Last week I shared a recipe for low-carb Italian meatballs. Still on a meatball kick, but also craving dumplings, I squished together this recipe with Asian flavors and am happy with the results.
This recipe uses mashed cauliflower in place of the traditional meatball panade, a mixture of milk-soaked bread. For anyone trying to reduce the amount of carbs in their diet, bread is a hidden ingredient that can throw off macros. I experimented with mashed cauliflower in place of the panade and it worked great! Please enjoy this variation.








- Yield: 30
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
Low-carb Asian meatballs
These meatballs are packed with Asian flavor. Cooked and mashed cauliflower is the secret to make these deliciously low in carbs. Feel free to adjust/remove herbs and spices as you wish. For those on a low-carb diet, these meatballs can also curb the cravings for dumplings.
Ingredients
- ground pork - 1/2 lb.
- ground beef - 1/2 lb.
- egg - 1 whole
- cooked cauliflower - 1 cup
- rice vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- Thai chili powder - 1/4 teaspoon
- ginger powder - 1/4 teaspoon
- Trader Joe's Umami Seasoning Blend - 1/2 teaspoon
- ground mustard - 1/4 teaspoon
- tamari or soy sauce - 2 tablespoons
- salt - 1 teaspoon
- toasted sesame seed - 1 teaspoon
- green onion / scallion - 4 each
- Better Than Bouillon, beef - 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- Mash your cooked cauliflower until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes.
- Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. Do not overwork the mixture, but make sure everything is distributed evenly.
- Divide mixture into about 30 balls.
- Freeze the meatballs. I like to place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then place the whole tray into the chest freezer. If you don't have the freezer space, feel free to freeze in smaller groups.
- Once the meatballs are frozen, bag them all together in a large gallon-size Ziploc freezer bag.
- When you are ready to cook the meatballs, bake them in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes until just browned.
I suggest serving these meatballs on a bed of thinly sliced cabbage or with a veggie stir fry.