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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Perfect recipe! My husband and I made this last night for dinner and it was a huge success! Better than most of the local Vietnamese food in out city. Super flavorful and because they cook in the oven, very simple to make on a weeknight.
We served over rice and really enjoyed the chile sauce over the rice to make a delicious “bowl”. I often do not like meatballs because they have a weird texture or too fatty. These were perfect crunchy outside but moist inside.
We are planning on making these for any future pot-luck occasion. I know these Meatballs would be a huge hit!
I made these meatballs last night and they were absolutely delicious! They were packed with flavour in every bite. The meatballs were easy to assemble, roll and bake. Yummy!
Is there a substitute for pork in this recipe? Thanks!
Sure, Nasar, ground turkey should work as long as it’s not too lean. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you Jenn for the reply. A follow-on question! Can I freeze these?
Yes, they freeze well. 🙂
Can you suggest a vegetable or salad side dish to serve with this? I look forward to trying this recipe!
Hi Mary Beth, in addition to the option of serving over steamed rice, the meatballs would pair nicely with this Thai Crunch Salad. Also, there’s a feature on the website– for all main dishes, I suggest one or two sides that I think would work well with them. To see what I’ve suggested, scroll to the top of the recipe page and, immediately under the recipe title, you’ll see a bar with several options, one of which says “pair with.” If you click on this, you’ll see the sides I’ve suggested. Hope you enjoy the meatballs is you make them!
DELICIOUS! A lot of chopping but worth it.
Another great recipe of yours that I will put into my rotation. My fiance loved it! I used all beef (bc I can’t eat pork) and a bit less fish sauce b/c I feel our fish sauce is super intense ha but it came out great. I will be asking for your cookbook for my birthday!
I made the best mistake with this recipe, I grabbed ground lamb rather than ground beef. What a lovely surprise, and it was great tasting. I did not add the pork once I realized I had lamb rather than beef. I have been trying recipes on blogs for years, but since I found your site, this is my go-to spot and I know I can trust your recipes to be fabulous. Looking forward to the new cookbook!
Jenn, I made these for dinner tonight and my family absolutely loved them! I have never had Vietnamese style food and this was a great introduction. I used gluten free panko bread crumbs as my wife is gluten intolerant. Thank you for sharing this recipe….sincerely appreciate it.
“Flavour Bombs” is correct! I made these ahead in the afternoon for dinner. My husband started “sampling” them, they didn’t make it to dinner time. Another great recipe.
Suzanna
Ha! So glad you enjoyed (even if they never made it to the table)! 🙂
I’m not a fan of mint. Is it okay to leave it out?
Hi Connie, It’s absolutely fine to leave the mint out.