Wonton Meatballs

These Wonton Meatballs with Chili Crisp are covered in a delicious sauce and packed with so much flavor. Ground pork and diced shrimp are mixed with ginger, garlic, cilantro, and scallions, oven baked and then smothered in a delicious salty, spicy and tangy sauce. 

 

This wonton meatball with chili crisp recipe will quickly become your new go-to meatball recipe when you’re craving Chinese food and want pork wontons without all the work of filling wonton wrappers. Packed full of pork (or chicken) and shrimp, they are seasoned with ginger and garlic for a perfect sweet and savory balance and a pop of green from scallions and cilantro; these are next level compared to wonton dumplings. The wontons are oven baked and then served in a bowl with a tangy sauce made with soy sauce (or tamari) sesame oil and spicy chili crisp.  I love to make my Chili Crunch from scratch (it’s incredibly easy to do) but you can alternatively make Chili Oil or use store bought if you prefer. 

 

Why You Will Love This Wonton Meatball Recipe

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• You can have homemade wonton meatballs on your plate in less than 30 minutes with this easy meal. 
• These meatballs are packed with so much aromatic flavor! You will love the pork and shrimp filling which has a wonderful texture and is loaded with flavor.
• ​There is no messing with wonton wrappers which can fall apart and be difficult to handle, this meatball version is foolproof to prepare. 
• Rather than dipping the meatballs in a small bowl of sauce, serving them directly in the sauce ensures they absorb maximum flavor. 
• Make a double batch of this crowd pleaser and freeze half for later to be your new favorite thing to meal prep!
• This easy recipe is super versatile because you can change the ground meat and make the chili oil to your liking. 
• You can find the simple ingredients for this great recipe at any local grocery store or Asian market. 
• These meatballs are dairy-free, grain-free, low carb, and easily adjustable to be gluten-free, Paleo, and Specific Carbohydrate Diet legal.

 

 

Ingredients You Need For These Wonton Meatballs

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• Ground Meat: I like to use ground pork (not Italian sausage) with these meatballs, but you could definitely use ground chicken or ground turkey.
• Shrimp: For ease and convenience, you can buy fresh, shelled, deveined shrimp. You can use frozen shrimp, but I recommend thawing them first and patting them dry before chopping them into small pieces. 
• Aromatics: Fresh ginger and fresh garlic cloves are a classic combination that adds flavor and depth. They are commonly used together in Asian dishes to complement the savory flavors. 
• Scallions: Scallions are also known as green onions. I highly recommend snipping them with kitchen shears for a quick and easy way to finely chop scallions. It’s life-changing! If you don’t have scallions you can swap them for diced chives. 
• Cilantro: Cilantro adds a bright, aromatic and vibrant flavor to these meatballs, but it’s often not for everyone. You can omit or use less of the cilantro if your taste buds don’t care for it.
• Soy sauce: A classic Chinese condiment, but not gluten-free. You can substitute this with coconut aminos and still have amazing results.
• Sesame oil: Sesame oil has a delicious, nutty flavor and adds a burst of umami flavor to these meatballs that is unmatchable. 
• Rice wine vinegar: Using rice wine vinegar gives a great mild tangy acidity that balances the richness of the wonton meatballs perfectly. It also classicly pairs well with soy sauce and sesame oil to create a savory-sweet dipping sauce with a hint of brightness.
• Chili crisp: Chili crisp is climbing on the popularity scale for favorite condiments of spicy food lovers and can be found at your local grocery store or Asian grocery stores, but I highly recommend making it from scratch. It is quick, easy, thick, crunchy, spicy, and delicious! You can find my homemade chili crisp recipe here. Feel free to swap the chili crisp for your favorite chili oil. 

You can find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below

 

How To Make These Wonton Meatballs

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1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and use your hands to mix until the shrimp and pork mixture is well combined.
2. Using your hands or a cookie scoop, form the meatball mixture into 24 meatballs, about 1-inch balls, and lay them out evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If the mixture is too sticky, wet your hands to prevent it from sticking.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through until golden brown on both sides. 
4. For the homemade sauce, stir together the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and chili crisp in a small bowl. Place 5-6 juicy meatballs in your favorite bowl, spoon some spicy sauce over each meatball and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. 

Can I Make These Wonton Meatballs In The Air Fryer?

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Making wonton meatballs in the air fryer is a fantastic way to cook them quickly with a crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender and juicy. Mix the filling in a large mixing bowl and form into 1-inch meatballs. Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F for 3-5 minutes. Spray your air fryer rack with cooking spray and line the rack with the meatballs in a single layer. You may have to cook them in a couple of batches. Cook the meatballs for 8-10 minutes and turn halfway through. The meatballs are done when they are golden brown. Check with your meat thermometer so the internal temperature of the meatballs is 165 degrees F. 

 

 

Are These Wonton Meatballs Spicy?

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The homemade meatballs hemselves do not have a spicy flavor, but the chili crisp on top does give you a pretty spicy meatballs. I love homemade hot oil, and instead of heading to Trader Joe’s to buy some, you should definitely try making it. I would give the heat level of the chili crisp about a 7 out of 10. However, if you have a low tolerance for heat, you can lessen the amount of red pepper flakes you use according to your taste. The results are still amazingly delicious. Alternatively feel free to skip the chili oil altogether if you do not like spice. 

Ways To Modify This Wonton Meatball Recipe

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• You can use a variety of different meat, instead of ground pork, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken. You can even use ground lamb or lean ground beef for a delicious, rich option
• Instead of shrimp, you can use fresh crab or scallops. If you don’t care for seafood, you can change up the meat mixture and use any of those ground meats together, or you could use chopped shiitake mushrooms as a vegetable option. 
• In addition to changing the meats, you could add some vegetables to be similar to the wonton filling. Add finely chopped bok choy or napa cabbage, or try shallots instead of green onions for an onion substitute. You could also add finely chopped baby spinach, shredded carrots, or chopped water chestnuts for an added crunch. 
• This spicy meatball recipe can easily be adapted if you don’t care for the spicy chili crisp. You can change the dipping sauce and try sweet chili sauce or peanut sauce. 
• Rather than serve these wonton meatballs in a bowl of sauce, you can enjoy them in a lettuce cup with chili crisp drizzled overtop for a refreshing meal. 

 

 

Can I Make This Wonton Meatballs Recipe in Advance?

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You can absolutely make these wonton meatballs in advance on your meal prep day or even prepare them hours before serving and then reheat them when you are ready to serve them. You can make a big batch of wontons 3 to 4 days in advance, or even make them and freeze them because frozen meatballs are amazing!! Simply follow the cooking directions above and cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container. To freeze them, lay the cooked meatballs on a parchment-lined sheet pan and then transfer them to a freezer bag or an airtight container. 

What About Leftovers?

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These Wonton Meatballs are an awesome dish to meal prep and have prepared in your fridge so you can quickly reheat and add them to a bowl of sauce. Leftover wonton meatballs will typically last in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days when stored properly. Be sure to bring them to room temperature before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze these wonton meatballs for up to 3 months. To freeze, arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. To reheat them for next time, place them in a large skillet over medium heat with a little chicken stock, chicken broth, or leftover sauce until heated through. You can also reheat them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. If heating from frozen, thaw in the fridge and reheat as directed. 

 

Here are a few more meatball recipes that you might enjoy:

• Asian Pork Meatballs
• Teriyaki Meatballs
• Thai Red Curry Chicken Meatballs
• Turkey & Cranberry Meatballs with Cranberry Orange Dipping Sauce
• Salisbury Steak Meatballs
• Eggplant Polpette (aka Meatless Meatballs)
• Greek Lamb Meatballs

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If you make this wonton recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!