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Crispy Meatballs with Glass Noodles & Sweet Chili Sauce

Noodles IN meatballs! If you haven't tried it, get ready to be blown away. Glass noodles give texture, lightness, and a crispiness on the exterior (no need to mess with breading!). They're so delicious and kid-friendly, but adults can add some sweet chili sauce to take it up a notch!

Servings: 16 meatballs
Calories: 100 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

  • 1.4 oz dry glass noodles
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon white peppercorns
  • 6-8 cilantro stems or 3 cilantro roots, chopped
  • 1 lb ground pork (see note 1)
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 egg large or medium (see note 2)
  • 3 tablespoon cornstarch (see note 3)
  • 1-2 green onions chopped
  • Frying oil as needed
  • Thai sweet chili sauce for serving
  • cucumber slices for serving (optional)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Soak glass noodles in room temp water until pliable - about 7-10 minutes, though this may take longer if the brand's noodles are thicker.
  2. Meanwhile, pound the garlic, peppercorns and cilantro stems into a fine paste in a mortar and pestle.
  3. Put the ground pork in a mixing bowl and add the herb paste. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, egg and cornstarch. Knead with your hands for a few minutes until thoroughly mixed and the mixture becomes thicker than when it started. Once ready, the mixture will seem soft but should be able to hold its shape; if not, you can add a bit more cornstarch.
  4. Drain the glass noodles and place them on a towel to absorb excess water. Use scissors to cut the glass noodles into 2-inch pieces.
  5. Add the glass noodles and chopped green onions into the mixture and mix just until the noodles are well distributed.
  6. Form the meatballs into roughly 1.5 inch balls; tucking in any long pieces of noodles that protrude out. If you see any green onions sitting on the surface you can push them inside so they will not burn or fall off during frying - though this is not a big deal if you don’t have the patience! If you want, you can dip your hands in water and the meatballs will not stick to your hands and will be smoother, but I prefer them to stick to you a bit as they get a more interesting rough surface.
  7. Heat about 1.5 inch of frying oil in a pot or wok to about 325°F. Add the meat balls one at a time; you can even crowd them a bit here as they will not get oil-soaked even if the temperature drops a lot. Let them fry for about 20 seconds to firm up and gently stir to make sure they’re not sticking. Fry them for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the internal temp is 160°F (71°C) - or you can cut one open to check doneness. Remove from the oil and drain on a rack or paper towel.
  8. Allow them to cool for about 5 minutes before serving. They’re great on their own, but better with sweet chili sauce and a side of fresh cucumber.

Notes

  • Ground chicken or turkey can be substituted, but  make sure it is made from dark meat with enough fat in it, otherwise it would be too lean and dry. Ground beef can also be used.
  • Extra large eggs might make the meat mixture too wet, which means you might have to add a little more cornstarch to keep the mixture firm enough to form into balls.
  • You can substitute equal amounts of potato starch or tapioca starch. To sub all-purpose flour, use 1 ½  tablespoon to start and add more only if the pork is too soft to form into balls. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 100kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 5g (2%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 31mg (10%) Sodium 115mg (5%) Potassium 95mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 24IU (0%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 10mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16meatballs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 100

% Daily Value*

Calories 100kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 5g 2%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 115mg 5%
Potassium 95mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 24IU 0%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.