Bun Cha – Vietnamese Meatballs

A delightful Vietnamese dish featuring caramelized meatballs, fresh herbs, and flavorful ‘nuoc cham’ sauce. Perfect for a savory meal brimming with vibrant textures and tastes.

By @recipe_tin

Original recipe source

Cook time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 10 oz ground pork or chicken or turkey
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 0.33 cup green onions finely chopped
• 1 piece garlic clove minced
• 0 white pepper pinch
• 0 salt to taste
• 1.5 tbsp oil
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 0.33 cup water
• 1 bird's eye chili seeded and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 3 oz rice vermicelli noodles dried
• 1 handful beansprouts
• 0 lettuce leaves folded or shredded
• 0 carrot julienned
• 0 white radish (daikon) julienned
• 1 handful coriander sprigs
• 1 handful mint leaves
• 0 red chili sliced

Instructions

1. Mix all meatball ingredients except oil until combined. Shape into 6 mini hamburger patties.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 2.5 minutes or until golden. Flip, cook 2 more minutes then remove.
3. Mix Nuoc Cham Sauce: combine white sugar, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, water, bird's eye chili, and garlic.
4. Cook rice vermicelli noodles as per package instructions.
5. Assemble: Place noodles in a bowl. Top with beansprouts, wedge in lettuce, carrots, and radish, then place meatballs on top. Top with coriander and mint.
6. Spoon over a generous amount of Sauce (it’s supposed to be like a soup broth), eat and be happy!