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These Grilled Vietnamese Meatballs are super fresh and full of flavor, loaded with green onions, red pepper flakes and grated ginger root. Melt in your mouth tender, these meatballs are a great addition to any BBQ gathering or even for a fun game night!
Grilled Vietnamese Meatballs
These meatballs aren’t by any means traditional Vietnamese meatballs. They are simply my version of the Vietnamese meatballs I had at a restaurant once. Having said that, they are really easy to make and incredibly delicious. They also pair perfectly with my homemade peanut sauce.
- Simple and Delicious
- Great Party Appetizer
- Fiery Goodness
- Ready In Just Under 30 Minutes
Whenever you’re looking for a quick and tasty appetizer or even main dish, these Vietnamese Meatballs meet the requirements. Ready in just under 30 minutes, with the most delicious flavors, these meatballs go great with a variety of side dishes or even on their own, as the main star of your appetizers.
Ingredient Notes
- Beef – Lean ground beef will work great. You can substitute with ground pork or ground chicken.
- Cilantro – Freshly chopped cilantro to add some extra flavor. For those who don’t like cilantro, use parsley instead.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic cloves or you can use already minced garlic from a jar.
- Onion – Fresh green onions, finely chopped.
- Egg – You’ll only need the egg white to help all ingredients bind together. I recommend using a larger egg or 2 small ones to have enough binding agent to work with.
- Ginger – Freshly grated ginger root. You can also use ginger powder if it comes more handy.
- Red pepper – I used red red pepper flakes to bring on the heat.
- Breadcrumbs – I preferred to use Panko, but any unflavored breadcrumbs will do just fine.
How To Make Grilled Vietnamese Meatballs
- Preheat the grill: Preheat your BBQ to medium-high 375°F.
- Make meatballs: In a large bowl combine ground beef with the rest of the ingredients. Mix gently then start forming into 11/2 inch meatballs. You should get about 20 meatballs.
- Grill the meatballs: Place meatballs on the grill and cook about 2 minutes per side.
- Rest the meatballs and serve: Transfer meatballs on a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm with peanut sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
FAQ’s
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bake the meatballs instead?
If grilling is not your thing, you can add these meatballs to a lined baking dish and bake in the oven at 400° F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. You can also fry them in a frying pan with some vegetable oil. To prevent your meatballs from crumbling and falling apart, do not overcrowd your meatballs in the frying pan. Leave about 1/2 inch of space in between. It’s best to do it in a couple batches if you don’t have enough space.
How to serve?
These delicious meatballs are amazing to eat as they are, served with a tasty Peanut Sauce. But why stop there? Here are some side options to eat with your meatballs:
Coconut Rice
Coleslaw Salad
Mashed Potatoes
Macaroni Salad
Some Tips
- If you want to experiment with different meats, I’d recommend to sub the ground beef with ground lamb or ground veal or even use an even combination of all three to achieve the ultimate meatball! You can also use ground pork or ground chicken.
- When grilling, make sure you don’t crowd your meatballs. The more space they have the better the grilling will go so they don’t stick to each other. You can also grill them on a grill pan as I have.
Leftovers
These Vietnamese meatballs will last in the fridge for about 3-4 days if properly stored in an airtight container.
If you wish to freeze them, just spread the cooked meatballs separately on a baking sheet and place in the freezer till they’re just frozen. Next, remove them and place in a freezer bag or an airtight container, then place back in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Delicious Recipes To Try
Grilled Vietnamese Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef extra lean
- 1 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 green onions chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon ginger root grated
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 egg white
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the grill: Preheat your BBQ to medium-high 375°F.
- Make meatballs: In a large bowl combine ground beef with the rest of the ingredients. Mix gently then start forming into 11/2 inch meatballs. You should get about 20 meatballs.
- Grill the meatballs: Place meatballs on the grill and cook about 2 minutes per side.
- Rest the meatballs and serve: Transfer meatballs on a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm with peanut sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.
Tips & Notes:
- Recipe yields about 20 meatballs.
- Nutritional information assumes 5 meatballs per serving.
- If you want to experiment with different meats, I’d recommend to sub the ground beef with ground lamb or ground veal or even use an even combination of all three to achieve the ultimate meatball! You can also use ground pork or ground chicken.
- When grilling, make sure you don’t crowd your meatballs. The more space they have the better the grilling will go so they don’t stick to each other. You can also grill them on a grill pan as I have.
- These Vietnamese meatballs will last in the fridge for about 3-4 days if properly stored in an airtight container.
- If you wish to freeze them, just spread the cooked meatballs separately on a baking sheet and place in the freezer till they’re just frozen. Next, remove them and place in a freezer bag or an airtight container, then place back in the freezer for up to 3 months.
