Super simple Thai Baked Pork Meatballs with lemongrass, chili, and ginger are juicy and full of flavor but much easier (and healthier) to cook as they're oven-baked meatballs and not fried. So if you're entertaining, you can just stick them in the oven and don't have to faff around with the stove. I serve them with fluffy white rice and make a really easy coconut broth to pour over the top, which I'll tell you how to make, too.

These easy Thai meatballs come together really fast, and I'm going to give you all my hacks for juicy pork meatballs that won't dry out in the oven.
Ingredients for moist baked meatballs
Keeping baked meatballs moist means using specific fresh ingredients to keep the mix juicy. Using fresh herbs and spices means there is more moisture in the raw meatball mixture, as opposed to using dried ingredients. Here is what you'll need with a few notes. The quantities in this recipe will make around 24 meatballs to serve 4-6 people.
- Pork mince - I use 5% fat, which is pretty lean ground pork mince. But they are still super juicy, trust me! You can use a higher-fat mince if you prefer, but it isn't necessary for juicy pork meatballs.
- Egg - this adds moisture and acts as a binder for the other ingredients to keep the baked pork meatballs together.
- Panko breadcrumbs - these Japanese breadcrumbs are larger and drier than traditional breadcrumbs, meaning they will soak up more moisture and keep the meatballs moist rather than letting them dry out. If you can't find panko, I sometimes buy croutons instead and bash them up with a rolling pin. Don't use very finely ground breadcrumbs.
- Lemongrass
- Grated garlic
- Grated ginger
- Grated lime zest
- Grated shallot
- Fresh chilli
- Soy sauce
- Fresh coriander stems (cilantro)
For the coconut broth
- Creamed coconut - you need to buy the concentrated kind that you buy in blocks packaged in a box, not coconut cream, which is liquid and a different ingredient that's sold in a can.
- Chicken broth - use low sodium (you can also use pork bone broth or vegetable broth instead).
- Lime juice
- Fish sauce
- Soy sauce
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for full quantities and step-by-step directions on how to make oven baked pork meatballs with Thai coconut broth.
How to make Thai baked pork meatballs
Preheat the oven to 175°C/345°F (no fan) and grease a large oven-safe dish or tray with coconut oil.
Finely dice the lemongrass, chili pepper, and coriander/cilantro stems (reserve the leaves for garnish).
Grate the garlic cloves, fresh ginger, lime zest, and shallot into a bowl and stir in the egg, soy sauce, and diced herbs/spices to mix it all together. Then mix in the pork mince and the breadcrumbs until thoroughly combined. I either use a fork or my hands.
Portion the raw mix into meatballs. I like to keep them relatively small; an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon can come in handy. Press the mix together, roll it into a ball between your palms, and place it onto the prepared tray.
Bake the ground pork meatballs for 15 minutes; the internal temperature should reach 71°C/160°F. When I put them in, I throw a small amount of water onto the base of the preheated oven to create some steam and then quickly shut the door to lock in that moisture.
Top tip
Chilling the meatball mix in the fridge for 30 minutes before forming and rolling the Thai pork meatballs can help them stay together and make more perfectly round meatballs.
How to make the coconut broth sauce
Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan, then whisk in the creamed coconut until it dissolves into the liquid. Add the fish sauce and lime juice, and then season with soy sauce to taste. I use soy sauce instead of salt; you can also just use salt.
How to serve
If plating individually, spoon some fluffy white rice into a bowl and mix it with some freshly squeezed lime juice plus chopped fresh herbs like coriander/cilantro and spring onions. Place the Thai oven-baked meatballs on top and pour over the coconut broth. Garnish with some thinly sliced fresh chili and a wedge of lime.
If serving this dish at a dinner party, you can also serve it family-style with a big bowl of rice mixed with herbs and lime juice, a platter with the meatballs on, and a jug of the sauce to pass around.
Wine Pairing
A crisp and aromatic white wine like a Grüner Veltliner or Gewürztraminer will work well with Thai baked meatballs.
Read more of my food and wine pairing tips!
Expert tips for juicy oven baked pork meatballs
- Use larger, drier breadcrumbs like panko rather than the fine ground ones.
- Use fresh ingredients rather than dried ones (i.e., fresh garlic and shallot, not dried garlic and onion powder).
- Keep the oven lower at 175C/345F to avoid all the moisture in the meatballs evaporating out immediately.
- Create steam in the oven by throwing 100ml/half a cup of water onto the base of the oven or a tray on the shelf below when you put the Thai meatballs in. You can repeat this halfway through cooking, too, if you like.
Equipment
I bake pork meatballs in a cast iron oven dish greased with coconut oil. But you can also line them up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Storage and Freezing
Store leftover meatballs in the coconut broth to keep them moist and reheat in a low oven, on the stove, or in the microwave.
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And if you make this easy baked pork meatballs recipe, I'd love to hear how it went! Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well. Your feedback helps other readers and is greatly appreciated.
📖 Recipe
Thai-Style Baked Pork Meatballs With Coconut Broth
Equipment
- 1 Oven-proof dish or tray
Ingredients
Thai baked pork meatballs
- 500 grams (1 lb) pork mince 5% fat
- 1 egg
- 75 grams (½ cup) panko breadcrumbs
- 2 stalks lemongrass finely diced, fresh
- 2 chili finely diced, fresh
- 1 shallot grated, fresh
- 2 cloves garlic grated, fresh
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated, fresh
- 2 tablespoon coriander/cilantro stems reserve leaves for garnish
- 1 teaspoon lime zest grated
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
Coconut broth
- 100 grams (6 tablespoon) creamed coconut
- 400 ml (1½ cups) chicken broth or pork/vegetable
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 lime (juice)
Instructions
For the meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 175°C/345°F (no fan) and grease a large oven-safe dish with coconut oil or line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Finely dice the lemongrass, chili pepper, and coriander/cilantro stems. Grate the lime zest, garlic, shallot, and ginger and place them all into a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the egg yolk, minced pork mince, and panko breadcrumbs until thoroughly combined.
- Shape the meatballs by scooping out the mix with an ice cream scoop, and squeezing it gently between your hands, then rolling into a ball.
- Place the meatballs onto the baking dish or tray, and bake for 15 minutes. As you put them in, throw around 100ml or half a cup of water onto the base of the oven to create some steam in the environment and keep them moist.
For the coconut broth
- While the meatballs are cooking, heat the chicken broth in a saucepan, then whisk in the creamed coconut until it dissolves into the liquid.
- Add the fish sauce and lime juice, and then season with soy sauce to taste.
- Plate the Thai baked pork meatballs on a bed of rice, place the meatballs on top, and ladle over the broth.
Notes
- I use 5% fat pork mince, which is pretty lean, but they stay juicy!
- Use panko breadcrumbs as they are larger and drier, which means they absorb more moisture and keep it in the meatballs. Alternatively, crush up some croutons.
- You need creamed coconut that comes in blocks packaged in a box, not coconut cream, which is liquid and a different ingredient sold in a can.
- I use soy sauce instead of salt; you can also just use salt.
- It can help to refrigerate the meatball mix for 30 minutes before shaping to get them nice and round.
- Don't be tempted to crank the oven higher, this can dry the meatballs out.
- Create steam by throwing 100ml/half a cup of water onto the base of the oven or a tray on the shelf below when you put the Thai meatballs in. You can repeat this halfway through cooking, too, if you like.
- I bake pork meatballs in a cast iron oven dish greased with coconut oil. But you can also line them up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- The internal temperature of the meatballs needs to reach 71°C/160°F
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