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.
How can I make these less salty for health reasons?
I would appreciate your feedback. Always love your recipes.
Susan
Hi Susan, So glad you like the recipes! To reduce the sodium, you can use low-sodium soy sauce. The fish sauce also adds a lot of sodium; you could replace some or all of it with additional low-sodium soy sauce. Without the fish sauce, however, these won’t have that signature Vietnamese taste. They’ll still be good — just different. Please let me know how they turn out if you try them with these tweaks. 😊
A big WOW!!! The meatballs are so amazingly tender and full of flavor! The sauce (albeit I used one less TBSP of soy sauce) was fabulous too: spicy and delicious! My husband keeps telling me I’m a great cook, hah! Since I always give you credit, he is now starting to ask, “Is that one of “her” recipes?” We’re making progress…and enjoying your recipes so very much! Thank you once again!
😊
I’ve got the same problem as one of your other cooks. Meat just seems to come easily and pre-packaged in one pound increments. Guess I’ll be bringing out the calculator! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I made this tonight and it was very good, everyone liked it…I just wouldn’t categorize it under “Quick & easy.” I had to rinse and dry and then chop up fresh mint, fresh cilantro, and last, scallions, and then chop up peanuts, garlic, grate limes for zes and then squeeze them for juice juice. After which you mix the meats with eggs, panko, etc….it’s a little more time consuming then 20 minutes….
Such a flavourful weeknight meal, thanks again for another great recipe!!!!!🤗👏🏻
We LOVED these! I added 1T-ish of unsweetened peanut butter to the sauce as I didn’t realize I didn’t have any peanuts til it was too late. Thank you for such a delicious easy recipe!
I would like to make this recipe as an appetizer for a work potluck.
How do I serve ? Sauce and garnish on the meatballs or leave sauce and garnish on the side?
Hi Cindy, I’d serve the sauce on the side. And I think you could go either way with the garnishes, but I’d be inclined to have those on the side and people can help themselves to the ones that they want. Hope everyone enjoys!
This is such a go to in our household! Jenn, your husband is proper when he calls these “flavor bombs.” So easy to make and they store in the fridge well for leftovers throughout the week.
I’m eating these for lunch right now and wow, they are delicious. This is a winner of a recipe, for sure.
I made this more or less exactly as written, except I used 1 full pound each of ground beef and pork since that was the easiest for me to get at the store, then scaled everything else up a bit to go along with the extra half pound of meat I used.
I used my mini food processor to chop the garlic, ginger, scallion and herbs – was just feeling lazy about doing all of that chopping. It worked perfectly.
I have a dedicated ice cream scoop I use to shape and portion meatballs – it makes meatballs that are larger than the recipe pictures, but that’s okay. It just meant I got fewer meatballs and baked them a bit longer, no problem at all.
The sauce is delicious, though I used light brown sugar instead of white and didn’t use the full amount – just a personal preference. Definitely do start out using it sparingly, especially if you’re sensitive to heat because that sambal oelek can pack a punch if you’re not expecting it. But definitely don’t skip it! It really adds to the final dish.
I used Red Boat fish sauce, which is the only fish sauce I’ve found with a smell and taste that doesn’t put me off. So if you think you don’t like fish sauce, try that one before writing it off for good.
Great recipe, Jen! Adding this to the rotation for sure.
Jenn,
This is my go to for recipes. Am always pleased with the deliciousness. I would like a suggestion as what to substitute for the cilantro. If I get even the tiniest bit of it, the dish is ruined. Thanks so much!
Hi Mary, You can either omit the cilantro replace it with 2 tablespoons of basil (and so glad you like the recipes)! 🙂