"Lion's Head Meatballs" Are the Most Comforting Dinner You Can Make Right Now

Besides pan-fried pork buns and scallion pancakes, one of my favorite dishes to order at Shanghainese restaurants is lion’s head meatballs. Lion’s head meatballs are oversized pork meatballs that get their name from being compared to the heads and curly manes of mythical Chinese lions. While there are many versions, some with water chestnuts or where the meatballs are braised in a sweetened soy sauce, I’ve always been partial to the version cooked in broth with Napa cabbage (and sometimes glass noodles).

Lion’s head meatballs are traditionally deep-fried first, which gives them an even golden-brown exterior and helps them retain their round shape before they finish cooking in broth. Since I don’t love deep frying at home, my recipe uses an unconventional technique I learned from San Francisco Chinese-American chef Brandon Jew when we worked together on his cookbook, Mister Jiu’s in Chinatown: Recipes and Stories from the Birthplace of Chinese American Food. For his lion’s head meatballs, he shapes the meatballs, places them in the broth, and cooks them in a very hot oven. Since the meatballs aren’t fully submerged in the broth, the tops still get golden brown and everything cooks together in one pot so it’s doable even on a weeknight.

Why You’ll Love It

• Super savory and satisfying. With soy sauce-flavored ground pork meatballs and a broth cooked with shiitake mushrooms, every hearty bite is savory but not too heavy.

• Meat and veggies in one dish. The meatballs bake right on a bed of Napa cabbage, which wilts in the oven and soaks in the flavors of the broth.

Key Ingredients in Lion’s Head Meatballs

• Ground pork: Pork belly is often ground up and used in lion’s head meatballs because of its high fat content. Here, regular ground pork works just fine and keeps the meatballs from being super rich, but use one with a higher fat percentage if you can find it.

• Shiitake mushrooms: Just two dried shiitake mushrooms (which are more flavorful than fresh) are enough of a flavor powerhouse to infuse a savoriness to the broth. Soak them in hot water for a few hours before using.

• Tofu: This is a less traditional ingredient used in lion’s head meatballs, but I learned this trick from Chef Jew. Very finely chopped firm tofu adds moisture and gives the meatballs a nice tender texture.

• Napa cabbage: This mild, slightly sweet cabbage adds a delicate flavor to the broth. Napa cabbage heads can be quite large, so I recommend making cabbage kimchi or stir-fry it with peanut sauce if you have extra.

How to Make Lion’s Head Meatballs

1. Start the broth. Stir-fry soaked and sliced dried shiitake mushrooms, then add chicken broth and seasonings. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.

2. Make the meatballs. Mix ground pork, egg, cornstarch, and seasonings together. Unlike other meatballs where you don’t want to overwork the meat, mix it around the bowl until it’s more homogenized and sticky. Shape into 6 large meatballs.

3. Bake the meatballs in broth. Place chopped Napa cabbage in the broth so it forms a bed (it will wilt in the oven). Nestle the meatballs into the cabbage. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through and browned, adding some halved baby bok choy the last 10 minutes of baking if desired.

Helpful Swaps

• Any 9 to 10-inch wide cooking vessel that can go from stovetop to oven will work here, such as a high-sided skillet, braiser, Dutch oven, or soaked clay pot.

• You can use 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms instead of dried. Skip the soaking, thinly slice, and start with Step 3 of the broth.

• Low-sodium vegetable broth can be substituted for the chicken broth, but the final broth for the meatballs will not be as savory.

Lion’s Head Meatballs Recipe

The super-savory broth is a bonus.

Prep time 25 minutes to 30 minutes

Cook time 50 minutes to 55 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the broth and vegetables:

• 2 dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 2 teaspoons soy sauce

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry (optional)

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 pound Napa cabbage, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 8 cups)

• 2 large or 3 small Shanghai or baby bok choy, halved through the stem (optional)

For the meatballs:

• 1 pound ground pork, preferably fatty

• 4 ounces drained firm tofu, very finely chopped

• 1 large egg

• 2 medium scallions, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated ginger (from a 1/2-inch piece)

• 1.2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Instructions

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Make the broth:

1. Place 2 dried shiitake mushrooms in a small heatproof bowl and add enough very hot water to cover. Make sure the mushrooms are stem-side down and soak until hydrated, at least 2 or up to 6 hours.

2. Transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and discard the soaking liquid. Trim off and discard the stems. Thinly slice the caps.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small (around 3-quart) Dutch oven or ovenproof pot, soaked 9-inch clay pot, or 10-inch braiser or high-sided skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 2 minutes. Stir in 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine if using, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.

Make the meatballs:

1. Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the oven to 475ºF.

2. Mix 1 pound ground pork, 4 ounces very finely chopped firm tofu, 1 large egg, 2 finely chopped medium scallions, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated ginger, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper together in a large bowl with your hands, squeezing it until combined. Continue mixing it around the sides of the bowl, going in the same direction until a sticky paste forms.

3. Divide the meat mixture into 6 portions (about 4 ounces or 1/2 cup each). Roll each portion between clean, damp hands into a smooth ball.

Assemble and cook:

1. Return the broth to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Arrange 1 pound chopped Napa cabbage evenly in the broth (it will wilt as it bakes). Nestle the meatballs into the cabbage in a single layer.

2. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake until the meatballs are browned on top and cooked through, about 40 minutes. If using bok choy, nestle 2 to 3 halved Shanghai bok choy into the broth between the meatballs for the last 10 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Further Reading

The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About

Reese’s Just Launched a Limited-Edition Peanut Butter Cup, and It Tastes 4x Better than the Original