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Home » Blog » Recipes » Lemon Ginger Meatballs

Lemon Ginger Meatballs

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These Whole30-friendly Lemon Ginger Meatballs are savory and zingy at the same time!

A closeup shot of Lemon Ginger Meatballs in a brown bowl.

I wish I could take credit for these killer meatballs, but I can’t.

This recipe’s from my BFF (best farmer friend!) Diana Rodgers, and can be found in her beautiful new book, The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook. Given my friendship with Diana, it’s difficult for me to be objective when reviewing her book—but believe me when I tell you that it’s really like nothing else on my shelves. What sets Diana’s hardcover from every other book in my hoard is that—along with her collection of over 100 fantastic Paleo recipes—it offers a complete guide to growing your own healthy food.

Someone reading The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook.

Over the past few years, Diana’s taught me firsthand how our dietary choices impact not just our health, but also the workers who grow our food and the world we live in. I used to be oblivious to the impacts of food production, but I now actively seek a closer connection with the food that I feed my family. It’s important to know what’s on my plate, but also how that food is produced.

A closeup photo of a Lemon Ginger Meatball on a toothpick.

If you’re like me, you aren’t a homesteader or even a fledgling hipster urban farmer. But after reading this book and staying at Diana’s family farm, I have a much deeper appreciation for folks who devote their lives to raising food the right way for city slickers like me. I even bit the bullet and ordered an elevated garden bed so that I can grow the herbs that’ll go into all my dishes. (The garden bed is still in a box in my garage, but it’s going to happen, people. I promise.)

A collage of the cooking steps to make Lemon Ginger Meatballs.

In the meantime, how about some kickass meatballs?

(Note: It was a happy accident, but I inadvertently made ’em AIP-compliant when I forgot to add the egg white called for in the recipe—but the meatballs still ended up incredibly tender and delicious. But then again, how can you go wrong with the flavor-popping combination of ground pork, bright herbs, minced ginger, and zingy lemon zest?)

(Note #2: I just learned that fresh ginger contains an enzyme that will tenderize the pork. If you want a firmer meatball, substitute fresh ginger for ground ginger.)

Time to make Lemon Ginger Meatballs!

Makes 18 meatballs

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground pork (the fattier the better!)
  • 4 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 egg white (optional—as I mentioned above, I accidentally left it out, and the result was still delicious!)
  • 1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger (see Note #2 above)
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • freshly chopped herbs (optional garnish)

Method:

Heat the oven to 425˚F with the rack in the middle. In the meantime, mince the veggies.

A woman chopping ingredients on a wooden cutting board in a brightly lit kitchen.

Grab a large bowl, and combine the pork, mushrooms, herbs, and egg white (if you’re using it).

The raw ingredients of Lemon Ginger Meatballs being put in a large bowl.

Using a microplane, zest your ginger (or use ground ginger if you want firmer meatballs)…

A frozen piece of ginger is being zested with a Microplane rasp grater.

…and lemon peel directly into the bowl.

Someone is zesting lemon peel into a large bowl.

Add the salt and pepper.

Someone adding salt and cracked pepper to a bowl filled with raw ingredients for Lemon Ginger Meatballs

Here comes the fun part: Roll up your sleeves and combine the ingredients. Don’t overwork the meat, but make sure it’s mixed well. You can use the green herbs as your guide—as soon as they’re well-incorporated, STOP mixing!

Two hands are mixing together the Lemon Ginger Meatballs.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper.

Divide the meat into 1½ tablespoon portions. (I use a disher to make the task easier.)

The meatballs are evenly spaced on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roll each meatball in your palms until they’re smooth.

Two hands are rolling a Lemon Ginger Meatball.

Arrange the meatballs on the baking sheet, making sure to keep them evenly separated.

Two hands are shown spacing the meatballs evenly apart on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through.

Lemon Ginger Meatballs cooking in the oven.

Yep—they look done to me!

Lemon ginger meatballs cooling on a rimmed baking sheet.

Top with freshly chopped herbs and dig in!

An overhead shot of Lemon Ginger Meatballs topped with basil chiffonade.

If you love these meatballs as much as I do, make a double batch next time and grab a copy of Diana’s epic The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook!


Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).


PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Lemon Ginger Meatballs

These Whole30-friendly Lemon Ginger Meatballs are savory and zingy at the same time!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Asian meatballs, gluten-free, keto, low carb, meatballs, paleo, pork, Whole30
Servings: 18 meatballs
Calories: 69kcal
Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground pork the fattier the better!
  • 4 shiitake mushrooms stemmed and minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 egg white optional—as I mentioned above, I accidentally left it out, and the result was still delicious!
  • 1½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger see Note #2 above
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • freshly chopped herbs optional garnish

Instructions 

  • Heat the oven to 425˚F with the rack in the middle.
  • Grab a large bowl, and combine the pork, mushrooms, herbs, and egg white (if you’re using it). Add in the ginger, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Mix well with your hands but don’t overwork the meat.
  • Divide the meat into 1½ tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Place the meatballs on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and make sure they are evenly separated.
  • Bake the meatballs in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through. Top with freshly chopped herbs and dig in!
Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

Nutrition

Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Fiber: 1g
11

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Andrea Shipman says

    August 11, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    Would this be as good with ground beef? I have so much and want to use it up!

    Reply
  2. Sarah Workman says

    August 11, 2020 at 2:30 pm

    I’m not a mushroom fan, except for morels – how much would I need to use if I substituted morels for shiitake?

    Reply
  3. Liz says

    January 4, 2021 at 6:33 pm

    5 stars
    Hey there, is 100g service x 69 calories? Thanks

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      January 5, 2021 at 4:09 am

      It’s 69 calories per meatball.

      Reply
  4. Me says

    January 17, 2023 at 5:06 am

    5 stars
    Would veal be a good substitute for pork?

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      January 17, 2023 at 8:34 pm

      Sure! Veal should work!

      Reply

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