Vietnamese Style Pork Meatballs with Tangy Sauce

This quick and easy Vietnamese Meatball recipe combines aromatic tender baked meatballs with a tangy Vietnamese-inspired no-cook sauce, for a quick and easy dinner you can have on the table in under 30 minutes start to finish!

JUMP TO RECIPE

This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

A quick, easy and delicious weeknight Vietnamese Meatball recipe

These Vietnamese Pork Meatballs are a great weeknight recipe for when you've got the craving for some delicious Vietnamese food! With a simple and easy to prepare meatball mixture and a no-cook sauce, these meatballs are a breeze to make, and are great for meal prep, too! You can also freeze them for later!

Use the juicy pork meatballs to build a delicious meal like a noodle bowl or rice bowl with the extra sauce, or use them to build delicious lettuce cups. They would also make a great appetizer for parties as is! These savory Vietnamese meatballs are always a hit, no matter how you decide to serve them. They're a real treat to the taste buds!

Ingredients

This quick and easy Vietnamese Meatball recipe comes together in under 30 minutes from start to finish, making it a perfect weeknight meal. Here's what you'll need to make them:

• Ground pork.
• Panko breadcrumbs. I prefer panko to traditional bread crumbs for this recipe, as I feel they give the meatballs a better overall texture.
• One egg.
• Scallions (aka green onions).
• Fresh Cilantro.
• Fresh ginger, grated. I like to store this in my freezer, and grate from frozen as needed!
• Fresh garlic cloves.
• Sichuan peppercorns. These add a floral, tingly note to the dish. I like to crush them with a chefs knife until then coarsely chop to leave them somewhat intact before adding to the meatballs. While not traditional, these add a great depth of flavor to the meatballs. If you can't find these, you could use freshly ground black pepper, or crushed red pepper flakes in their place.
• Oyster sauce. The thicker consistency and potent profile adds great flavor to the meatballs. If you like, you can swap in soy sauce.

Sauce

• Fish sauce. This adds a ton of umami flavor to the meatballs. You can usually find this in the local grocery store, but a sure bet is an Asian grocer.
• Soy sauce. You can use regular soy sauce, low sodium, or coconut aminos.
• Fresh squeezed lime juice.
• Sweet chili sauce. I prefer Mae Ploy brand.
• Brown sugar.
• Crushed red pepper flakes.

How to make this easy Vietnamese Meatball recipe

These easy Vietnamese style meatballs are super easy to prep, and bake in just 15 minutes. Here's how to make them:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees f. 
2. Mix together meatball ingredients with your hands until just combined. 
3. Form into 2” balls with your hands or an ice cream scoop, and transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. (Pro tip: if you find that the meatball are sticking to your hands, keep some cold water nearby, and wet your hands as you form them).
4. Bake for 15 minutes on top rack of oven. 
5. While the meatballs bake, whisk together sauce ingredients in a large bowl (you’ll also toss the meatballs in the same bowl). Set aside. (Alternatively, you can set the sauce aside in a small bowl, then add to a large bowl with the meatballs once they are cooked).
6. When meatballs are baked, toss immediately in the sauce in the bowl until well coated. 
7. Serve with rice or rice noodles, remaining sauce, additional scallions and cilantro. (see recipe card below for full ingredients list and directions).  

Serving the Vietnamese Style Meatballs

This Vietnamese Meatball recipe is very versatile, and can be served over white rice, brown rice, rice noodles, or as lettuce cups! I love to make noodle bowls with extra scallions and cilantro, and some shredded carrots and cucumbers make great additions, too!

Another great way to serve any leftover meatballs is as a sandwich with banh mi baguette, sliced cucumber, radishes, shredded carrot, cilantro, and some Sriracha Aioli.

Substitutions and Additions

• If you don't have Oyster sauce, you can use soy sauce in it's place in the meatball mixture.
• You can swap the kind of ground meat for these to suite your preference. Ground turkey or ground chicken both make great substitutes! I would not recommend ground beef for this recipe. 
• If you don't have brown sugar, you can use honey in the sauce instead.
• Swap the Sichuan peppercorns for freshly ground black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
• Use finely diced onion or shallot in place of the scallions in the meatball mixture.
• Add some sesame oil to your cooked noodles or rice for some extra flavor!
• Add a tablespoon of lemongrass paste for an extra pop of herby flavor! 
• Serve them with tons of fresh herbs like basil and cilantro for a fresh and tasty bite. 
• Add some bean sprouts, shredded carrot, cucumber and radish to your noodle bowls!

Storing and reheating

These meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Leftover meatballs freeze well and can be reheated in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through for 15-20 minutes. These meatballs are even better the next day, and make a great meal prep for weekly lunches, too!

More meatballs!

If you love this easy Vietnamese Meatball recipe, you'll love these tasty meatball recipes, too!

• Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Piccata Meatballs
• Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs
• French Onion Chicken Meatballs
• Bacon Chicken Ranch Party Meatballs

© Jawns I Cooked. All images & content are the sole property of Jawns I Cooked. Please ask permission prior to using my photos. If you would like to share one of my recipes, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.