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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Hi, what kind of onion should be used? Spring onion? White or red onion? Thanks!
I use a regular yellow cooking onion. If you have white or red on hand, either of those will also work.
I’ve made these meatballs several times & they’re always tasty & delicious – hot or cold.
Outstanding
Are the lemongrass stalls supposed to be the whole stalk or just the soft white inner parts? I made the recipe with the whole stalks (as the recipe didn’t indicate otherwise) but the tough outer layers wouldn’t blend up and I had to pick them all out of the mixture! Whoops.
Hi Shirley. Yes, it’s just the tender white parts at the bottom of the lemongrass stalk that are used. There is a note about it in the ingredients list, but I know that it doesn’t show up where the ingredients are listed under the steps. Sorry for that confusion!
Excellent.
I have no idea why people found it difficult to work with the mixture. It was soft, but it stayed together when I shaped it into meatballs, which is all you can expect I feel. And they were delicious.
This was fabulous! I read the reviews and double the meat and soy sauce sauce mixture. I browned the meatballs and finished in the oven. I cooked baby bok choy in the yummy pan sauce after taking out the meatballs.
Hi there these sound amazing I will probably use 80/20 beef and ground pork combo. Any suggestions what to serve as a dipping sauce? It looked like the pic showed sour cream and siracha?
Thanks a bunch
Patty P
I like to make a simple spicy mayo with mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime. Spicy sour cream would be a nice option, too. 🙂
This recipe was a disaster. I don’t know how it got any good reviews. The mixture was way too wet. I added a whole head of shredded green cabbage to give it something to hold the meatballs together and it helped but it’s not great. Will not be doing this again.
These meatballs are pretty soft, which is why they’re so good once they’re cooked. Almond flour (or breadcrumbs) would be a good option if you’re having trouble getting them to come together.