The energy and stability properties of energetic materials are often contradictory to each other (e.g. high energy vs low thermal stability). There is no doubt that it is still a challenge to explore the effective balance between energetic performance and molecular stability, especially for melt-castable materials. In this study, we selected the 4-methoxy-3,5-dinitropyrazole framework and stable nitro group to design a new energetic melt-castable compound, namely 4-methoxy-3,5-dinitro-1-(nitromethyl)-1H-pyrazole (MDNNMP). Compared with the N-methylation product DMDNP and nitrato-substituted derivative MC-7, MDNNMP exhibits better balanced performance including good thermal stability (Td: 203.7 °C), detonation velocity (Dv: 8099 m s-1) and impact sensitivity (20 J). The favorable balanced performance of MDNNMP suggests it as a suitable candidate for high-performance melt-castable material. Additionally, compared with the nitrato-methyl group, the nitromethyl group demonstrated superior advantages in performance regulation.