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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These were a huge hit with my family! Even my young boys (ages 3 & 18 months) gobbled them up!!!! I doubled the batch so I have a ton for freezing which is great for a quick weeknight dinner! My husband is already asking when we can have these again! I made them exactly as written, served them over rice and made a side of stir fried Asian green beans. Deeeeeeeelish!!!!!!
I made the Vietnamese meatballs with chili sauce about a month ago because I had almost all of the ingredients and wanted to make something new. They were delicious! My husband really enjoyed them and there was enough for leftovers. I also put a few in the freezer and the sauce is in the refrigerator ready to use the next time.
These meatballs were easy to make, quite tasty and freeze well. Toddler-approved. I like to serve them over Japanese rice as shown.
These meatballs are fabulous and have become a favorite in our house. We like them served over fragrant jasmine rice with a simple asian style slaw or salad to complement. The combinations of scallions, peanuts and added mint/cilantro with the sauce hit all the right flavor notes, so don’t skimp on these! They also make great hors d’oeuvres when made slightly smaller and leftovers freeze beautifully.
Hi Jenn, LOVE your recipes (and that you answer questions!) Could I make these with all beef and, if so, do I need to make any adjustments? Thanks!
Hi Deb, so glad you like the recipes! You can use all beef here with no adjustments. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Just removed the meatballs from the oven and they look and smell wonderful! Tested a couple and they are delish! Had to omit the mint because my mint plant disappeared from the flower bed. I think the mint would definitely make them taste that much more flavorful…next time. Contrary to others, I thought they were perfectly seasoned without adding salt. After cooling they will go into the fridge until tomorrow for lunch at my office. Will heat & serve with the sauce over Ginger Fried Rice from Food52’s Genius Recipes. So looking forward to tomorrow! Very easy and quick to make; highly recommended. Thanks!
Hi Jenn – should I adjust the cook time if I made the meatballs smaller to serve as appetizers? Thank you 😊
Yes, they’re likely to need a bit less time in the oven, but hard to say exactly how long as it depends on how small the meatballs are. I’d check them for doneness at 18 – 20 minutes. Hope everyone enjoys!
I made these this evening, exactly as directed. And I used Vietnamese vermicelli as the base. AMAZING!!!! I would not change a thing. The herbs were spot on and my mouth is dancing with flavor. I did add a pinch of salt to my bowl at the end but I love salt.
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Hi .. wanted to know what if I make these with lamb meat .. would that work out as well? Any additions/subtractions to the recipe if I use ground lamb?
Hi Kaveri, I haven’t made these with lamb, but I think it should work with no modifications. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Thanks so much for a wonderful recipe – easy, satisfying, and very flavorful. A big hit at my house. I used ground turkey to make a lighter meatball – I had no problems and still plenty of flavor and texture. Also, since cloves of garlic vary dramatically in size, I used one large clove; that provided enough flavor without overwhelming everything else.