Chinese Lion’s Head Meatballs With Cabbage Stew (Shi Zi Tou, 獅子頭)
These heavenly Chinese Lion’s Head Meatballs are extra soft and juicy and each meatball weighs over 5 oz (150g)! Braised with sweet cabbage in a deeply savory clear broth, I’ve simplified the traditional method so you can enjoy these delicious jumbo Chinese meatballs at home easy and fast!
Originally published in 2017, updated version with new photos and clearer instructions.
What are lion’s head meatballs?
Lion’s head meatballs (Shi Zi Tou, 獅子頭) is a traditional Chinese braised meatball dish from Huaiyang cuisine (淮揚菜) with giant pork meatballs, sweet cabbage, and a delicious umami-rich savory broth. Because it’s enormous size, people compare the meatballs to lion’s head and therefore Shi Zi means Lion and Tou means head.
What makes this Chinese meatball stew dish so special?
- SIZE – Each meatball weighs a little over 5 oz (150g)!
- ONE POT – Extra jumbo, soft, and juicy meatballs braised with sweet cabbage
- BROTH – A clear delicious broth fragrant with ginger, scallion, and shiitake
- SIMPLER- easier to make and with common ingredients you can find in Western stores.
Ingredients To Make Chinese Lion Head
- Ground chicken
- Ground pork
- Ginger, scallion, shallot
- Toasted sesame oil
- Coconut aminos
- Olive Oil and coarse sea salt
- Shiitake (optional)
- Napa cabbage or savoy cabbage
- Chicken stock
- Baby bok choy (optional)
Notes about the type of ground meat to use
The texture of the meatballs should be soft, smooth, and almost paste-ish texture. After mixing, it should feel a little sticky.
- Traditionally this recipe is made with fatty ground pork. I use a combination of ground chicken and ground pork to keep the dish lighter. I found that the meatballs also taste less dense because ground chicken contains more water.
- If you use all ground pork, and if the texture feels a bit dry, add 1 whisked whole egg to the mixture. An egg will add fat and moisture to the meat.
- I don’t recommend using all ground chicken for this dish. Ground chicken contains too much water and makes it difficult to form the meatballs and without them from falling apart in the pan.
How to make Shi Zi Tou
- Combine the ground chicken and pork with the seasonings in a large mixing bowl. Stir-in one direction until well-combined. The texture should feel soft, smooth, a little sticky, and almost paste-ish.
- Form 6 large meatballs weigh about 5 oz (150 g) per meatball. Grease your hands with little olive oil. This prevents the meat from sticking to your hands.
- Sear the meatballs in a large non-stick or ceramic pan. The meatballs are super soft so use two spatulas to help you flip them. Treat them carefully.
- Braise the meatballs in a separate clay pot or Dutch oven with broth, ginger, scallions, napa cabbage, and shiitake until the meatballs are cooked through and the vegetables turn softer.
What to do with the delicious braising broth?
Good question! There are two ways you can use up the delicious clear braising broth.
- Method 1 – Add Korean sweet potato noodles (also known as Japchae noodles to the broth. Boil the noodles in a separate pot before adding them to the broth. The noodles will continue drinking up the broth so only add the exact amount you want to eat in one serving.
- Method 2 – Thicken the broth. If you want a thick glossy sauce, transfer the meatballs out of the pot and thicken the soup broth with arrowroot or tapioca starch until your desired consistency.
- Method 3 – Drink it like soup! I do this all the time for lunch the next day. It’s deeply umami and super satisfying! You can also add more Chinese vegetables to the delicious broth!
How to make ahead
The best way is to make the entire dish and reheat it in a microwave or stovetop. It stays fresh in the fridge in a sealed container for 4-5 days.
Another way is to freeze the raw meatballs. Flash freeze them in a parchment-lined sheet pan until solid then transfer to a freezer-friendly bag. Defrost them in the fridge overnight then pan sear and braise.
Pairing suggestions
If you want to serve side dishes to go with the one-pot stew, my Asian cucumber salad, Tatsoi salad, Chinese mustard greens stir-fry, Sauteed snow pea leaves, Chinese broccoli garlic sauce, or Chinese broccoli vegetarian oyster sauce are all great choices!
More Asian Meatballs!
- Creamy coconut milk meatballs
- Thai coconut curry meatball soup
- Chicken meatball soup with spinach
- Gyoza meatball meal prep (baked!)
- Asian ground beef meatballs
- Tsukune (Japanese grilled chicken meatballs with teriyaki sauce)
- Top 10 Paleo meatballs recipes
Final Tips and Summary
- Use a combination of ground chicken and ground pork to keep the meatballs light and easier to shape
- Stir the meat in one direction until it turns smooth, a little sticky, and almost paste-ish texture.
- Add a little olive oil to the meat. This helps you shape the meatballs more easily.
- Use a large non-stick or ceramic pan to sear the meatballs so they won’t stick to the pan and fall apart.
- Make sure to pan-sear the meatballs first before you braise them so that the meatball juice is sealed.
- The meatballs will be soft so use 2 spatulas when you flip them in a pan. Treat them carefully.
Lion’s Head Meatballs with Cabbage (Braised, Gluten-free, Paleo, Keto)
Video
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 0.75 lb ground pork
- 0.5 oz ginger, grated
- 3 bulb scallion, chopped
- 2 oz. shallot, finely chopped, 1 large
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
For the braising mix:
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 0.18 oz ginger, sliced, 4 thin slices
- 2 bulb scallion, dice to 2-inch sections
- 3.5 oz fresh shiitake, sliced
- 2 lbs Napa cabbage, or savoy cabbage, diced. Separate stems and leafy parts
- 1.5 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos, or to taste
- 6 oz. baby bok choy, quartered, optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients from ground chicken to coconut aminos. Stir in one direction until well combined. The texture should feel soft, smooth, little sticky, and almost paste-ish.
- Add the olive oil. This will prevent the meat from sticking to your hands. Form 6 equal sized large meatballs at 5.3 oz. (150g) per meatball. Set them aside on a large plate.
- Preheat a large (12-inch/ 31 cm) non-stick or ceramic saute pan with avocado oil over medium-low heat until the pan feels warm. Carefully add the meatballs one-by-one to the pan and sear the meatballs for 4 minutes the first side and 4 minutes the flip side. The meatballs will be soft so flip them carefully. I use a spatula in one hand and chopsticks the other hand to help me flip them. Transfer out of the pan.
- In a separate pot, a 6-quart Dutch oven or casserole clay pot, preheat the pot with toasted sesame oil over medium-low heat until it feels warm. Add the ginger and scallions with a pinch of salt, saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Transfer the meatballs to the pot and add the cabbage stems and shiitake on top. Add the stock and coconut aminos, cover and simmer over medium-heat for 15 minutes. Check periodically to make sure that the meatballs are submerged and in contact with the braising liquid.
- Add the cabbage leaves and bok choy, if using. Cover the pot and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
- Taste and season the braise with more coconut aminos or salt to taste. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
- I use a combination of ground chicken and ground pork to keep the dish lighter.
- If you use all ground pork, and if the texture feels a bit dry, add 1 whisked whole egg to the mixture. An egg will add fat and moisture to the meat.
- I don’t recommend using all ground chicken for this dish. Ground chicken contains too much water and makes it difficult to form the meatballs and without them from falling apart in the pan.
- Adding a bit of olive oil to the meat will prevent the meat from sticking to your hands and easier to shape.
- Method 1 – Add Korean sweet potato noodles to the broth. Boil the noodles in a separate pot before adding them to the broth. The noodles will continue drinking up the broth so only add the exact amount you want to eat in one serving.
- Method 2 – Thicken the broth. If you want a thick glossy sauce, transfer the meatballs out of the pot and thicken the soup broth with arrowroot or tapioca starch until your desired consistency.
- Method 3 – Drink it like a soup! I do this all the time for lunch the next day. It’s deeply umami and super satisfying!
- The best way is to make the entire dish and reheat it in a microwave or stovetop. It stays fresh in the fridge in a sealed container for 4-5 days.
- Another way is to freeze the raw meatballs. Flash freeze them in a parchment lined sheet pan until solid then transfer to a freezer friendly bag. Defrost them in the fridge overnight then pan sear and braise.
Nutrition
Made a dish and love it?
Please remember to leave a recipe review and rating in the comment section below! Thank you! XO!
I love this recipe! it was so flavorful and juicy.
I have made this wonderful recipe three times so far. Recently I forgot to get Napa cabbage so I made it without. I had baby Bella mushrooms but love shitaki. There was no leftover broth. I enjoyed eating that along with the meatballs. Definitely will make again. Very very tasty.
I made this tonight, it was AMAZING!!!! I should have taken a photo, but dove right into the bowl….
I love every recipe I make from you…..Thank you for all of them!
Thank you made it and just love it…
One of my favorite recipes ever!! I make this dish monthly. It’s great for meal prep…the broth is so flavorful and the meatballs melt in your mouth. Really simple too!!!
So full of flavor!! Simple ingredients however does require a little prep work but SO worth it!! This will definitely be in my regular rotation!! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you!
Amazing! Love love loved it! It reminded me of dumpling without the wrapper yet even better.
Hi, I was wondering if I could sub Xanthan gum for arrowroot powder?
Thanks
Hi Roni, yes you can. Start with half or even quarter of the arrowroot quantity listed on the recipe to help bind the meat together. You might not even need it for dusting use. I worry it might make the meatballs too sticky when you pan fry it.
I’ve made these meatballs multiple times and they are so delicious! I especially look forward to these when I’m doing a Whole30. I’ve tried ground chicken thigh but ground pork is the most delicious!
These were amazing! Reminds me of a dish from my childhood. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you! Love giant meatballs! 😀
Hi, this looks wonderful. I’m making this tomorrow and I’m wondering if you can suggest a side dish?
Thankyou for all your delicious recipes!
HI Debbie, Thanks! The meatballs are stewed with cabbage so that’s a perfect one pot meal. For extra veggies, it depends on what you like. I’d say any of my salad recipes or side dishes recipes will work well with the meatballs! https://iheartumami.com/category/category/salads/ https://iheartumami.com/category/category/side-dishes/
The BEST Lionshead meatball, heck, any meatball, recipe ever! Delicious and juicy and healthy. My picky husband and kids love them and absolutely devoured them, including the cabbage which is a first! Thank you for providing the most delicious Asian Paleo recipes. Buying myself a copy of your book for Christmas this year!
Thank you so much, Brooke! Appreciate you took the time to share your experience with all of us. Thanks again. 🙂
These came out so well and came together soooo quickly. Great weeknight dinner.
So happy to hear. Thank you!
Hello! I just made this tonight and my son and I are the entire batch! The flavors were so good. It’s definitely going to be a comfort food for me when I’m sick! Forget chicken soup…this will take over.
I did want to ask if you can add more veggies, like shredded carrot or mushrooms, etc.
I’m new to your recipes and cannot wait to try more!
Hi Christianne! So happy to hear and thanks for sharing. Yes shredded carrots and fresh shiitake will be a fantastic choice to add to the stew. 🙂
My family LOVED this!! Definitely on the MAKE AGAIN list!
Wondering how many meatballs per serving??
Have loved all of your recipes!
These meatballs are amazing!!! Thank you so much.
So happy to hear that. Thank you so much!
Any substitute for the arrowroot powder? I can buy some but wanted to make them tonight and stores are closed. Thanks!
Hi Sarah, sorry for the delay. Cassava flour will be great, too!
Fantastic easy meal! Never had before and was blown away by great flavours from such a simple meal. Thank you so much. I look forward to making more of your recipes ??
You are so very welcome. Thank you, Rosie !
I have been wanting to make these for the longest time. Finally got around to it and WOW! I wish I made them sooner! Sooooo delicious! This is soul comfort food for me. Great recipe!
Thanks so much !
These are indiscernible from the real thing and I will be making a batch for this new year! Thank you!
That’s so lovely to hear. Thank you, Kat !