Vietnamese Meatballs (Xíu Mại)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
531 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Breakfast, Appetizer, Lunch, Dinner
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Cuisine
Asian, Vietnamese
Vietnamese Meatballs (Xíu Mại)
Description
This recipe for Vietnamese Meatballs (Xíu Mại) uses a mixture of ground pork, minced shrimp, and diced jicama to add moisture and a subtle crunch within the meatballs. It also includes panko breadcrumbs to keep the texture tender and light. Aromatics like shallot and garlic and seasonings give the meatballs a gentle savory flavor without overwhelming them. The meatballs are lightly mixed to avoid toughness, then formed into uniformly sized balls and steamed until just cooked.
The accompanying tomato sauce is made by boiling tomatoes briefly to loosen the skins, peeling them, and pureeing the flesh until smooth. The sauce is cooked gently in a pan with oil until rich and fragrant. Steamed meatballs release natural juices that can be added to the sauce for flavor.
These meatballs have a tender texture from steaming and a delicate balance of flavors provided by the mixture of pork, shrimp, and jicama. They can be served as a snack or part of a meal and are notable for the combination of sea and land ingredients and the fresh tomato-based sauce.
For substitutions, canned water chestnuts may replace jicama to maintain moisture and texture. If steaming is unavailable, baking or pan-frying before adding to the sauce can be used though steaming yields the softest texture. Using panko breadcrumbs creates a lighter meatball than regular bread crumbs. The tomato sauce can be adjusted to be thicker and chunkier by dicing tomatoes instead of pureeing and reducing the added broth.
Ingredients
- 450 g ground pork (about 1 lb, 80% lean 20% fat recommended)
- 125 g Shrimp about 5 oz or ¼ cup, peeled, deveined and finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 small shallot about 1 tbsp, minced
- 4-5 cloves garlic about 1 tbsp, minced
- 150 g jicama about 5 oz or ½ cup, finely diced
- 30 g panko bread crumbs about ⅓ cup
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 medium tomato about 600-650g, or 1½-2 lbs
- 1½ cup chicken broth about 350 ml or 12 fluid oz, or water
Instructions
- Gently mix together the ground pork, shrimp, jicama, salt, pepper, fish sauce, shallot, garlic and bread crumbs until just combined. Be careful not to overmix this as it will result in a tougher meatball texture.
- Shape the mixture into 16 golf ball sized meatballs with lightly oiled hands. You can also use a tablespoon or a small scoop. Feel free to make the meatballs larger or smaller depending on what you want to eat them with.
- Arrange the meatballs in a heat-safe plate or tray and steam them until just cooked. This will take about 15-20 minutes for golf-ball sized meatballs. They will release some liquid while they steam. Keep this to make the sauce.
- While the xíu mại are steaming, make the sauce. Bring a small pot of water to boil and carefully place the tomatoes in for about 30 seconds, or until the skin easily peels back. Peel the skin back and blend them until smooth.
- In a heavy-bottomed with a little bit of oil, heat the tomato puree over medium heat until a rich red color develops and the tomato puree has thickened. If you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pot, you should be able to see the bottom for a second before the sauce pools back down.
- When you're happy with the color of the tomatoes, add 1 cup of chicken broth or water.
- Once the xíu mại are ready, take them out of the steamer and carefully add them to the tomato sauce, along with any liquid that they may have released.
- Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Use ground pork with about 20% fat for best meatball texture and moisture.
- If jicama is unavailable, canned water chestnuts offer a similar crunch and moisture; do not omit entirely.
- Steaming creates the most tender meatball texture; baking or pan-frying before saucing is an alternative.
- Panko breadcrumbs produce a lighter meatball than regular breadcrumbs.
- For a thicker, chunkier sauce, dice tomatoes instead of pureeing and reduce chicken broth accordingly.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 531 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 4meatballs | |
| Calories | 531kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 17.5g | 6% |
| Protein | 40.6g | 81% |
| Fat | 23.8g | 37% |
| Saturated Fat | 7.2g | 36% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.1g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 162.2mg | 54% |
| Sodium | 835.4mg | 35% |
| Potassium | 366mg | 8% |
| Sugar | 5.6g | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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