Quick 30-Minute Bun Cha (Vietnamese Pork Meatballs with Noodles)
A fast, weeknight-friendly take on the classic Vietnamese street food. Savory, caramelized pork meatballs are served over a bed of cool vermicelli rice noodles and fresh herbs, accompanied by a bright and tangy nuoc cham dipping sauce.
Equipment
- large skillet or grill pan
- medium pot
- mixing bowls
- whisk
Ingredients
Pork Meatballs
- 1 pound ground pork — not too lean (80/20 is best)
- 2 tablespoons shallot — finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic — minced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper — freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil — for pan-frying
Nuoc Cham (Dipping Sauce)
- 0.5 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons lime juice — freshly squeezed
- 2 cloves garlic — finely minced
- 1 whole bird's eye chili — thinly sliced (adjust to taste)
Noodle Bowls
- 8 ounces vermicelli rice noodles — thin
- 1 head butter lettuce — shredded or torn
- 1 whole cucumber — julienned or thinly sliced
- 0.5 cup fresh mint — leaves torn
- 0.5 cup fresh cilantro — roughly chopped
- 0.5 cup pickled carrots (optional) — store-bought or quick-pickled
Pork Meatballs
| 1 pound | ground pork | not too lean (80/20 is best) |
| 2 tablespoons | shallot | finely minced |
| 2 cloves | garlic | minced |
| 1 tablespoon | fish sauce | |
| 1 tablespoon | brown sugar | |
| 0.5 teaspoon | black pepper | freshly ground |
| 1 tablespoon | neutral oil | for pan-frying |
Nuoc Cham (Dipping Sauce)
| 0.5 cup | warm water | |
| 3 tablespoons | granulated sugar | |
| 3 tablespoons | fish sauce | |
| 3 tablespoons | lime juice | freshly squeezed |
| 2 cloves | garlic | finely minced |
| 1 whole | bird's eye chili | thinly sliced (adjust to taste) |
Noodle Bowls
| 8 ounces | vermicelli rice noodles | thin |
| 1 head | butter lettuce | shredded or torn |
| 1 whole | cucumber | julienned or thinly sliced |
| 0.5 cup | fresh mint | leaves torn |
| 0.5 cup | fresh cilantro | roughly chopped |
| 0.5 cup | pickled carrots (opt.) | store-bought or quick-pickled |
Instructions
-
Boil the vermicelli rice noodles according to package instructions (usually 3-5 minutes). Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and remove excess starch. Set aside to drain thoroughly.
~5 minToss the rinsed noodles with a tiny drop of sesame or neutral oil if they seem to be sticking. -
In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water and granulated sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, minced garlic, and sliced chili. Taste and adjust balance of sweet, sour, and salty as needed. Set aside.
~3 minMaking the sauce first allows the garlic and chili flavors to meld. -
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, minced shallot, minced garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, and black pepper. Use your hands to mix gently until just combined. Form into about 12-16 small, slightly flattened meatballs (about 1.5 inches wide).
~7 minDo not overmix the meat, or the meatballs will become tough. -
Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until nicely browned and cooked through (internal temperature reaches 160°F / 71°C).
~8 minThe sugar in the meatballs will cause them to caramelize quickly; lower the heat to medium if they brown too fast. -
Assemble the bowls: divide the shredded lettuce, cooked vermicelli noodles, cucumber, mint, cilantro, and optional pickled carrots among four bowls. Top each bowl with the hot pork meatballs.
~5 minServe the nuoc cham on the side for diners to pour over their bowls, or dip the meatballs directly.
Tips & Storage
- For extra flavor, you can add 1 teaspoon of lemongrass paste to the meatball mixture.
- If you have more time, let the meatball mixture marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes before shaping.
- Traditionally, bun cha is served with the hot meatballs swimming in a slightly diluted, warm nuoc cham broth. You can serve the sauce warm or cold depending on preference.
- Storage: Store the components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the meatballs in the microwave or a skillet before serving. Keep noodles, herbs, and sauce cold.