These are pan-fried ground pork meatballs packed with fresh herbs — cilantro, mint, and spring onion — served over a crunchy shredded vegetable salad with a sriracha-mayo dressing. The honest reason to make this: it comes together in one pan and one bowl, and it tastes like a lot more effort than it is.
About the ingredients
- Mooli (daikon radish): Sold in most Asian grocery stores and many large supermarkets. If you can’t find it, extra carrot or thinly sliced fennel works fine — the point is crunch and mild bitterness.
- Fish sauce: This goes into the meatball mix. Don’t skip it — it’s what gives the pork depth without tasting fishy once cooked. Red Boat or Tiparos are reliable brands.
- Runner beans: These can be hard to find outside summer. Snap peas or thinly sliced green beans are a straight swap with no change to the method.
- Sriracha: Heat levels vary by brand. Huy Fong (rooster bottle) is the standard reference here. If you’re using a hotter brand, start with less.
- Courgette (zucchini): High water content means it can make the salad soggy if it sits too long. Julienne it just before serving.
What makes this version work
Two things matter here. First, the herbs go inside the meatball mix, not just on top — that’s what keeps every bite tasting fresh rather than just meaty. Second, the salad is shredded into thin strips rather than chunked, which means the dressing actually clings to the vegetables instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Both of these are simple, but skipping either one noticeably flattens the result. Skip the spring onion curl garnish — not worth the extra bowl of ice water.
Common problems and fixes
- Meatballs falling apart in the pan: Ground pork with a higher fat content holds together better. If yours are crumbling, your mix may be too wet from excess herbs. Chill the shaped meatballs for 15 minutes before cooking — they’ll firm up and hold their shape.
- Meatballs cooking unevenly: Crowding the pan causes steaming instead of browning. Cook in two batches if needed, and don’t move them for the first 2 minutes so a crust can form.
- Undercooked centers: Ground pork must reach 160°F (71°C) internally. If the outside is browning too fast, lower the heat and cover the pan loosely for the last 2–3 minutes to carry the heat through.
- Watery salad: Salt draws moisture out of cut vegetables quickly. Don’t dress the salad until you’re ready to serve, and don’t salt the vegetables in advance.
- Dressing too thick to coat: The mayo-sriracha mix can seize up if the lime juice is added all at once. Whisk the lime juice in gradually, or thin with a teaspoon of water until it pours easily.
Storage and reheating
Cooked meatballs keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water for about 5 minutes, or until they reach 160°F (71°C) again — the microwave works too but dries them out faster. The salad vegetables and dressing should be stored separately and will hold for 2 days in the fridge; once dressed, eat within an hour. Uncooked shaped meatballs freeze well: lay them on a lined tray until solid, then transfer to a bag. Cook from frozen over medium heat with a lid on, adding 4–5 minutes to the cook time and confirming the internal temperature before serving.
Herby Thai Pork Meatballs and Shredded Salad With Sriracha Dressing
Ingredients
Meatball Ingredients
500 grams ground pork (minced pork)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 handful mint
1 handful cilantro (coriander)
3 stalks spring onions
1 medium lime - zest
Salad Ingredients
1 medium carrot- 1 medium mooli
½ small red cabbage
1 medium courgettes also called zucchini (Courgettes French / Zucchini Italian)
½ medium cucumber
1 pack runner beans- 1 stalk spring onions
- 1 tablespoon mint
- 1 tablespoon cilantro (coriander)
Dressing Ingredients
- 1 medium lime - juice
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce - add more to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Instructions
- Tip the mince, fish sauce, honey and lime zest into a large mixing bowl. Finely chop your herbs and spring onions and add them to the mince. Mix the mince together with the herbs and flavourings, getting a really good mix through so the flavours mingle. Once all mixed through, pat them into small meatballs, more oval-shaped than round, with flattened sides. You should be able to produce about 16.
- Using a julienne peeler, spiralizer, or julienne mandolin attachment shreds all the vegetables, excluding the spring onion. Put them in piles around the plate. Prepare a bowl of very cold water ready. Then slice the spring onion very finely lengthwise – pop in the cold water until it curls up and looks pretty.
- Get a large frying pan on the hob, but don’t heat it. Add a little sunflower oil to the pan and give it a whirl to cover, then add around 8 meatballs – that should be plenty for two for dinner. You can keep the other 8 for another day (they’ll keep 2 to 3 days in the fridge) or freeze, wrapped up well. Heat up the pan to medium heat, cook the meatballs on one side for around 5 minutes, and then turn for another 5 minutes. You may want to give them a couple more minutes on the edges until they cook through.
- Add all the dressing ingredients into a jam jar, screw the lid on tight and give it a good shake. Plate up the meatballs on top of the vegetables and sprinkle the spring onion, herbs, and dressing.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I use ground chicken or turkey instead of pork?
Yes, but ground poultry must reach 165°F (74°C) internally — higher than pork — so check with a thermometer before serving. Chicken and turkey are leaner than pork, so the meatballs will be slightly firmer; adding a teaspoon of neutral oil to the mix helps keep them from drying out.
How spicy is the sriracha dressing?
At a standard ratio of sriracha to mayo, it’s mild-to-medium — noticeable heat but not sharp. You can dial it back by adding more mayo or a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt, or increase it by adding a small amount of chili flakes directly to the dressing.
Do I need a mandolin to shred the vegetables?
No — a julienne peeler or even a sharp knife and some patience gets the job done. The goal is thin, uniform strips so the dressing coats evenly; rough chunks just don’t hold the dressing the same way, but they’ll still taste fine.
What to cook next
- Savory Pork Noodle Stir-Fry
- Japanese Pork Lettuce Cups
- Authentic Szechuan Dan Dan
- Quick Lamb Coconut Rendang
