Gingery Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

By Melissa Clark

Updated October 11, 2023

  • An overhead image of a white speckled bowl filled with rice and meatballs dotted with tomatoes.
    Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(1,522)
Comments
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Most meatballs in tomato sauce rely on canned tomatoes for the kind of heady, garlicky recipe that’s typically spooned over spaghetti. But this recipe is made from briefly cooked fresh tomatoes for something lighter and brighter, seasoned with ginger, cilantro, lime juice and a dusting of cumin. It’s a perfect place to use up those overripe summer tomatoes, and it works well with just-ripe tomatoes, too. Feel free to use any kind of ground meat here: pork, beef, turkey, chicken, lamb or vegan meat. Then, serve it with crusty bread or rice to catch all of the zippy, fragrant sauce.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 tablespoons finely grated or minced fresh ginger

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin, more for serving

  • 1 teaspoon fine sea or table salt, more as needed

  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander

  • 1 pound ground pork (or turkey, chicken, beef, lamb or vegan meat)

  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs (or use plain)

  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, more for serving

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 cups diced fresh ripe or overripe tomatoes

  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce or soy sauce

  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced

  • 1 lime, halved

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon ginger, the garlic, cumin, salt and coriander. Add pork, panko and cilantro. Using your hands, gently mix everything together, making sure not to overwork the mixture. (Otherwise, the meatballs get tough.) Form into 1 ¼-inch balls.

  2. Step 2

    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.

  3. Step 3

    Move meatballs to one side of the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon ginger to the empty side of the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, fish sauce and a pinch of salt to the empty side of the pan. When tomatoes are simmering, cover the pan, lower the heat to medium, and let cook until the meatballs are no longer pink at the center, about 5 to 8 minutes longer.

  4. Step 4

    Uncover the pan. Mix the scallions into the sauce. Squeeze lime juice all over everything, then stir together. Taste, and add salt and lime juice as needed. Serve the meatballs sprinkled with more cumin and topped with cilantro.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,522 user ratings
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Comments

Brie

Flat leaf parsley. It looks almost identical and will give an herby flavor without the soapy taste cilantro gives off to certain individuals. I would just double the quantity as parsley has a much milder flavor\herby-ness than cilantro.

Beth

Made it as the recipe was written. Used soy sauce option. Absolutely delicious! Easy to make. Was able to use a surplus of garden tomatoes in this dish. Will be putting it into regular rotation.

Irving

I would think an egg mixed in the meatballs would make them more tender and hold together better.

gailanne

loved this..made it in steps owing to our schedule...prepared meatballs (pork) put them on baking sheet into the oven at 350-10 mins a side for total of 20--took out and went out to meet friends. Returned to do tomatoes in frying pan with ginger, added meatballs, fresh raw spinach atop, covered and simmered.... final step --lime juice and scallions...stir... applause.... wonderful, versatile recipe...prepare as your day dictates--this one can handle it!

Vicki

These were so great and so easy!!! I used powdered ginger because I didn't have fresh (about a Tbsp). I also added an egg because it seemed to need it. I used a very lean grass fed ground beef, which is probably why it needed the egg. They were great over rice with hummus. I will absolutely make them again.

Laura

This works well with a can (@2 cups) of fire roasted tomatoes.

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