Lemongrass Vietnamese Meatballs
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Celebrate the vibrant flavors of Vietnam with these delectably tender Vietnamese meatballs. Combine fragrant aromatics with fresh herbs and umami-rich sauces to make these juicy balls of deliciousness that are bursting with flavor. They’re also a breeze to make: you’ll be in flavor town in just 30 minutes!
Vietnamese food is something I come back to again and again for its bright, fragrant flavors and that beautiful balance of savory, sweet, and fresh. When I make these Vietnamese meatballs, I blend the onion, cilantro, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, lemongrass, garlic, and ginger into a fragrant paste, then mix it straight into the ground pork. The result is wonderfully soft, flavorful meatballs that pan-sear to a golden brown on the outside and stay juicy inside.
That aromatic paste is what really sets these apart. Lemongrass brings a citrusy lift, the sauces add depth and savoriness, and the touch of brown sugar rounds everything out. Cooked in a little oil and finished with fresh cilantro, these meatballs are simple to make but packed with layered flavor — perfect with rice, noodles, or wrapped in crisp lettuce.
Is this an authentic Vietnamese meatball recipe
Vietnamese meatballs, called Bún Nem Nướng, are seasoned pork balls often served with rice noodles and pickled vegetables. They are made with ground meat and other ingredients popular in Vietnamese cooking, like lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and cilantro.
My Vietnamese meatball recipe is made with flavors associated with Vietnamese cooking: lemongrass, fish sauce, ginger, soy sauce, and pork. I’ve taken these flavors and transformed them into meatballs you will love. If you are looking for an authentic Vietnamese meatball recipe, I suggest that you try this Bún Nem Nướng.
Ideas for using Vietnamese meatballs
These Vietnamese meatballs are so packed with flavor that you can seamlessly use them to build other recipes. Here are our top picks:
- Make it an appetizer by serving them alongside your favorite dipping sauce.
- Cook the meatballs, then place 3-4 on a skewer to make a Vietnamese meatball skewer, perfect for dipping.
- Serve them over rice or vermicelli noodles as I do in my banh mi noodle bowls, or add them to a stir fry.
- Make a banh mi sandwich variation or a batch for these awesome winter rolls.
- Fill lettuce cups with your meatballs alongside rice vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs, and a sauce.
Lemongrass Vietnamese Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup EACH: minced onion and cilantro
- 2 tablespoons EACH: brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 3 stalks lemongrass (white part only)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 inch piece of ginger
- 1 lb ground pork (beef or chicken)
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Cilantro (for serving)
Instructions
- Place the onion, cilantro, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, lemongrass stalks, garlic, and ginger into your food processor and process on high until smooth and almost paste-like.¼ cup EACH: minced onion and cilantro, 2 tablespoons EACH: brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sriracha, 3 stalks lemongrass, 3 cloves garlic, 2 inch piece of ginger
- Add the ground pork to a large bowl, pour in the lemongrass paste, and mix everything together.1 lb ground pork
- Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to scoop the meat and then form it into balls. Place the balls onto a baking sheet.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook them, turning a few times, until they are well-browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Serve the meatballs with some cilantro over top.Cilantro
Video
Nutrition
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Just made these for dinner. They were so delicious and moist. Will definitely be making them again. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. ?
I’m so happy you liked the recipe!
Wow! I just finished making these and they really are amazeballs!! Ive never used lemongrass but have always loved the flavour so Im super excited about these. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Yaaa! You are so welcome!!!
Would these be good in soup?
I think they would be great in an Asian style soup!
What is the white sauce he meatballs are being dipped in as seen in the photo?
That’s just a little mayo with some sriracha. 🙂
I have lemongrass in a tube that is already processed how much of that would I mix with the other ingredients to equal the amount of fresh lemongrass?
I would guess about 1 1/2 tablespoons. 🙂
OMG i’ve just did it tonight and it was just amazing. Meat balls are so tenders and full of flavors, I could eat it every single day. Did it with some sticky rice and stir fried veggies and it was heaven on hearth.
Thanks for this amazing recipe, I already know I gonna do it again and again
That makes me so happy to hear! Hooray!!
Just made these but the mixture was so liquid-y after adding all ingredients. I added another pound of meat. I also had about a cup of fresh soft bread crumbs so I added that too. Put mixture into fridge for an hour to firm up. They were still difficult to roll into balls but manageable. They taste delicious but I’m sure not as good as they would be if the spices were full strength. Not sure what went wrong?
I’m not sure either. They are definitely really soft (and not that easy to roll) but that’s why they are so tender when cooked.
OH MY GOSH!! THESE ARE DELICIOUS! I just made them for my boyfriend and myself for dinner and we give them 5 stars. I upped the cilantro because it’s one of our favorite flavors, and subbed franks buffalo sauce for sriracha because I forgot it at the store. Served over white rice with steamed asparagus. I used venison that I harvested and processed myself last year. AMAZING!!
We are having a Vietnamese dessert I found online as well: breaded, fried bananas with coconut ice cream. Pardon me… I must get back to the kitchen!
Yaaa! I’m so happy you liked them! Also, breaded and fried bananas with coconut ice cream sounds AMAZING!!!!
Thank you so much for sending me that! Those bananas look AMAZING! They’re on my must make list now. 🙂
Sounds delicious, I was wondering if I may substitute the lemongrass for something else as I live in Costa Rica and have not seen lemongrass in here since I moved a year ago. Thanks!
Lemongrass has such a unique flavor that it’s hard to find an alternative. What you could do is use some lemon zest and add some extra ginger. It wouldn’t be exactly the same, but you’d be on the right track.
BTW where in Costa Rica are you living? I have a family friend who lives in Puerto Viejo and has a restaurant called Chili Rojo. If you’re nearby, you should go. It’s an awesome restaurant. If you do, tell Andy I say hi!
I made these Meatballs…and they were delicious. It was quickly devoured by my family. Thank you for sharing such an easy recipe full of authentic Vietnamese flavors.
Hooray! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!!
These meatballs are absolutely delicious!!
Aren’t they? So happy to hear you like them, too!!
Hi! These look so yummy! Was just wondering if these would be make ahead friendly? Would it be good to roll out a bunch and cook and freeze? Or freeze raw, thaw and cook?
You definitely can! I have a bunch in my freezer right now. I’ve frozen them raw to be thawed then cooked. You could also partially cook them first, which would help them keep their shape better as they unthaw. Hope that helps!
These look delicious, I found them off a link from your banh mi noodle bowl recipe, which is a can do!
Thank you so much. Great site and beautiful pictures.
Elizabeth
Thank you so much, Elizabeth!
I love meatballs and I love these amazing combination of lemongrass and ground pork. Definitely a must have for my banh mi! Beautiful photography!! So glad to stumble upon your page!
Thank you so much!!! 🙂
Hope you have a great weekend, too!! 🙂
Wow-wee do these look amazing! They take me back to our wonderful Vietnam holiday a few years ago. I adore Vietnamese cuisine so will most definitely be making these, and eagerly awaiting your Banh Mi as well! Yummo 🙂