Meatball Banh Mi Bowls

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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