Banh Mi Meatball Sandwiches

Get ready for one of my favorite recipes!  This Banh Mi Meatball Sandwich, brought to you by A Farmgirl’s Dabbles, is truly the bomb diggity.  For those who don’t know, a tradition banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich consisting of pork, topped with cilantro, carrots, jalapenos, cucumbers, and many other amazing yummies.  This recipe is top in my book because of how simple it is to make.  Check it out here.

I don’t suggest many changes to the original recipe other than to double it, because your family will definitely be asking for more.  I also recommend adding cornstarch to the sauce to ensure that it sticks better to the meatballs.  You can’t let all that yummy goodness go to waste!

BANH MI MEATBALL SANDWICHES

• 6 hoagie rolls
• 2 lb ground pork
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup sweet red chili sauce
• 1 cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• Toppings: shredded carrots, cilantro, jalapeno, pickled red onions, radishes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Form pork meatballs using a cookie scoop to ensure they are all the same size.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet.
3. Once hot, add the meatballs and sear 3-5 minutes on each side.
4. In a small bowl, combine red chili sauce, teriyaki sauce, fish sauce, ginger, and salt.  Set about ¼ cup of the sauce to the side.  Add the remaining sauce mixture to the skillet and cook the meatballs covered for 10 minutes. 
5. While the meatballs are cooking, prep the toppings of your choice.
6. Combine your reserved sauce mixture with the cornstarch to create a slurry.  When the meatballs are close to done, add the slurry and cook an additional 2 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
7. Serve meatballs on a hoagie bun and top with carrots, jalapenos, and cilantro.  Enjoy!

What makes these so simple is the fact that the sauce holds so much flavor and you don’t really need to add a whole bunch of spices anywhere else.  Could you zhuzh the meatballs up a little? Of course!  But to keep things quick and easy, I use a cookie scoop to create meatballs right out of the packaging with no extra ingredients needed.

Once you form the meatballs, it is important to get a really nice sear on them before you add the sauce.  I once read a tip that said if your meat is sticking to the pan, then you haven’t seared it long enough.  When you add the sauce, it gives you time to prep your toppings.

The original recipe says that you can serve this over rice or as an appetizer, which I haven’t personally tried.  Our favorite way to eat these are on a hoagie roll with a side of potato chips.  To elevate it even more, you could try toasting the buns and spreading mayonnaise aioli on top.

Overall, these have become a staple in our house.  My husband absolutely loves them and requests them once a week.  Fortunately for me, the ease of making the meatballs and the one pot clean-up makes these a no brainer for me.

Ease to Make: 10/10

Taste: 10/10

Clean-Up: 10/10

Overall: 10/10

*My son ranks this as an 11/10