• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
YouTube
TikTok

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

  • All Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Side Dishes
      • Soups
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches
      • Drinks/Cocktails
      • Sauces & Dressings
    • Method
      • Crockpot
      • Instant Pot
      • One Pot
      • Air Fryer
      • Casseroles
    • Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
      • Italian
      • Mexican
      • European
      • Indian
      • Romanian
      • Mediterranean
      • Middle Eastern
      • American
    • Ingredient
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Beef
      • Seafood
      • Lamb
      • Vegetarian
      • Pasta
      • Spices
    • Holiday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Thanksgiving
      • Game Day
      • Valentine's Day
      • St. Patrick's Day
      • Cinco de Mayo
      • Mother's Day
      • Memorial Day
      • Father's Day
      • 4th Of July
      • Labor Day
      • Halloween
    • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • Shop
  • About Jo
FREE recipe eBook!
Search...
All Recipes
Instant Pot
30 Minute
One Pot Meals
Soups
Dips & Dressings
Baking
Pasta
Sandwiches
Sides
Lunch Dinner 30 Minutes or Less Pork Meatballs Asian
5 from 7 votes

Meatball Banh Mi Bowls

Jump to RecipeVideoPrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •5/7/23 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

pin for meatball banh mi rice bowl.

Delicious, incredibly easy to make Meatball Banh Mi Bowls with a quick and easy quick pickle, a spicy mayo sauce served with cooked rice. These bowls are packed with lots of nutrition and good for you ingredients, perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or lunch with friends.

meatball banh mi rice bowl in a white bowl.
Table of Contents Open
  • Meatball Banh Mi Bowl Recipe
  • Why We Love These Banh Mi Bowls
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
    • Quick Pickle
    • Sriracha Mayonnaise
    • Meatballs
  • How To Make Banh Mi Bowls
    • Make The Quick Pickle And Spicy Mayo
    • Make The Meatballs
    • Assemble Banh Mi Bowls
  • What Is Banh Mi?
  • What Other Vegetables Can I Use For The Quick Pickle?
  • Expert Tips
  • Leftovers
  • More Must Try Asian Recipes
  • Meatball Banh Mi Bowl
    • Video
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

Meatball Banh Mi Bowl Recipe

I love all Asian dishes and this recipe is based on the classic Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich, you probably all know and love. By no means is this an authentic recipe, but it’s my take on this delicious sandwich, in a bowl served with rice.

I love everything about these Banh Mi Bowls, starting with the quick pickle with fresh mini cucumbers, carrots and some red chilies, if you like some heat and the ridiculously easy 2 ingredient sauce. Of course, the star of this recipe are these flavorful pork meatballs that are so easy to make. While I fried them here, you can easily bake these or even air fry them, especially if you’re looking for something a little bit lighter.

meatball banh mi rice bowl in a white bowl.

Why We Love These Banh Mi Bowls

  • Tons Of Flavor. These bowls are bursting with lots of sweet and spicy flavors, lots of crunchiness, tender and delicious meatballs and a super yummy sriracha mayo sauce.
  • Ready In A Matter Of Minutes. In just 30 minutes you can enjoy these Banh Mi Bowls and that includes making these meatballs from scratch complete with a quick pickle and a homemade sauce.
  • Perfect For A Busy Weeknight. These Banh Mi Bowls are so easy and quick to make, they’re great for those crazy busy weeknight dinners and you’re guaranteed your whole family will enjoy these.

Ingredients You’ll Need

ingredients needed to make a quick pickle.

Quick Pickle

  • Cucumbers – I used mini cucumbers, but you can use regular cucumbers or English cucumber.
  • Carrots – You’ll want these cut like matchsticks or use a box grater to shred these or you could even use a Julienne Y-Pealer.
  • Red Chilies – These chilies are optional and they do bring in a lot of heat, so if you don’t like spicy food, then just omit them, or use another veggie instead like radishes.
  • Rice Vinegar – Sub this with regular vinegar, but I like the sweet acidic taste of rice vinegar.
  • Sugar – Plain granulated sugar is all you need.

Sriracha Mayonnaise

  • Sriracha – Use as much or as little as you like, but I wouldn’t skip this especially if you’re not using any red chilies, you will want a little bit of heat.
  • Mayonnaise – Make your own mayonnaise using my recipe here, or use store-bought.

Meatballs

  • Ground Meat – I used ground pork, but you can sub it with ground chicken, turkey or even ground beef.
  • Lemongrass Paste – I usually buy this on amazon, this saves me a trip to the Asian grocery store. If you don’t have it, I would just substitute this with lemon zest instead.
  • Garlic – Lots of freshly minced garlic.
  • Cilantro – For those who don’t like cilantro, simply sub it with some fresh parsley.
  • Green Onions – A few green onions to add a mild onion flavor to our meatballs. Sub it with regular onion or shallots.
  • Salt and Pepper – I used white pepper here so if you have it, I strongly recommend using white pepper because it has a different and stronger flavor than black pepper.
  • Sugar – For a bit of sweetness and to balance out all the flavors in the meatballs.
ingredients needed to make vietnamese meatballs.

How To Make Banh Mi Bowls

process shots showing how to make vietnamese meatballs and quick pickle.

Make The Quick Pickle And Spicy Mayo

  1. Combine all the quick pickle ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  2. In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise and Sriracha together until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make The Meatballs

  1. In a medium size bowl combine all the meatball ingredients and mix well. Form the meatballs into small 1 inch balls, you should get about 18-20 meatballs, depending on size.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook (in batches if needed) for 5 to 7 minutes or until evenly browned and cooked through.

Assemble Banh Mi Bowls

  1. Add rice in bowls, then top with a few meatballs, some quick pickles, and a drizzle of sriracha mayo. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds then serve.
collage of pictures showing how to assemble meatball banh mi rice bowls.

What Is Banh Mi?

Banh Mi is a type of sandwich made with a short baguette, split lengthwise and filled like a sub sandwich with a fusion of meats and vegetables native to Vietnamese cuisine such as pork sausage, pickled carrots and cucumbers, cilantro and pickled daikon radish. Finally, it’s drizzled with a spicy mayonnaise.

What Other Vegetables Can I Use For The Quick Pickle?

Typically in a Banh Mi Sandwich you’ll often see carrots and cucumbers, but if you want to add or sub other veggies, I would recommend radishes or Daikon radish if you’re looking for something more authentic. Another great option is to add some red onion or jalapeños.

vietnamese meatballs in a white bowl.

Expert Tips

  1. For a healthier version, use brown rice or cauliflower rice instead of plain white rice.
  2. The pickled veggies will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, so you can prep them ahead to save time.
  3. Instead of making meatballs, make the meatball mixture and cook it like that in a skillet until no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula or wooden spoon as it cooks.

Leftovers

These Banh Mi Bowls are best served fresh but the great news is that you can store leftovers in the refrigerator. I recommend storing the recipe components separately in airtight containers. The quick pickle will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, the meatballs and cooked rice will last 3 to 4 days, and the mayo will last up to 2 months.

meatball banh mi rice bowl in a white bowl.

More Must Try Asian Recipes

  • Asian Steak Bites
  • Chinese Lemon Chicken
  • Bibimbap (Korean Rice Bowl)
  • Korean Beef Bulgogi
  • Japanese Pancakes
  • Kung Pao Chicken
  • Dan Dan Noodles
  • Black Pepper Chicken
  • Asian Lettuce Wraps
  • Beef Rendang

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

meatball banh mi rice bowl in a white bowl.
5 from 7 votes

Meatball Banh Mi Bowl

Prep 23 minutes minutes
Cook 7 minutes minutes
Total 30 minutes minutes
5
Rate Recipe Print Recipe
Delicious, incredibly easy to make Meatball Banh Mi Bowls with a quick and easy quick pickle, a spicy mayo sauce served with cooked rice. These bowls are packed with lots of nutrition and good for you ingredients, perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or lunch with friends.
Prevent your screen from going dark

Video

Ingredients

Quick Pickle

  • 1 medium carrot (peeled and cut into matchsticks)
  • 4 mini cucumbers (sliced)
  • 3 Thai red chilies (sliced)
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup sugar

Sriracha Mayonnaise

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce

Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 teaspoons lemongrass paste
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 4 green onions (finely chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper

Other

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)
  • 4 cups cooked rice
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted )

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Make the quick pickle. Combine all the quick pickle ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  • Make the spicy mayo. In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise and Sriracha together until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Make meatballs. In a medium size bowl combine all the meatball ingredients and mix well. Shape into golf-ball size meatballs.
  • Cook the meatballs. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook (in batches if needed) for 5 to 7 minutes or until evenly browned and cooked through.
  • Assemble bowls. Add rice in bowls, then top with a few meatballs, some quick pickles, and a drizzle of sriracha mayo. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds then serve.

Notes

  1. Nutritional information includes rice.
  2. For a healthier version, use brown rice or cauliflower rice instead of plain white rice.
  3. The pickled veggies will last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, so you can prep them ahead to save time.
  4. Instead of making meatballs, make the meatball mixture and cook it like that in a skillet until no longer pink, breaking it up with a spatula or wooden spoon as it cooks.
  5. These Banh Mi Bowls are best served fresh but the great news is that you can store leftovers in the refrigerator. I recommend storing the recipe components separately in airtight containers. The quick pickle will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, the meatballs and cooked rice will last 3 to 4 days, and the mayo will last up to 2 months.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 642kcal (32%)Carbohydrates: 53g (18%)Protein: 21g (42%)Fat: 38g (58%)Saturated Fat: 10g (63%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 75mg (25%)Sodium: 1026mg (45%)Potassium: 504mg (14%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 13g (14%)Vitamin A: 2439IU (49%)Vitamin C: 45mg (55%)Calcium: 81mg (8%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

meatball banh mi rice bowl in a white bowl.

Did You Make This?

We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @jocooks or hashtag #jocooks so we can see your creations!

Rate Recipe
Add Your Photo!
  • 102
Home Recipes
Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Through Jo Cooks, I invite you to join me in my kitchen as we explore delicious recipes from around the globe, celebrate the joy of cooking, and make every meal a memorable one. Happy cooking!

Read More
iPad showing title of ebook 30 recipes from around the world
Subscribe

Get our FREE recipe eBook + weekly newsletter!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.

guest
Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




The comment form collects your name, email and content to allow us keep track of the comments placed on the website. Please read and accept our website Terms and Privacy Policy to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

4 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Kelly
Kelly
Posted: 1 year ago

5 stars
This was great! My husband and I really enjoyed it. It was easy to make too. Thank you so much for this recipe.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Kelly
Posted: 1 year ago

My pleasure, so glad you guys enjoyed it!

0
Reply
Chloe
Chloe
Posted: 1 year ago

5 stars
Just made this! Used minced chicken instead or pork. Was so yummy. Thanks for sharing. Your recipe is always perfect.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Chloe
Posted: 1 year ago

So glad you liked it, Chloe!

0
Reply

sidebar

Headshot of Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is the place where I share my passion for easy and delicious recipes. From comforting classics to global flavors, I believe that cooking should be fun, approachable, and most importantly, rewarding. Join me on this culinary journey and let’s get cooking!

Read More
Collage of recipe ebooks
Subscribe

Get our FREE recipe eBook + weekly newsletter!

Pasta Favorites

baked mac and cheese in a black cast iron skillet.
45 minutes mins

Baked Mac And Cheese

freshly made crack chicken penne with a wooden spoon in a skillet.
40 minutes mins

Crack Chicken Penne

chicken pot pie pasta in a white serving bowl with a wooden serving spoon.
50 minutes mins

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

freshly made one pot pasta in a dutch oven.
20 minutes mins

One Pot Pasta

tomato spinach chicken pasta in a white bowl.
30 minutes mins

Tomato Spinach Chicken Pasta

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.
30 minutes mins

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

baked feta pasta in a white bowl garnished with fresh basil.
50 minutes mins

Baked Feta Pasta (Tik Tok Pasta)

sideview shot of chicken fajita pasta in a white bowl with a fork inside
45 minutes mins

Chicken Fajita Pasta

side close up shot of swedish meatball pasta in a beige braised garnished with parsley
30 minutes mins

Swedish Meatball Pasta

overhead shot of a bowl of haluski
40 minutes mins

Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles)

A stack of cookbooks
Grab a copy!

My Cookbooks

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Dinner Favorites

smothered pork chops in a skillet garnished with parsley.
1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Smothered Pork Chops

a wooden spoon lifting a salisbury steak out of the skillet
30 minutes mins

Salisbury Steak

beef lo mein in a black wok.
30 minutes mins

Beef Lo Mein

side shot of beef and broccoli in a skillet
15 minutes mins

Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

skillet shepherd's pie in a cast iron skillet with a portion taken out.
1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Skillet Shepherd’s Pie

a serving spoon inside a skillet with chicken broccoli rice casserole.
30 minutes mins

One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

side view shot of two italian stuffed peppers in a bowl
2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Italian Stuffed Peppers

a serving of spaghetti bolognese in a white bowl garnished with parsley.
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Spaghetti Bolognese

Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
YouTube
TikTok
Visit our Other Site: Craving Home Cooked

Explore

Recipes
Cookbooks
About Jo
Contact

Legal

Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclaimers
© 2023 Jo Cooks
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
wpDiscuz