Gingery skillet fried ground pork meatballs are seasoned with basil, lime and served with fresh juicy peaches. A sweet and savory treat with addictive flavors. Serve this over crisp greens for a light summery supper.
We love our meatballs here in Colorado. One of our favorite, and most popular on my site is this recipe for my Mom’s BBQ Meatballs. This recipe is crazy delicious with flavor and very pot luck perfect.
Meatballs are simply awesome. They’re fun to eat and easy to make. You can make them using beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork or even a meat substitute.
Meatballs can be made ahead, they freeze well. They can be served as a main course, or as an appetizer. They’re absolutely lovable and wildly popular. And it seems like every culture on Earth has their own version.
These ground pork meatballs are amazing with flavor, seasoned with ginger, basil and tossed with pan-fried sliced peaches. They’ll rock your meatball world and served with mixed greens, you’ve got a light dinner with magical flavor.
You can make these meatballs with any type of meat, but rich ground pork is a compliment to juicy peaches and basil.
This is one of my favorite recipes to celebrate our famous Colorado Palisade Peaches. Peaches and pork are a classic combination.
And if you’re looking for a recipe for meatballs without eggs, this is a great recipe to try.
Let’s take a look.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Pork
- Olive Oil
- Dry White Wine: Choose a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay
- Lime
- Garlic
- Fresh Basil
- Onion, white or sweet onion.
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Ripe Fresh Peaches
- Mixed Greens
Pro Tip: Freeze Ginger. Keep that knob of ginger in the freezer. Whenever you need a small amount for any recipe, just remove it and use a zester or microplane zester to acquire the amount you need and then return the rest back to the freezer for future use. You don’t even need to peel the ginger. EASY and practical.
Ingredient Substitutions:
- Substitute ground pork with ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Oil: A neutral oil such as vegetable or canola oil works well here
- White Wine: Use chicken broth or orange juice.
- Onion: Sliced green onions will work well here.
- Use plain bread crumbs in place of Panko.
- Nectarines are a good replacement for peaches.
- Mixed Greens: Serve these ground pork meatballs over white rice or rice noodles for a heartier meal.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy
- Step 1: In a large bowl, mix together ginger, garlic, cumin and salt.
- Step 2: Add pork, panko and basil. Using your hands, gently mix everything together, making sure not to overwork the mixture.
- Step 3: Form into 1¼-inch balls.
- Step 4: Heat a large skillet over medium-high, then add the oil and let it heat up until it thins out. Add meatballs in one layer. Cook, turning and shaking the pan, until meatballs are browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the wine into the skillet and move meatballs over to one side of the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Add peaches, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons water to the empty side of pan. When peaches are simmering, cover the pan, lower the heat to medium, and let cook until the meatballs are no longer pink at their centers, and the peaches juicy and tender, about 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Common Questions
A foolproof way to tell if pork meatballs are cooked through is to use a digital read meat thermometer. Insert the probe into the center of one of the meatballs and temperature should read 165 degrees.
Ground pork is readily available at the grocery store, however, if you want to grind your own, use a fatty cut such as pork shoulder. A fattier cut will keep the meatballs from falling apart and will hold their flavor. A little fat in the meat also means more flavor.
I hardly ever peel peaches for recipes, unless I’m making a delicate dessert like Peach Ice Cream or this Peach Bread. But if the texture of peach peel is off-putting to you, then by all means, peel them.
I suppose you could, if they’re drained well, but I’d save this recipe for fresh peach season.
What To Serve With Pork Meatballs
Tender Spring greens is my recommendation, however to make this a more substantial light meal, serve pork meatballs over Oven Baked Rice or rice noodles.
Tips For Success
- Use ripe soft fresh peaches. They’ll cook quickly and their sweet flavor is a great combination for savory pork and basil. Plus ripe juicy peaches will emit more “syrup” as they cook, which makes a light sauce to add to the flavors.
- How To Make A Perfect Meatball: And one that doesn’t fall apart. Use the palms of your hands to roll the meatball into a smooth ball. I always count to twenty rolls.
Storage and Reheating Meatballs
Got leftovers? Store any leftover meatballs and peaches in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Use a microwave, an air fryer or even a low heat oven to reheat. The salad greens simply won’t keep well.
Pork and peaches are such a natural combination in both texture and flavors. And this pork meatballs recipe offers a delightful fusion of savory, tangy and sweet.
Whether served as a main course or as a flavorful appetizer, these brawny pork meatballs go especially well with sweet fried peaches.
I hope you give this recipe for pork skillet meatballs with peaches basil and lime a try. Pan fried meatballs are easy to make.
More Popular Meatball Recipes
And don’t miss this Mexican version for Albondigas en Chipotle. A super flavorful meatball simmered in a rich chipotle sauce.
And here are some more ideas to satisfy your meatball cravings.
And if you’re look take a look at my category for Pork Recipes, you’ll find some delicious choices, including the most popular on my site for Pork Posole.
And ground pork can be an economical option for dinner. Don’t miss this recipe for Pork Pad Thai. Pad thai noodles are drenched in a peanut sauce and mixed with ground pork. An easy dinner option.
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This recipe is adapted from a recipe from The New York Times.
Gingery Pork Meatballs with Peaches Basil and Lime
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Fresh Ginger finely grated or minced
- 3 cloves Fresh garlic grated or minced
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Ground cumin
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 pound Ground pork or turkey, or chicken, or vegan meat
- ⅓ cup Panko bread crumbs or plain bread crumbs
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh basil fine chopped, plus more for serving.
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Wine dry white, rose or red (or chicken broth, orange juice or water)
- 2 Cups Fresh ripe peaches diced, peeled or unpeeled. About 3 peaches.
- ¼ cup onion or shallot thin sliced
- 1 lime halves
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together ginger, garlic, cumin and salt.
- Add ground pork, panko and basil. Using your hands, gently mix everything together, making sure not to overwork the mixture. (Otherwise, the meatballs get tough.) Form into 1¼-inch meatballs.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add the oil. Once oil is shimmering, add meatballs. Cook, turning and shaking the pan, until meatballs are browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Pour the wine into the skillet and move meatballs over to one side of the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Add peaches, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons water to the empty side of pan.
- Once peaches come to a simmer, cover the pan and lower the heat to medium.Let cook until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center, and the peaches juicy and tender, about 5 to 10 minutes longer.
- Uncover the pan. If the mixture seems too runny, let it cook down for another minute or so. The peaches should break down into a chunky sauce. Hard or unripe peaches may take a few extra minutes.
- Add the onions to the pan and mix them in so they wilt slightly. Squeeze lime juice all over everything, then taste and add salt and lime juice, as needed. Sweeter peaches will need more lime juice, tart ones, less.
- Serve the meatballs garnished with torn basil leaves, over fresh greens.
Notes
- Use ripe soft fresh peaches. They’ll cook quickly and their sweet flavor is a great combination for savory pork and basil.
- How To Make A Perfect Meatball: And one that doesn’t fall apart. Use the palms of your hands to roll the meatball into a smooth ball. I always count to twenty rolls.
Nutrition
Ground Pork Meatballs with Peaches … It’s What’s For Dinner
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
What a beautifully plated meal! I love the sound of the ginger meatballs contrasted with the sweet peaches. Saving this for when I can find beautiful fresh peaches!
Lea Ann, another great dish. This would be delightful for summer. Since I live in Florida this dish could be served up all year round. Peaches are beautiful served over greens along with these meatballs.
I don’t believe we ever make meatballs unless it’s for spaghetti but now I’m thinking we should broaden our thinking.