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Vietnamese Pork Meatballs

Name: Vietnamese Pork Meatballs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 1/3 cup jasmine rice, rinsed & drained; 1 cup full fat coconut milk (canned); 1/2 cup water, plus 2 tbsps; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp coconut sugar; 1 lb ground pork; 1 1/2 tbsps fish sauce; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger; 1 tbsp coconut sugar; 1 tsp Chinese five spice; zest from 1/2 lime; 1 tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil); 1 large cucumber, sliced on the bias; 2 large carrots, shredded; 1/2 cup Thai basil, torn; 1/3 cup chopped roasted and salted peanuts; lime wedges, for garnish

Byjaclyn August 11, 2025August 11, 2025

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Whenever I need a go-to dinner option, I turn to meatballs. They’re quick, easy, satisfying and you can truly customize them in so many ways. With one of my absolute favourite cuisines being Thai and Vietnamese, I wanted to focus on making something with those flavours. Bún chả is a popular Vietnamese dish consisting of grilled pork and noodles that are served like patties. Using that concept, I created these Vietnamese meatballs that are packed with flavour from fish sauce, ginger, garlic, five spice, lime and coconut sugar. Serve them with fluffy coconut rice and veggies and you have a full meal ready in about 35 minutes.

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these pork meatball and rice bowls.

ground pork
fish sauce
fresh ginger & garlic
coconut su gar
limes
five spice
avocado oil
jasmine rice
cucumber
carrot
Thai basil
peanuts

How to Make Vietnamese Pork Meatballs

In a rice cooker, combine the rice, coconut milk, water, salt and sugar and mix to combine. Cover and set to cook. Once cooked, fluff the rice and keep warm until ready to assemble.

Preheat the oven to 400℉.

In a large bowl, combine the pork with all other ingredients from the fish sauce through to the lime zest (omitting the oil). Mix gently to combine and form into golf ball sized balls.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the avocado oil. Once hot, add the meatballs and sear on each side for about two minutes, working in batches if needed.

Transfer to the oven and bake for ten to 12 minutes, or until cooked through.

Divide the rice into bowls and top with the meatballs. cucumber, carrots, Thai basil, peanuts and lime wedges. Enjoy!

How to Bake the Meatballs in the Oven

If you are shorter on time, or just don’t feel like searing the Vietnamese meatballs on the stove first, you can just bake them in the oven too.

You will lose a little bit of extra flavour from searing, but they still taste very delicious either way.

To bake them in the oven from the start, simply place them on a baking sheet (without any parchment paper) and bake at 400℉ for ten minutes and then broil for three to five minutes to get some colour on them and until cooked through.

Tips

Cook the coconut rice fresh: although I love to prep things in advance, the rice should be freshly cooked for these pork meatball bowls as it just tastes best when done so.
Sear the pork meatballs: you’ll get the most flavour
Choose your baking sheet wisely: I don’t use parchment paper often if I don’t need to and especially if broiling as it will burn and is not oven safe at that high of a heat. I recommend using good quality, light coloured baking sheets like these ones (I love them and own two, they are the BEST!).
No rice cooker: use this stovetop method for making coconut rice.

Ingredients & Products I Recommend:

Rice Cooker:

My life changed for the better when I got a rice cooker. It takes the guesswork out of cooking rice and I find it always cooks it perfectly. This is the brand I have at home and absolutely love it.

Fish sauce:

I recommend getting a high quality one, such as this one from Red Boat. It’s a great brand, made with only anchovies and salt and doesn’t have any added sugar.

Ready to make this? Let’s get to it!

If you make these Vietnamese pork meatballs please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!

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