Air Fryer Pork and Chive Meatballs
Dumpling-filling meatballs with a soy dipping sauce.
Kit that makes this foolproof
A few inexpensive bits that get you crispier results with less mess.
A roomy air fryer
A larger basket means fewer batches and crispier results.
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Perforated liners
Less sticking and mess, without blocking the airflow.
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Silicone tongs
Turn and lift without scratching the non-stick basket.
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Before You Start
This is the inside of a pork and chive dumpling, rolled into meatballs and browned in the basket, with the dumpling dipping sauce on the side. All the flavour of a gyoza session with none of the pleating. A spoonful of iced water worked into the mince is the old dumpling trick that keeps them juicy.
Instructions
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1
Mix the pork, chives, ginger, garlic, the tablespoon of soy, sesame oil and cornflour in a bowl.
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2
Add the iced water and stir the mix in one direction for a minute until it turns slightly sticky and pasty. This is the dumpling-filling texture you want.
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3
Roll into 16 balls with damp hands.
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4
Preheat the air fryer to 190°C / 375°F for 3 minutes. Air fry the meatballs in a single layer for 10 to 11 minutes until golden and cooked through, 71°C / 160°F inside.
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5
Stir the dipping sauce together: soy, rice vinegar and chilli oil.
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6
Serve the meatballs with the sauce, over rice or noodles, or with lettuce leaves for wrapping.
♨️ Air fryer notes
- Cook at 190°C / 375°F and preheat for 2 to 3 minutes for the crispiest result.
- Keep everything in a single layer with space around each piece. Overcrowding steams food instead of crisping it, so cook in batches if your basket is small.
- Shake or turn halfway, and check a few minutes early, since air fryers cook faster than ovens and every model runs slightly differently.
💡 Cook's tips
- Stirring one direction until sticky is real, not superstition. It aligns the proteins so the meatballs hold juice instead of crumbling.
- Garlic chives (kow choy) are the authentic green here and worth a trip to an Asian grocer.
🔀 Make it your own
- Add finely chopped water chestnuts for crunch.
- The same mix stuffs wonton wrappers if you do feel like pleating after all.
📦 Storing & reheating
Fridge for 3 days, reheated at 180°C for 4 minutes. They freeze cooked for 2 months, and from frozen reheat at 180°C for 7 to 8 minutes.
❓ Frequently asked
Why add water to meatball mince?
A little iced water worked in before cooking turns to steam inside the meatball and keeps lean pork juicy. It is standard in dumpling fillings for the same reason.
What internal temperature should pork meatballs reach?
71°C / 160°F in the centre. At tablespoon size that lands at 10 to 11 minutes at 190°C / 375°F in a preheated basket.
Adapting your own recipe? Use the oven to air fryer converter for temp and time, or the recipe scaler to halve or double this.
