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How to Make Bakso Goreng – Asian Deep Fried Meatballs

Asian deep-fried meatballs in Indonesia / Bakso Goreng are very delicious as side dish to a bowl of chicken noodle or even as afternoon snack! They are crunchy from the outside, soft and chewy inside!

Several bakso goreng on a pink plate.

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This is one important dish you must try if you travel to Asia! It’s crunchy on the skin and soft inside with bits of shrimp chunks. Most people use pork or chicken as the meat base. Some even use fish or minced beef!

They are delicious and an excellent choice for a side dish! You can usually find it in noodle shop. It is a perfect companion to a bowl of noodle. Shrimp meatballs or shrimp toast is another option if you love deep-fried stuff.

Chinese people call meatballs Lion’s head (獅子頭) and serve it with vermicelli, broth and vegetables. Italian-American meatballs are made of beef and pork and simmered with tomato sauce.

Other popular side dish from Asia include Xiu Mai, Potstickers, Fried Wontons. They are all easy to make and worth making for the whole family.

Why You Will Love This Recipe


  • Kids love these meatballs – Once your kids try these meatballs, they will want more and more! They are delicious and are great as afternoon snacks.
  • Easy to prepare – The batter is so easy to prepare. All you have to do is mix everything in the food processor.
  • Can be prepared in advance – The batter can be prepared in advance. Keep the batter chilled one to two days before deep-frying.
  • They make excellent side dish – Deep-fried meatballs are a great side dish choice for noodles or fried rice.
  • Versatile – The original recipe is with chicken and shrimp, but you can substitute it with pork, beef, or turkey.

Recipe Ingredients

Bakso goreng ingredients with labels.

Ingredient Notes

Eggs – Eggs will bind the meat together with the tapioca flour. It makes the texture bouncy and soft inside with a crispy skin on the outside.

Seasoning – Basically, you can use sesame oil, salt, pepper and mushroom powder. Some people use fish sauce or oyster sauce and other seasonings.

Garlic – I add minced garlic to make the meatballs more fragrant. Of course you can add scallions and coriander leaves if you like more aromatic flavors.

Meat – Meat part consists of 350 gr of ground chicken fillet (chicken thigh would be a better choice) or pork (combined with a little fat; this one is the best option ) and 150 gr shrimps.

Although using lean meats like chicken (breast part) or turkey is okay, you might want to consider adding a little extra fat, such as bacon or rendered pork fat, to prevent dryness.

I would highly recommend a ratio of 70% lean to 30% fat to keep the moist, tender texture.

Baking powder and baking soda – Baking powder and baking soda are to make the meatballs form a fully developed shape and crunchy.

Variations

Other than chicken, you can use is minced beef or pork. Choose the part with a little fat. This will make your meatball texture more bouncy and juicy.

The ratio of meat and shrimps is after all very flexible. You can add more shrimp if you like, as long as the total amount of the meat part is 500 gr.

How to Make

Photo collage of bakso goreng mixing process.

STEP 1. Put the chicken meat and shrimp in the food processor (image 1).

STEP 2. Add eggs, salt, pepper, mushroom powder, sugar into the bowl. (image 2, 3, 4)

Photo collage of preparing bakso goreng batter.

STEP 3. Pour in sesame oil and vegetable oil (image 5). Add chopped garlic (image 6). Pour in water (image 7) and add baking powder, baking soda into it (image 8).

Photo collage of deep frying the meat balls.

STEP 4. Add in tapioca flour into the bowl (image 9). Process and mix well (image 10).

STEP 5. Heat cooking oil in a pot 175-190°C. The cooking oil should be enough to dip the batter until it is fully submerged. Check if the oil is hot enough using a wooden stick. If small bubbles come out at the stick, it is ready to fry.

STEP 6. Shape the meatballs using 2 spoons (Image 11), by scooping it back and forth, and scoop it with a cookie scoop as I have shown in the video. If it is your first time, don’t worry if it is not a perfect round shape. Practice, you will be able to make it round enough it will glide on the table. 🙂

Drop into the hot cooking oil (Image 12). It will be at the bottom of the pan first. The batter will later float when it is well cooked. You can stir it once in a while. Keep the stove on medium heat. Take out the meatballs and put them on a paper towel, let the oil drain until they are dry. Cut them in bite sizes. Serve with the dipping chilli sauce.

Serving

Now that you have finished deep frying the meatballs, cut the fried meatballs into bite size. Serve with chilli sauce, or Sriracha mayo sauce.

This side dish is perfect when you pair it with Mun tahu (ground pork tofu with shrimp), or Egg drop soup or Egg Fried Rice.


Pro Tips


  • Another way to make the batter round is by using an ice-cream scoop. If you practice using two spoons, you will be better along the way.
  • Chill the batter in the fridge. It is much easier to shape it into balls with your hands.
  • To prevent burning on only one side, keep stirring the meatballs with long chopsticks. The perfect color should be a little brown. The meatballs will be floating eventually when it is done. However, you still have to pay attention to the color. Adjust the heat.
  • It will take around 20 to 25 minutes to let it cook well inside. It also depends on the size of the balls. You do not want a meatball that is still raw in the middle part.
  • When the meatballs start to float in the cooking oil, it is almost done. Stir around with chopsticks or spatula.
  • Drain the excess oil on cooling rack or kitchen towel.

FAQs about Bakso Goreng

There are several sauce options you can use for dipping the meatballs.

  • Sweet and Sour Sauce: A tangy and sweet sauce made with vinegar, sugar, and tomato ketchup.
  • Spicy Sriracha Mayo: A combination of mayonnaise and sriracha sauce for a creamy and spicy kick.
  • Teriyaki Sauce: A savory and slightly sweet sauce made with soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and ginger.
Bakso goreng held in one hand half-opened to see the texture.

Storage

If you have some leftover, you can store them in a plastic container in the chiller. The next day, you can use air-frier to heat them up or simply put them in the microwave.

Should you choose to fry the meatballs at a later time, whether it be the following day or 2 days later, please note that the batter can be safely stored in the refrigerator overnight or even in the freezer.

Transfer the batter from the freezer to the chiller a day in advance. Before frying, allow the batter to rest at room temperature for approximately 15 – 20 minutes before proceeding with the frying process.

Did you try this recipe?

Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating + review below and share it on InstagramFacebook, and Pinterest!

Thank you! – Claudia

A few bakso goreng on a pink tray.

Deep Fried Meatballs

Here is a recipe for Asian deep-fried meatballs that are so easy to make! Plus it is gluten free!
5 from 1 vote
Print Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indonesian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 15 -20
Calories: 159kcal
Author: Claudia

Equipment

  • 1 deep fry wok
  • 2 tablespoons
  • 1 food processor
  • 1 mixing bowl

Ingredients

Meat

  • 350 gr ground chicken chicken thigh or pork with fat
  • 150 gr shrimp peeled and deveined

Dry ingredients

  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp mushroom powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 300 gr tapioca flour

Wet Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 4-5 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Chilli Sauce

  • 2 tbsp tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp chilli sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 100-200 ml water

Instructions

  • Put the chicken meat and shrimp in the food processor.
  • Add chopped garlic, eggs, seasoning (salt, pepper, mushroom powder, sugar) into the bowl.
  • Pour in sesame oil and vegetable oil. Add chopped garlic.
  • Pour in water and add baking powder, baking soda into it.
  • Add in tapioca flour into the bowl. Process and mix well.
  • Heat cooking oil in a pot 175-190°C. The cooking oil should be enough to dip the batter until it is fully submerged.
  • Check if the oil is hot enough using a wooden stick. If small bubbles come out at the stick, it is ready to fry.
  • Shape the meatballs using 2 spoons, by scooping it back and forth, and scoop it with a cookie scoop as I have shown in the video. If it is your first time, don't worry if it is not a perfect round shape. Practice, you will be able to make it round enough it will glide on the table. 🙂
  • To prevent burning on only one side, keep stirring the meatballs with long chopsticks.
  • It will take around 20 to 25 minutes to let it cook well inside. You do not want a meatball that is still raw in the middle part.
  • The perfect color should be a little brown. The meatballs will be floating eventually when it is done. However, you still have to pay attention to the color.
  • Take out the meatballs and put them on a paper towel, let the oil drain until they are dry.
  • Cut them in bite sizes. Serve with the dipping chilli sauce.

Video

Notes

1. Use medium heat for the stove.
2. Practice using 2 spoons to make the batter round before putting it in a hot oil.
3. If you don't want to use shrimp, weigh the meat (chicken or pork) 500 gr.
4. Always use chicken thigh or pork with fat for the meat, it will be more delicious.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 478mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 41IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
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5 from 1 vote

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