Vietnamese-Style Meatballs with Chili Sauce
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My husband calls these Vietnamese-style meatballs “flavor bombs.” Serve them over rice for a quick weeknight dinner.
My husband calls these Vietnamese-style meatballs with a deliciously bright and pungent sauce “flavor bombs” (which, by the way, is a good thing). They are flavored with fish sauce and soy sauce—two umami-rich condiments commonly used in Vietnamese cooking—along with ginger, lime, spicy Sambal Oelek (not a traditional Vietnamese ingredient, but the spicy, garlicky flavor works so well here), and fresh herbs. They practically explode with flavor. I love them over rice, but they are also delicious wrapped in lettuce cups or served over rice noodles. Be judicious with the chili sauce—a little goes a long way.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Vietnamese-Style Meatballs
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, scallions, lime zest, cilantro, and mint.
Whisk to combine.
Add the beef, pork, and panko.
Using your hands, mix until evenly combined.
Roll the mixture into golf ball-sized balls and arrange on an unlined baking sheet. The mixture will be a bit sticky; dampen your hands every so often while rolling the meatballs if necessary.
Bake for 25 minutes, flipping once with a metal spatula halfway through the cooking time, until the meatballs are browned and cooked through.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Be sure the sugar is completely dissolved and not stuck to the bottom of the bowl.
Serve the meatballs drizzled with the sauce and sprinkled with scallions, cilantro, mint, and peanuts.
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Vietnamese-Style Meatballs with Chili Sauce
My husband calls these Vietnamese-style meatballs “flavor bombs.” Serve them over rice for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 scallions, finely chopped (about ¼ cup), plus a few more for serving
- 2 teaspoons lime zest, from 2 limes
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving
- ¾ lb 85% lean ground beef
- ¾ lb ground pork
- 1 cup panko
- ½ cup chopped unsalted peanuts, for serving
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce, such as Sambal Oelek, or Asian chili garlic sauce (available in Asian aisle of most supermarkets)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- ¼ cup lime juice, from 2 to 3 limes
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, scallions, lime zest, cilantro, and mint. Whisk to combine. Add the beef, pork, and panko. Using your hands, mix until evenly combined. Roll the mixture into golf ball-sized balls and arrange on an unlined baking sheet. The mixture will be a bit sticky; dampen your hands every so often while rolling the meatballs if necessary. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping once with a metal spatula halfway through the cooking time, until the meatballs are browned and cooked through. (If the meatballs stick a bit to the pan, simply slide the metal spatula underneath them and they should release.)
- Meanwhile make the sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Be sure the sugar is completely dissolved and not stuck to the bottom of the bowl. Taste and add more chili sauce if desired.
- Serve the meatballs drizzled with the sauce and sprinkled with scallions, cilantro, mint, and peanuts. (Be judicious with the sauce; it's very strong in flavor.)
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
- Make Ahead: The meatballs can be made completely ahead of time and refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meatballs can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve them, reheat them in the microwave.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 488
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Sugar: 11 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Sodium: 2046 mg
- Cholesterol: 141 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Just made these… I had to improvise a little because i didnt have all the ingredients, but it still turned out DELICIOUS…. I used lemon juice instead of lime, dried parsley and dried coriander for cilantro, jarred ginger, red onion instead of green onions, and I only used beef, no pork. So yummy even without the sauce.
Utterly awesome. Made the recipe as offered. Couldn’t have been more pleased. Truly “flavor bombs.” Thank you for another new item in our regular rotation. I am thrilled with this new recipe!!
so I loved all of the flavor in these meatballs but my family wasn’t wild about them because they were dry. Did I cool them for too long? The ground meat I used was the ground by my husband so I don’t know the fat content. Would adding some whole milk yogurt help?
The ground beef could’ve been the culprit if it didn’t have enough fat. Also, if you left the meatballs out uncovered for a while, that may have contributed to their dryness. (I don’t think adding yogurt is necessary.) Hope that helps!
Oh Fish Sauce. How I loathe you. Every brand I try, every bottle I open… sigh. (Or don’t, as the smell… it just creeps me out.)
This recipe is, as all of your recipes are, wonderful.
However: Fish Sauce. Do you have a recommended brand because Thai Kitchen, Tasty Thai… three other bottles from the local import store written in the appropriate language which I am not learned enough to read and asked what was a best fish sauce… yeah… none of them seem to add the depth and saltiness you are going for without the overpowering dead fish smell I seem unable to shake.
That said, don’t be deterred anyone else. These are awesome, my spouse and KIDS gobbled them up, but they weren’t here when I made them and perhaps that is my entire problem.
FISH SAUCE. I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE.
Hi Karin, They are all pretty stinky but if you can find Red Boat, that’s the best one. I just saw it at Whole Foods. 🙂
Word of the Day: Judicious
I love it! Great recipe! I’m happy I was and used low sodium soy sauce. Came out great for us high blood pressure ridden lot. Thank you for a new dish to put in rotation.
Ha!
Very flavorful and tasty! Would make double and freeze half next time. Only negative would be that we found them a bit salty. Maybe will try with low sodium soy next time, or a different brand fish sauce.
This recipe is so bomb! Thank you for sharing with us chef. I was wondering if there’s any way to incorporate the sauce into the meatballs?
Glad you like these, Santiago! I don’t really think there’s a way to incorporate the sauce into the meatballs – I’d just stick with drizzling it on top.
Any tips on making these meatballs in bulk and more importantly, in advance? Would love to make these for a potluck!
Hi Jamie, Depending upon how far in advance you want to make these, they can be refrigerated or frozen. They can be made completely ahead of time and refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for 2 to 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve them, reheat them in the microwave.
My husband made a declaration that these meatballs were the best thing ever to be cooked in our kitchen! Thank you for restoring my spouses faith in my cooking. Sometimes I hit, sometimes I miss, and I’m delighted to say that everything I’ve made off of this website has been a hit out of the ballpark. I’m loving cooking again. Much appreciated.
☺️
My grocery store doesn’t have Asian chili sauce and I’m dying to make this recipe! Do you think I could use sweet chili sauce instead?
Actually, I think I better substitute would be sriracha (and you could also add some red pepper flakes for heat. Hope you enjoy the meatballs!