Last Updated June 11th , 2021

These no-bake Chinese home-style meatballs are ready to eat in less than 10 minutes prepared from scratch, super handy when you are already hungry. The cooking liquid is itself a lovely broth. Enjoy these simple and fresh homemade meatballs in noodle soups, spaghetti sauces or with vegetables, and say goodbye to the store-bought ones.
Since there is no oven in a traditionally Chinese kitchen, boiling and steaming are the most common ways to cook meatballs. Both cooking methods help to speed up the cooking and yield tender texture, because of the direct contact with hot water and steam. Here I made a noodle soup with the meatballs, the cooking liquid, tender blanched vegetables and boiled noodles, all ready to eat in less than 20 minutes.
INSTANT MEATBALLS

PREPARATIONS 5 min COOKING 5 min for every 500g of meatballs
Ingredients
- 500g Fresh ground beef, pork or lamb *
- 1 tsp finely grated ginger
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- salt to taste if needed
Method
- Boil half a pot of water in a medium to large pot. Meanwhile, Add all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl, beat (whip) the mix until a very smooth consistency is achieved.
- Sharpe a meatball with your hand firmly, and drop it into the boiling water. Repeat until all the mix is finished.
- The meatballs will float to the top when they are almost cooked. Leave for two more minutes to cook through. Use a pasta server to take them out. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge or freezer.
- Use a strainer to filter the cooking liquid to yield a clear broth. Use immediately or store in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
- Beating the meatball mix to a smooth consistency is an important step to ensure a fine and tender texture of the meatballs. The step also prevents the meatballs from falling apart in water.
- You can make these meatballs from marble size to golf-ball size. BTW, kids love tiny meatballs!
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