Chinese Pearl Meatballs are a stunning traditional dish that looks as beautiful as it tastes. These tender pork meatballs are coated in white sticky rice that becomes translucent and glistening when steamed, resembling little pearls. The savory, well-seasoned meat inside stays juicy and flavorful while the rice coating adds a wonderful chewy texture. This dish is popular at dim sum restaurants and Chinese celebrations because it’s both delicious and visually impressive. While they may look complicated, pearl meatballs are actually quite simple to make at home. They’re perfect as an appetizer, part of a larger Chinese meal, or even as a unique party snack that will have everyone asking for the recipe.
Serving Quantity: 6 servings (24 meatballs)
Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (includes soaking time)
1. Ingredients
- 1 cup sticky rice (also called glutinous rice or sweet rice)
- 1 pound ground pork
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1/4 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Napa cabbage leaves for steaming
- Soy sauce for dipping
2. Nutrition Information Per Serving
- Calories: 295
- Protein: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fat: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sodium: 520mg
3. Soak the Rice
Place the sticky rice in a medium bowl and cover it with cold water. Let it soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. This is important because the rice needs to be fully hydrated before steaming. After soaking, drain the rice thoroughly and spread it on a plate or shallow dish. The rice should be slightly wet but not sitting in water.
4. Prepare the Mushrooms
While the rice is soaking, place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak for 20 to 30 minutes until completely soft. Drain the mushrooms and squeeze out any excess water. Remove and discard the tough stems, then chop the caps very finely. Set aside.
5. Make the Meatball Mixture
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, chopped mushrooms, water chestnuts, green onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper, and beaten egg. Mix everything together thoroughly with your hands or a wooden spoon. Keep mixing for about 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and holds together well. This ensures your meatballs will be tender and stay together during steaming.
6. Form the Meatballs
Wet your hands with cold water to prevent sticking. Take about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll it between your palms to form a smooth ball about 1 and a half inches in diameter. Place the formed meatball on a clean plate. Repeat until all the meat mixture is used up. You should get about 24 meatballs.
7. Coat with Rice
Take each meatball and roll it in the soaked sticky rice, pressing gently so the rice grains stick to the surface. Make sure the entire meatball is evenly covered with a single layer of rice grains. The rice doesn’t need to be packed on thick, just a nice even coating all around. Place the coated meatballs on a plate as you finish them.
8. Prepare the Steamer
Line your steamer basket with napa cabbage leaves. This prevents the meatballs from sticking and adds a subtle flavor. If you don’t have a bamboo steamer, you can use a metal steamer basket or improvise with a heatproof plate set on a rack inside a large pot with a lid. Fill the bottom pot with water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
9. Arrange and Steam
Place the pearl meatballs on the cabbage leaves in the steamer basket, spacing them about half an inch apart so steam can circulate. Don’t overcrowd them or they won’t cook evenly. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your steamer. Once the water is boiling, place the steamer basket over the pot, cover with the lid, and reduce heat to medium.
10. Cook the Meatballs
Steam the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes. The rice should turn translucent and glistening, looking like little pearls, and the meat should be cooked through. To check if they’re done, insert a toothpick into the center of a meatball. It should come out hot and the juices should run clear. The rice grains should be tender and chewy.
11. Serve
Carefully remove the steamer basket from the pot. Let the pearl meatballs rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. Transfer them to a serving platter, leaving behind the cabbage leaves unless you want to use them as garnish. Serve the meatballs hot with small bowls of soy sauce for dipping.
12. Tips for Success
Don’t skip soaking the sticky rice or it won’t cook properly during steaming. The longer you soak it, the better the texture will be. Make sure to drain the rice well before coating or the meatballs will be too wet. Ground pork with a little fat content works best for juicy meatballs. Very lean pork will result in dry meatballs. You can add finely chopped shrimp to the pork mixture for extra flavor and texture. Mix the meat mixture well so it becomes sticky, this prevents the meatballs from falling apart. Keep the water boiling throughout the steaming process and check occasionally to make sure it hasn’t evaporated. Add more boiling water if needed. These meatballs can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 4 hours before steaming. You can also freeze uncooked pearl meatballs for up to one month. Steam them directly from frozen, just add 5 extra minutes to the cooking time. Serve with Chinese hot mustard or sweet chili sauce for variety. If you can’t find sticky rice, sushi rice will work in a pinch though the texture won’t be quite as chewy. Make sure your steamer lid fits tightly to trap the steam inside for even cooking.
