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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This was easy to make and delicious. Loved the sauce
This looks delish. May I sub the panko with pork rinds or ground chia?
Hi Nia, I think ground chia would work here, but I’m really not sure about pork rinds! Please let me know how they turn out if you try these with either of those alternatives.
I made this, but the meatballs didn’t have much flavor (because there is no salt in it). If you make it for an audience that likes very flavorful meals, then perhaps you should add some salt. I added salt and also a little bouillion. That made all the difference. Otherwise, very lovely overall.
@martha You added four tbspn fish sauce and a quarter cup soy sauce and thought it didn’t have adequate salt content?
This dish is amazing and has become a staple in our house.
This is a bit of a review, and a question. First, I made this recipe last weekend and thought it was great. Question – I tried fish sauce in another recipe and found it totally overpowering, so I did not include it this time. That sauce was fine without it, but the meatballs were clearly missing a bit of oomph. Do you think a specific brand would be a bit “milder” or is there a suggestion of another ingredient I could try instead?
Hi Rossalyn, The fish sauce adds a nice authentic Thai taste to these meatballs, so perhaps that’s what was missing. I’ve had good luck with both Tiparos and Taste of Thai brands. If you want to avoid using fish sauce, you could substitute with soy sauce, but the meatballs won’t have that signature Thai taste – still good, just different. Hope that helps!
I love these meatballs. My kids loved these meatballs. My husband didn’t get to try them because they were gone before he got home. They were so delicious. I made exactly as written. I will need to triple the recipe next time and freeze some. I can see these being a quick and easy dinner!
I made these last night and my family and I absolutely loved it! I only had 1 lb. trays of ground turkey, so I ended up using 2 lbs. of turkey to make the meatballs. The meatballs were soft and moist 😋 Other than the turkey, I followed the recipe for the meatballs and the sauce. It made a lot of meatballs! The first night we had it on top of somen noodles with sliced cucumbers, the second night we had it in a bahn mi sandwich topped with jalepeno and pickeled vegetables. This recipe is a keeper!
These are so easy to make you can make them after a long days work!
Absolutely delicious and different from the usual meatball. Sauce is easy too.
A keeper just like all of the recipes in Once Upon a Chef!
These were delicious. I served these as a main dish. However, these would be fantastic as an appetizer, or make Banh Mi sandwiches with some pickled carrots, daikon and hot chili mayo.
If I use all pork as you suggested in my first question, would you consider using the baking soda technique to ensure they’re tender? Sometimes pork is not as tender as beef. I tried the baking soda as you directed in your beef chili recipe and was so pleased with the resulting tenderness of the beef.
Hi Candy, I wouldn’t think it’s necessary to use baking soda with pork as it’s naturally more tender than ground beef, but I don’t think it would hurt.
I just fixed this recipe as written for my husband as a dry run for a dinner party. We both loved it. Then my husband reminded me one of our guests doesn’t eat any beef. Would you recommend using all pork or 1/2 pork, 1/2 turkey or some other meat mix? Thanks for another delicious recipe. You never disappoint.
Glad you enjoyed, Candy! I’d go with all pork. 🙂