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These Asian sesame shrimp meatballs deliver the perfect balance of bouncy texture and savory-sweet flavor in every bite! They're a guaranteed crowd-pleaser whether served as an appetizer or over rice for a main course.
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What makes this recipe special
I always say that if I really tried, I think I could be a pescatarian. I won't dare attempt to go on a vegan diet, but I truly think I can survive on just seafood and vegetarian meals. Shrimp, lobster, salmon, I love them all, especially shrimp.
Shrimp is versatile and easy to dress up and down. Turn them into green curry shrimp cakes, mango BBQ shrimp skewers, Vietnamese shrimp cakes, or these Asian sesame shrimp meatballs. Flavor the seafood with Asian seasonings, pan-fry them until golden brown, and drizzle sesame chili sauce on top. It's so delicious, it might trick you into thinking you can become a pescatarian too.
Recipe
Asian Sesame Shrimp Meatballs
Ingredients
Shrimp meatballs
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 ounces chopped water chestnuts
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 scallions chopped
- 2 shallots sliced
- ½-inch knob ginger peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- ½ cup panko
- 1 large egg white
- 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoons hoisin
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- oil for pan-frying
Sesame chili sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon sambal
- ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon toasted coconut
- 2 scallions chopped
Instructions
- Use a food processor and pulse together shrimp with water chestnuts, cilantro, scallions, shallots, ginger, and garlic until well combined. Alternatively, chop by hand.
- Transfer shrimp mixture to a bowl and add panko, egg white, Shaoxing wine, hoisin, cornstarch, sesame oil, and black pepper. Mix until well combined. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of shrimp meatball mixture per meatball and shape into balls.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Arrange meatballs in an even layer and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining meatballs, adding more oil as needed.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Combine water, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sambal, and rice vinegar in a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Drizzle sauce on shrimp meatballs and garnish with sesame seeds, toasted coconut, and chopped scallions. Serve with extra sauce on the side.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Prepare shrimp
As far as dinners go, I think these Asian sesame shrimp meatballs are pretty easy to prepare. If you have a food processor, it's even easier.
Just throw all the fresh ingredients in the processor and pulse until chopped. You can always chop everything by hand, too.
I prefer to chop all the ingredients, excluding the shrimp, before adding them to the food processor. This helps the food processor process the vegetables and helps avoid having random, large chunks of shallots or green onions.
For the shrimp, I used 31/40 size, but you can use larger or smaller shrimp. They will be processed, so the size doesn't matter too much.
You can choose to finely chop the shrimp or pulse just until they reach small chunks. If you process the shrimp until finely ground, it will have a smooth texture. However, if you leave small chunks, you'll get little pops of shrimp here and there.
Now transfer the shrimp mixture to a bowl and add the seasonings. If you have trouble finding Shaoxing wine, substitute it with sherry. Add panko, egg white, cornstarch, hoisin, wine, sesame oil, and black pepper, mixing until well combined.
If you're preparing the meatballs ahead of time, go ahead and chill them after they've been shaped.
Step 2: Cook
Heat oil in a saute pan and carefully lay several meatballs in the pan. Cook until they become golden brown, then flip them over and cook until golden brown. It's best to cook the Asian sesame shrimp meatballs in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Add additional oil as needed as you continue to cook the rest of the meatballs. To prevent the cooked ones from getting cold, arrange them on a baking sheet and keep them in an oven set at 200 degrees F.
While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. Simply simmer together all the ingredients for a couple of minutes until the sugar dissolves. You can also prepare the sesame chili sauce up to 3 days in advance.
Arrange the meatballs on a serving platter and drizzle the sauce on top. You may or may not need all of the sauce, depending on your preference. I like to toss the shrimp meatballs in a light coating and serve extra sauce on the side.
Sprinkle toasted coconut, scallions, and sesame seeds on top, and serve with extra sauce on the side.
I made these Asian sesame shrimp meatballs several times now, and every time I remember how much I love them. The crunchy water chestnuts, sweet shrimp, and sesame chili sauce all work together to create one delicious seafood meal. So, team pescatarian?
For another fantastic Asian shrimp recipe, check out these Vietnamese shrimp cakes with lime beurre blanc!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: You can prepare the meatball mixture up to 24 hours ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator. The shaped but uncooked meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours before cooking. You can also fully cook the meatballs, cool them, and refrigerate them for up to 2 days, then reheat in a 350°F oven for 5-7 minutes before tossing them in the sauce.
- Store: Keep leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
More shrimp recipes
Looking for more delicious shrimp dishes? Try these:
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