Introduction
In every Filipino kitchen, there are recipes that stretch beyond one dish—bola-bola (Filipino meatballs) is one of them. If you are searching for a traditional Bola-Bola Recipe, this dish is the perfect starting point. With just a kilo of ground pork, some vegetables, and pantry staples, you can prepare not one, but two family favorites: Sweet and Sour Meatballs and Bola-Bola Sotanghon Soup.
This is the beauty of Filipino cooking: resourceful, flexible, and always designed to feed more people with love and creativity. Perfect for rainy days when a warm bowl of soup comforts the soul, or for family gatherings where sweet and sour meatballs bring smiles to the table. If you’re interested in comfort food, the Bola-Bola Recipe gives you both versatility and delicious flavour.
Ingredients
Set A – Bola-Bola Mix
- 1 kilo ground pork
- 1 medium carrot grated
- 1 medium onion minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or flour
- 1 pack seasoning granules good for ½ kilo, so use 2 packs for 1 kilo
Set B – Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Fried bola-bola from Set A
- 1 carrot sliced (cut into florets if preferred)
- 1 bell pepper diced
- ½ large onion cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp oil
- ½ cup pineapple chunks
- Sauce mixture:
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup vinegar
- ¼ cup banana ketchup
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Slurry 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Set C – Bola-Bola Sotanghon Soup
- Smaller-sized bola-bola from Set A
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp oil
- 6 cups water or stock if available
- 1 small upo bottle gourd, diced
- 100 g sotanghon noodles soaked
- Fish sauce and seasoning granules to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
Set A – Prepare the Bola-Bola Mix
- In a large bowl, combine ground pork, carrots, onions, garlic, salt, and baking soda. Mix well.
- Add eggs, seasoning granules, and cornstarch. Mix until sticky and well-blended.
- Chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Wet your hands, scoop spoonfuls of mixture, and roll into balls.
Cook the Bola-Bola
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Fry meatballs until golden and cooked through. Meatballs are ready when they float and have a firm exterior.
- Set aside half for sweet and sour, and half for the soup. Besides, following the Bola-Bola Recipe ensures the right texture for both dishes.
Set B – Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- In a pan, heat oil and sauté carrots until slightly tender.
- Add bell peppers and onions; season with a pinch of salt. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, combine vinegar, pineapple juice, banana ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, and water. Simmer until blended.
- Add slurry to thicken, then season with salt and pepper.
- Return vegetables and meatballs to the pan. Toss until meatballs are well-coated.
- Add pineapple chunks. Serve with steamed rice.
Set C – Bola-Bola Sotanghon Soup
- In a pot, sauté onions and garlic in oil until fragrant.
- Add water and bring to a boil. Season with fish sauce and seasoning granules.
- Drop in smaller meatballs; cook until they float.
- Add diced upo and sotanghon noodles. Simmer until noodles are tender. The Bola-Bola Recipe also works well for this soup, keeping the meatballs juicy.
- Finish with black pepper. Serve hot with rice.
Simpol Cooking Notes
- Chill your mixture before frying—this keeps meatballs firm and prevents them from breaking apart.
- For the sweet and sour sauce, adjust sweetness by reducing sugar and letting the pineapple chunks give natural flavor.
- Don’t overcook sotanghon; it softens quickly, so add it last.
- Meatballs are very versatile—cook once, serve twice. That’s the Simpol way of stretching your ingredients without sacrificing taste.
