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5.0 from 9 votes

Vietnamese Meatball Banh Mi (Banh Mi Xiu Mai)

This Vietnamese Meatball Banh Mi (Banh Mi Xiu Mai) makes a delicious and fulfilling breakfast or main meal. The juicy pork meatballs are served with a flavorful tomato sauce and crispy banh mi (Vietnamese baguette).

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 1181 kcal
Course: Main Course , Breakfast
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Ingredients

For the Meatballs
  • 1 small onion, diced (about 2/3 cup diced onions)
  • 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic 
  • 10 oz ground pork
  • 3/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • black pepper
  • olive oil
For the Tomato Sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic 
  • 3 ripe medium tomatoes, diced (about 12 oz or 2 cups diced tomatoes)
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup water (or chicken stock)
For the Cornstarch Slurry (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 tablespoon water
For Serving
  • 2 banh mi or baguettes, lightly toasted
  • thinly sliced scallions (for garnishing)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place a sauté pan over medium heat. Add some olive oil, and then add diced onions and garlic. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes until translucent to develop sweetness. Be careful to not let them burn. Set aside to cool.
  2. In a mixing bowl, add ground pork, cooked onions, other ingredients for the meatballs and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Mix thoroughly for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is well combined and sticky.
  3. Use about a little over 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling to form each meatball. Place them into a heatproof plate. Place the plate in a steamer (or a large pan/pot), and steam until the meatballs are almost cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and reserve the meat juice released while steaming.
  4. Place the sauté pan on medium - medium high heat. Add some olive oil, and then add shallot and garlic. Sauté for a few seconds until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes, stir and cook until the tomatoes start to soften and release juice. 
  5. Add meat juice plus additional water or chicken stock so that we add about 2/3 cup of additional liquid to the tomato sauce. Add tomato paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, black pepper, stir and bring to a simmer. Lower heat, cover and let the sauce simmer gently for a few minutes or until flavors meld together. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  6. Add meatballs to the pan. Cover and continue to simmer for a couple of minutes, flip the meatballs once, until they are cooked through and lightly coated with the sauce. 
  7. Transfer the meatballs to serving plates/bowls. If you want to thicken the tomato sauce, mix together cornstarch and water to make the cornstarch slurry. Then slowly add cornstarch slurry while stirring the sauce to thicken it. Only add as much as you need to thicken the sauce to your liking.
  8. Add the tomato sauce to the serving plates/bowls. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately with banh mi or baguettes.

Notes

  • In step 5, the amount of liquid to be added to the sautéed tomatoes depends on how juicy your tomatoes are. Mine are juicy, so I added 2/3 cup of additional liquid which consists of 1/4 cup of the meat juice released from steaming the meatballs and a little over 1/3 cup of water (or chicken stock). You can certainly make it thinner and more saucy than I suggest.
  • With this recipe, I make 12 meatballs which are enough to serve 2-3 people.

Nutrition Information

Calories 1181kcal (59%) Carbohydrates 149g (50%) Protein 51g (102%) Fat 40g (62%) Saturated Fat 14g (70%) Cholesterol 105mg (35%) Sodium 3130mg (130%) Potassium 1315mg (38%) Fiber 10g (40%) Sugar 12g (24%) Vitamin A 1630IU (33%) Vitamin C 32.3mg (36%) Calcium 299mg (30%) Iron 9.8mg (54%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1181

% Daily Value*

Calories 1181kcal 59%
Carbohydrates 149g 50%
Protein 51g 102%
Fat 40g 62%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Cholesterol 105mg 35%
Sodium 3130mg 130%
Potassium 1315mg 28%
Fiber 10g 40%
Sugar 12g 24%
Vitamin A 1630IU 33%
Vitamin C 32.3mg 36%
Calcium 299mg 30%
Iron 9.8mg 54%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.