, cut into slices
- green onion, finely chopped
- sesame seeds or everything but the bagel seasoning
- lime, cut into wedges
DIPPING SAUCE
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos or light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/2 lime, juiced
Instructions
DIPPING SAUCE
- Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together. Let stand to marinate while you make the meatballs.
AIR FRYER ASIAN PORK MEATBALLS
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly using your hands.
- Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, form about 24-28 meatballs (depending on how big or small you prefer to make them) into 1.5-inch balls and set them on a plate.
- Lightly grease the air fryer basket using cooking spray. Add meatballs to the air fryer basket, making sure they don't touch or are overcrowded (work in batches).
- Cook in the air fryer for 8-12 minutes at 400ºF. If your meatballs are smaller than 1", cook for 8 minutes, and if they're on the larger side, give allow them to cook for 10-12 minutes. Remove one from the air fryer to check if it's at your ideal tenderness, crispiness, etc. Feel free to give them an extra minute or two.
- Serve with sauce and in lettuce cups with fresh radishes, avocado, green onions, and sesame seeds or enjoy on top of Asian noodles with stir-fry veggies.
Clara M
Loved these! So easy and loved getting to squeeze in some extra veggies with the mushrooms. Served over half cauliflower rice half jasmine rice with a sticky Asian sauce from Healthy Little Peach’s blog.
Lizzy
I love your blog so much! It’s pretty, and makes me want to cook more!! Xo
lenaskitchen
Lizzy, thank you so much for your kind words. Best compliment! Happy cooking!
Valentyna
Looks so good! Can’t wait to make it!
lenaskitchen
So happy to hear that. I can’t wait for you to try it. Love the mess-free too.