Vietnamese Meatballs (Bún Chả)

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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

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

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?