Sweet And Sour Pork Balls
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This recipe for sweet and sour pork balls is inspired from an earlier post for Wonton Soup. I love the flavor of the wonton filling, but wanted something that would not only be gluten free and low-carb, but Whole30 compliant as well. (Updated April 25th, 2025)
Coconut aminos are a gluten free and Whole30 compliant substitute for soy sauce. The only other ingredient to consider was the brown sugar. The recipe calls for just 1 teaspoon, I felt that I could omit it, especially since it would be served with a sweet and sour sauce.
These Asian sweet and sour pork balls make a great Whole30 compliant appetizer. Especially if you’re trying to stay on target over the holidays.
Ingredients for sweet and sour pork balls
- 1 1/2 pounds ground pork, (24 ounces)
- 1 cup mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 Tablespoons coconut aminos, (or soy sauce if not gluten free or Whole30)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger root minced
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup apricot jam, no sugar added
- 1/2 teaspoons garlic chili sauce or sriracha
- 1 Tablespoon water or more
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
If you’re not interested in bite-sized pork balls, they can easily be made into larger portions. Adjust the cooking time by 5 minutes or so, depending on the size. The sweet and sour sauce is pretty easy. I just warmed and thinned a no-sugar added apricot jam with some garlic chili sauce. (Check the label to make sure it’s Whole30 compliant if you’re following the program)
My family likes it fairly spicy, so I would suggest starting with 1 teaspoon chili sauce. Add more to your family’s taste. This recipe makes about 48 cocktail sized Asian Pork Balls, 15 larger meat balls, or 6, 5 ounce, burger patties.
Looking for more healthy and Whole30 options?
Marinated Shrimp Cocktail (Ceviche)
Pistachio and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
Sweet and Sour Pork Balls
Ingredients
Pork Balls
- 24 ounces ground pork
- 1 cup mushrooms coarsely chopped
- 2 large egg beaten
- 2 Tablespoons coconut aminos (or soy sauce if not gluten free or Whole30)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 3 green onions finely chopped
- 2/3 cup water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
Apricot Sauce
- 1/2 cup low sugar apricot jam
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger minced
Instructions
Pork Balls
- In a food processor fitted with a blade, process pork through black pepper, with light pulses, scraping down sides of processor bowl until blended. Mixture should still retain some texture.
- Form pork into balls, about 1 Tablespoon of pork for cocktail sized pork balls, or about 3 Tablespoons for larger, "meatball" sized portions.
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place on parchment lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 15 to 20 minutes depending on size or until cooked through.
Apricot Dipping Sauce
- For sweet and sour sauce, heat apricot jam, water, ginger and chili sauce in a small sauce pan over low heat, stirring until combined and warm. Add more water if necessary, to thin to desired consistency.
I just know that I would love these! All the ingredients sound wonderful and that apricot chili sauce is the best! Simple, and no added chemicals or preservatives! My kind of cooking. Great idea for an appetizer or to serve at a cocktail party!
Yum! I love Asian food but have only a few dishes that I prepare at home (mostly Thai ones). I have never made my own sweet and sour sauce at home but will try this. It’s one of my kids’ favorites.
I’m trying to get my nerve up to give Whole30 a try. Recipes like this make it a lot more appealing!
These sound so delicious! I am addicted to chili garlic sauce; I’ll pretty much use it in anything I can. I don’t follow a Whole30 diet, so I’ll likely use the soy sauce. One thing I hate about wontons is actually making the wontons. They are such a hassle to wrap, I love the idea of juts making the meatballs.
Right? I love wontons too, but the whole family stays away from too much gluten, so even my husband and the kids liked this!
I love Asian food but have only a few dishes that I prepare at home
what do you usually prepare?