Vietnamese Meatballs (Bún Chả)
, Published May 25, 2024
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Bring a taste of Hanoi to your home with this easy recipe for Vietnamese Meatballs (Bún Chả). These delicious pork patties served with noodles, Nuoc Cham dipping sauce, herbs and fresh vegetables are a feast for the senses.
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Recipe originally posted in September 2016, Updated May 2024
There’s a local restaurant that makes Vietnamese Pork Meatball noodle bowls (aka Bún Chả). We love this dish so much that we regularly pop over there for lunch.
Pork patties are cooked on a barbecue or charcoal grill and then served in noodle bowl that includes lots of fresh herbs, vegetables and an addictive dipping sauce.
Anything with meatballs always gets my vote, and these pork meatball patties are super tasty and easy to prepare at home. I love layering all the beautiful fresh herbs and salad ingredients in a bowl, a real feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.
WHAT IS “BUN CHA”?
Bun Cha is a popular Vietnamese street food that originated in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. It combines grilled fatty pork belly slices and little pork patties served with broth, noodles, herbs and assorted fresh vegetables.
Our version is simplified and more aligned to how Vietnamese meatballs are served outside of Vietnam. Gone is the pork belly and broth – the pork patties are served as part of a noodle bowl with Nuoc Cham, a Vietnamese dipping sauce, that is made from a blend of sugar, fish sauce, white rice vinegar, water and lime juice.
HOW TO MAKE VIETNAMESE MEATBALLS
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
MAKE THE DIPPING SAUCE (Nuoc Cham)
Put the sugar in a bowl and pour hot water over it. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, finely chopped chili and garlic. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature (or you can store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed).
PREPARE THE MEATBALLS
Blitz the fish sauce, sugar, shallots, garlic and mint in a food processor or mini chopper to make a paste. Alternatively you can simply chop all the ingredients finely using a knife.
Add the paste to the ground pork and mix well to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours.
Form 20-24 small meatballs (I used a cookie scoop) and then flatten the slightly with your hands to form a little patties.
COOK THE MEATBALLS
Heat oil in a pan and fry the patties for about 2 minutes per side, until golden. You can also air fry the meatballs at 200°C (400°F) for about 3-5 minutes per side, misting them with a little oil first.
ASSEMBLE THE NOODLE BOWLS
Place the rice noodles in a pot, cover with boiling water and leave them to soften for 8-10 minutes, or according to pack instructions. Drain well.
Divide the noodles between four bowls. Add the cucumber, carrots, lettuce and fresh herbs. Top with the meatballs, chopped peanuts and a generous amount of the dipping sauce and serve.
TIPS, VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
• You can replace the rice noodles with spiralized courgettes (zoodles) if you like, or simply add a variety of spiralized vegetables like carrots for added crunch. I also love to serve Vietnamese meatballs with sticky rice.
• Though fatty ground pork (pork mince) is traditional, you could use ground chicken or turkey instead.
Love meatballs? Why not give my Greek Keftedes, Marry Me Chicken Meatballs or my Swedish Meatballs a try?
Vietnamese Meatballs (Bún Chả)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the dipping sauce
- 3 tbsp sugar or Sukrin Gold
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) tbsp hot water
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 red jalapeno , seeded and finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove , minced
For the meatballs
- 1 ½ tbsp soft sugar or Sukrin Gold
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 shallots peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
- 500 g (1 pound) ground pork (pork mince)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil to pan fry
For the Noodle Bowls
- 300 g (10.5oz) rice noodles
- 1 small lettuce chopped or torn
- 1 small cucumber seeded and sliced
- 2 carrots grated
- large handful fresh mint
- large handful coriander (cilantro)
Instructions
MAKE THE DIPPING SAUCE (Nuoc Cham)
- Put the sugar in a bowl and pour hot water over it. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved.3 tbsp sugar, 80 ml (⅓ cup) tbsp hot water
- Add the fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, finely chopped chili and garlic.3 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 red jalapeno, 1 garlic clove
- Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature (or you can store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed).
PREPARE THE MEATBALLS
- Blitz the fish sauce, sugar, shallots, garlic and mint in a food processor to make a paste.1 ½ tbsp soft sugar , 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 shallots peeled and roughly chopped, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
- Add the paste to the ground pork and mix well to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours.500 g (1 pound) ground pork
- Form 20-24 small meatballs (I used a cookie scoop) and then flatten the slightly with your hands to form a little patties.
COOK THE MEATBALLS
- Heat oil in a pan and fry the patties for about 2 minutes per side, until golden.2 tbsp vegetable oil
- You can also air fry the meatballs at 200°C (400°F) for about 3-5 minutes per side, misting them with a little oil first.
ASSEMBLE THE NOODLE BOWLS
- Place the rice noodles in a pot, cover with boiling water and leave them to soften for 8-10 minutes, or according to pack instructions. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Divide the noodles between four bowls.300 g (10.5oz) rice noodles
- Add the cucumber, carrots, lettuce and fresh herbs.1 small lettuce, 1 small cucumber , 2 carrots grated, large handful fresh mint, large handful coriander
- Top with the meatballs and a generous amount of the dipping sauce and serve.
I absolutely love the sound of those meatballs. Looks like a beautiful flavour packed bowl of food!
what else is sprinkled on the dish besides chives? What's the red stuff?
Just the chives – the other stuff you see is part of the dipping sauce which is spooned over the dish
Bun cha was my favorite food in northern Vietnam! I will have to try this and let you know how it tastes to me. 🙂
Mmmmm that looks delish! Can’t wait to try it!
I absolutely love bun cha, really clever use of that topper, Lucy! Great idea!
We're loving the Baxters Deli Toppers range! Your meatballs sound totally lush and love all the veggies with them:-)