Lion's Head Meatballs with Cabbage (Braised, Gluten-free, Paleo, Keto)
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, follow my simplified method to make an excellent Asian style meatball stew!
Servings: 6 5.3 oz meatballs
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.
Video
Notes
- About the type of ground meat:
- 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.
- The video was made in 2017. The recipe has been slightly updated since then for more clarity.
- Easier to shape the meatballs - Adding a bit of olive oil to the meat will prevent the meat from sticking to your hands and easier to shape.
- What to do with the delicious braising broth?
- 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!
- 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 394mg | Potassium: 1015mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 493IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 2mg
