This is a recipe for Vietnamese Pork Meatballs used to stuff inside Banh Mi, Vietnamese Sandwiches. They are the softest, most juicy meatballs you’ll ever have because they’re poached rather than pan fried. Use them to make Banh Mi baguettes – or serve them as a meal over rice!
Vietnamese Meatballs for Banh Mi
This is a recipe for the Banh Mi pork meatballs which is one of the more popular filling options for Banh Mi, the famous Vietnamese sandwich which I also published today!
I was going to include this in the Banh Mi recipe, but it got pretty lengthy so I decided to publish it separately. So because this is an extra recipe, I’m keeping it short and sweet!
How to make Banh Mi Vietnamese Meatballs
Making the meatballs themselves are no different to any other meatball – dump all the ingredients in a bowl, mix then roll to form balls.
But the unique thing about Banh Mi Meatballs is the way they are cooked – poached rather than pan fried like everybody’s favourite Spaghetti and Meatballs.
What you miss in the browning is more than made up for with the flavour they such up from the seasoned, slightly thickened broth.
Also – the clincher – these are the softest meatballs you will ever make. As in – pillowy soft!
What you need
Here’s what you need for these Vietnamese meatballs.
Note: DO NOT get hung up about finding Jicama, there are easy subs! Jicama is a Vietnamese vegetable with a texture like radish. Same juiciness as well, but it’s got literally no flavour! It’s mainly for a bit of texture and to fill out the meatball a bit.
Apple, nashi pears, white radish/daikon or anything with a similar texture and fairly neutral flavour will be a near perfect sub.
And here’s what you need for the sauce ie the poaching liquid:
What to use Banh Mi Meatballs for
This recipe I’m sharing today is for the purpose of stuffing inside Banh Mi Vietnamese sandwiches, the main recipe I shared today.
The combination of these incredibly soft, juicy, Vietnamese flavoured meatballs inside crusty rolls smeared with pate, mayo, pickled carrot, fresh coriander/cilantro, cucumber, green onion and chilli is EPIC.
And it might be a total blasphemy to confess this, but I really think I love Pork Meatball Banh Mi over the classic cold cuts version! 😂
While Banh Mi is the primary purpose for which I’m sharing this recipe, they can be also served over rice as a meal. The sauce is so terrific to spoon over the rice! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Vietnamese Pork Meatballs for Banh Mi
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 2/3 cup jicama , apple or daikon, grated with a box grater (Note 1)
- 2 green onions , finely sliced
- 500 g/ 1lb pork mince (ground pork) (chicken also ok)
- 2 garlic , finely minced
- 2 tsp fish sauce (or soy)
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Sauce:
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 tsp ginger , finely minced
Instructions
- Mix meatball mixture until just combined.
- Roll out 2 tbsp of mixture into balls.
- Mix cornflour with splash of chicken stock, then add into skillet with all remaining Sauce ingredients.
- Bring to simmer over medium high heat, stirring regularly so the bottom doesn’t catch, then gently add meatballs.
- Cook meatballs in liquid gently for 7 minutes, turning every now and then.
- If not serving immediately, remove meatballs from sauce (to stop them from cooking further).
Serving:
- Stuff into Banh Mi; OR
- Garnish with freshly chopped red chilli, coriander and shallots and serve over rice with sauce!
Recipe Notes:
Life of Dozer
Just getting his opinion on a passionfruit recipe I’m working on…. (he approves… as he always does!!)
Q: the recipe calls for sugar but the video indicates salt. Is this suppose to be salt?
The meatballs contain salt and pepper, the sauce contains sugar.
The colour wasn’t enticing, BUT, the flavour was spectacular!,,
Served on rice with fresh salad
Delicious!!!
These were great. I was making them ahead of time to have the next day on banh mi. But after having a taste, we didn’t wait, had them for dinner over rice.
I’m a big believer in searing meat, so I seared one side of these and left the other un-seared. They don’t need a sear, the softness actually works really well here.
The sauce was great too. Delicious.
Also, I shredded a raw potato in place of the jicama in the meatballs. Similar texture to jicama
Jicama IS from México not vietnam. Recipe looks amazing.
I followed the recipe as written and my husband and I loved it! I used the meatballs in bahn mi sandwiches and put a small bowl of the broth on the side to dip the sandwich in (think bahn mi french dip…yum!)
The next time I make it, I do want to experiment with some changes:
– add a bit of salt along with the fish sauce.
– quickly searing the meatball before cooking in the broth. The meatball is very soft as stated in the recipe. I want to sear it to get some color on the outside and slight firmness while keeping the inside soft and moist.
– I want to try using daikon instead of jicama just because I like the stronger flavor of the daikon
– I think this would also make a delicious soup with wide rice noodles, cilantro, and bak choy
Just made these with your banh mi recipe and OMIGODDDDDD, so good!!!
I live in Footscray which is a very Viet part of Melbourne, and this banh mi was better than any I’ve ever had at any of the viet bakeries.
Love love love!
Thank you ❤️❤️❤️
Hi Nagi, Dozer & team,
Is it possible to freeze the Vietnamese Pork Meatballs for the Banh Mi? I have made this recipe many times and hands down it’s the best Vietnamese Pork meatballs I’ve had, dare I say better than restaurants…juicy and full of Asian flavours. Delicious.
Love your Banh mi recipe especially since I have something similar to jicama growing in my garden called ground apple.
Please share your recipe for pickled carrot. Thanks
Amazing, Amazing!! So easy and so delicious. I have made these about 5 times, my kids just gobble them up. Thank you
Hi Nadgi. Your pork meatball recipe calls for both corn flour and corn starch. I’ve googled and see that they are both different, but would like your advise if the corn starch can be replaced by the corn flour. Thanks in advance. Looks like a yummy recipe
Hi Robyn – cornflour and cornstarch are two terms for the same thing. In Australia, cornstarch (North American term) is called cornflour (but cornflour in the UK is different again!). It’s the white fine powdered one that you want, not the flour made out of corn that is yellow. N x
Hi Nagi, absolutely delicious and will definitely be making this again. I had home made pickled carrot and daikon in the fridge, it all went well together in a crispy roll with pate, mayo and extra chilli. Thank you for sharing.
What size scoop do you use for the meatballs?
Hi Nagi the portion adjuster doesn’t seem to be showing on this recipe. How many meatballs does this recipe make (I’m making them for bahn mi so keen to know how many bahn mi I would get out of this recipe). Thanks!! Love your recipes. You are me #1 go-to!
Hi Katherine! Thanks for pointing that out, I’ve now fixed it 🙂 Recipe makes 12 meatballs. – N x
OMG!!!! Made these last night using fatty pork mince from the Asian butcher for my parents using your Banh Mi recipe as a great guide. Suffice to say my very fussy father loved them and enjoyed two Banh Mi.
Hi,
Can the meatball be frozen?
Hello Nagi Can I substitute jicama with water chestnuts?
Yes that’s a great sub Mary! N x
So good, Nagi. Thank you! I minced up some water chestnuts and they worked pretty well.
Perfect Dan! N x
Dang awesome made yesterday poached in liquid from steamed in pan Chinese pork sausage with rice also cooked in the pan added sliced sausage back yo pan with wok Choy cooked until rice absorbed broth added a bit soy sauce What DA only had 2 meat balls , Holy Tolido. so so good ” Good Appetite “
Hello everyone. Ya gotta make these Ya just Gotta. then cook em in a delish broth , Im gonna try next in PHO gonna spice some up a bit make a million and freeze em Nagi Nagi Nagi What a gem You are ,” Good Appetite ” ” Good Eating : AMEN
JIMICA. thought it originated in SouthAmerica. Centuries ago it is crunchy and has a mild sweet flavor high in vitamin C. Really good recipe made meat balls freezing 20 now rest of mixture in fried to meld flavor tsomorrow will add crushed chili for some kick.
yikes I meant in freezer
Geese. meant rest of mixture in refrigerator to meld
These meatballs look fantastic! Would these meatballs do well if I freeze them and take them out to cook in the sauce only when needed?
Yes 100% Margaret, I have don’t this before! N x