These Paleo Vietnamese meatballs are inspired by the amazing cooks at The Lemon Grass, my first restaurant job in the ’90s. They inspired me in ways they will never know. I will be forever grateful.
½ cup of crushed crackers (Hu Kitchen Almond Flour Crackers for Grain Free/ Gluten Free Meatballs or Ritz crackers)
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
3 teaspoons coconut sugar or 1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon tamari, coconut aminos, or soy sauce
1 pound ground pork
Preheat your air fryer to 380˚ if you are using this cooking method.
Crush your crackers. Add them to a bowl with all the spices, fish sauce, and tamari to make a paste. Add the pork and gently mix the paste into the ground meat. Once mixed make the meatballs. I like to use a cookie scoop to measure out 1-inch meatballs, but a tablespoon works too. You just want the meatballs to be equal in size so they cook evenly and are down at the same time.
Air Fryer: Place meatballs in the air fryer evenly spaced apart. Cook for 12 minutes at 380˚ turning meatballs halfway through. Meatballs are cooked through when the internal temperature reaches 160˚
Frying Pan: Add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to a pan on medium/high heat. And meatballs with a little space between each one to allow air to escape. Cook for 5 minutes, until the side, has a brown crust. Flip, and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Turn heat down to medium/low and allow meatballs to cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160˚
Serve with Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon, on a bun with Spicy Chili Mayo, in a crisp piece of lettuce or over rice. Or just eat them as is.