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Vietnamese-style meatballs with chili sauce in a bowl over noodles.

Vietnamese-Style Meatballs with Chili Sauce

By Jennifer Segal
My husband calls these Vietnamese-style meatballs "flavor bombs." Serve them over rice for a quick weeknight dinner.
Servings: 22 to 24 small meatballs (serves 6)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 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
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) 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.)

Notes

Make Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The meatballs can be made completely ahead and refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, reheat them in the microwave.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (6 servings)Calories: 488kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 30gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 2046mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11g
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

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.