Bun Cha Authentic Vietnamese Meatballs Recipe

Grab your ingredients and prepare for mouthwatering bun cha: are you ready to make authentic Vietnamese meatballs?

vietnamese meatballs recipe directions

Craving authentic Vietnamese flavors? Prepare to embark on a culinary adventure where you'll master the art of crafting irresistible bun cha.

This recipe guarantees juicy, flavorful meatballs and a tantalizing dipping sauce that will transport your taste buds straight to Hanoi.

Ingredients

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Alright, let's explore into what you'll need for this awesome Bun Cha! For the meatballs, grab 250–300g of pork mince; fattier is juicier, trust me! You'll also need 1 tbsp of fish sauce, 2 tsp of white sugar, and 1/3 cup of chopped green onions. Don't forget 1 minced garlic clove and a pinch of white pepper and salt—seasoning is key!

Now, the Nuoc Cham sauce: 3 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, and 2 tbsp lime juice. Add 1/3 cup water, 1 finely chopped birds eye chili (careful, they're sneaky spicy!), and 3 finely chopped garlic cloves. It's important to use simple ingredients for this dish, similar to easy Asian recipes.

For serving, you're looking at 100g of dried vermicelli noodles, a big handful of beansprouts, and a few lettuce leaves. Optional goodies: julienned carrot and white radish for a quick pickle—fancy! Finish with coriander/cilantro sprigs, mint, sliced red chili, and lime wedges; it's all about the flavor explosion!

Instructions

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Let's begin making our tasty sauce—I promise it'll be worth it! Simply mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl, gotta make sure that sugar dissolves, you know? Then, just set it aside, give it about 10 minutes or so; time allows the flavors to get to know each other—they'll be best friends soon. Just as with a great Asian-inspired marinade, time allows flavors to meld perfectly.

Next—noodles! Plop them in boiling water, follow the instructions on the packet, you don't want mushy noodles, trust me. Drain them and set them aside too; we're nearly there!

Now, the meatballs: mix everything except the oil, and shape them into 6 mini-hamburger patties, adorable!. Heat that oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add, cook for 2 1/2 minutes till they're golden, and then flip cook for 2 minutes. Remove them from the heat.

Now it's time to assemble: noodles in a bowl, then beansprouts, lettuce, carrots, and radish. Add meatballs, coriander, and mint. Finally, spoon the sauce generously over the bowl, like the soup broth, and, hey, dig in and be happy!

Recipe Notes

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Now, before you explore in, let's chat about some recipe notes, 'cause who doesn't love a helpful hint or two?!

First off, feel free to swap pork for chicken or turkey—the fattier the meat, the juicier the meatballs! The Nuoc Cham sauce shouldn't taste too fishy; it's designed like a broth. Adjust ingredients to your taste; you'll probably have some leftover—but better safe than sorry, right?!

Chillies can be sneaky! Use larger red ones for less spice or skip it entirely. Lemongrass provides that familiar Vietnamese flavor, but it's optional—traditional Bun Cha doesn't include it.

Vietnamese food loves fresh sides, like beansprouts, mint, and coriander. Quick-pickled veggies are fantastic! If you want to make quick Asian pickled vegetables, just mix 1 cup julienned carrot, 1 cup julienned white radish, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tbsp salt, 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar.

Go wild with variations! Cabbage, cucumber, asparagus—whatever floats your boat.

Short Recipe Version

Bun Cha (Authentic Vietnamese Meatballs)

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 8 oz rice noodles
  • 1 cup pickled carrots and radishes
  • 1/2 cup fresh herbs (mint, cilantro, basil)
  • Nuoc Cham dipping sauce (see recipe below)

Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 red chili, finely chopped (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Combine ground pork, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, garlic, and shallot. Form into small patties or balls.
  2. Grill or pan-fry meatballs until cooked through.
  3. Cook rice noodles according to package directions.
  4. Prepare Nuoc Cham dipping sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients.
  5. Assemble bowls with rice noodles, meatballs, pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs. Serve with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce.

Nutrition Information (per serving – Estimated):

  • Calories: 450
  • Protein: 30g
  • Fat: 20g
  • Carbohydrates: 35g