Vietnamese-Style Meatballs with Chili Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
These meatballs were fantastic. Never disappointed with your recipes, Jenn. The only thing I did different was to cut the Asian Chili Garlic sauce to 1 tablespoon (rather than 2) because of your comment about using the sauce judiciously. It was pleasantly spicy enough for everyone. Served over white rice. We all loved it.
As usual, this was a great recipe. However, as much as our family loved the meatballs, the sauce was WAY TOO SALTY. Not sure of the culprit-probably fish sauce or soy sauce. Next time I’d flavor adjust the sauce and probably use far less soy. Otherwise, YUM!!
I’m dying to try these, but is there a different item that you can use in place of lime (or lemon)?
Thanks!
Hi Sam, you can just leave the zest out of the meatballs and replace the lime juice with rice vinegar in the sauce. Hope you enjoy!
What do you think about substituting ground oatmeal for the panko? Thanks.
Sure, Dianne, I think that should work. Enjoy!
Amazing ! Thank you for this recipe, even my husband loved it and he normally do not like asian dishes. This is a new favorite! I left the mint out since I am normally not a fan of that in cooking but I will try it next time.
Amazing. Made them as written with the exception of the peanuts. Great, as usual. If I wanted to omit the pork, what is the best meat option?
Glad you enjoyed! I’d use more beef. 🙂
These meatballs are wonderfully flavorful. I made smaller meatballs as an appetizer for a holiday party. I served them in a mini crock pot with some of the sauce in the bottom of the pot and more on the side for dipping. It was a huge hit!
Absolutely delicious recipe! I prepared it exactly as written. I served mine with roasted riced cauliflower ( to sop up all the amazing sauce). I also roasted green beans in olive oil, tossed them in a bit of the sauce when I removed them from the oven, and added them to our bowl of meatballs and cauliflower rice. So so good!!
This was outstanding! My kids are half Vietnamese and they said “this tastes just like Grandma and Grandpa made it”! Couldn’t find mint so didn’t use it. Served with eggrolls and jasmine rice. This is a 5 star recipe. I will double it next time.
So am I correct in saying that you don’t heat the sauce up. You just serve as is over warm meatballs and rice
Correct! (Although feel free to heat it up if you’d prefer it warm.)