This Banh Mi Sandwich “Vietnamese Meatball Sub” is so tasty and delightful. In the past year, we enjoyed our first one and it has quickly become one of our family’s favorite sandwiches.
This Banh Mi Meatballs recipe is a delicious recipe that is filled with freshness, sweetness, saltiness, sourness, and contrasting heat. There is nothing flimsy about this recipe.
Tuck scrumptious meatballs into a baguette or other hearty bun. Add yummy crisp textures with sliced cucumber, pickled carrot and daikon, fresh cilantro, and jalapeno, finish off with a spicy mayo sauce. You have a perfect lunch or weeknight meal for the whole family to enjoy.
What is a Banh Mi Sandwich?
Bánh Mì (pronounced BUN-mee) is the Vietnamese term for “bread”. It also refers to a popular sandwich that was first born on the streets of Saigon. Food carts and restaurants served these hearty sandwiches.
If you have never tried one, you are in for a real treat. Over the past few decades, these flavor-packed sandwiches have grown in popularity. It was not until a few years ago that I had even heard of one.
This is a recipe that we make often at home.
Vietnamese Meatball Sub
Learn what goes into a meatball sub and how you can recreate with just a little prep.
Vietnamese Banh Mi does have a lot of ingredients that you’ll need to prepare for in advance. While it is an easy sandwich to put together, it does take a lot of cooking prep to get all the ingredients ready to put together a delicious sandwich.
Bread: French-style baguette
Protein: Today, we are using pork meatballs; however, you can substitute chicken, ham, pork, or other meats
Vegetables: Sliced cucumber, pickled carrot, and daikon
Condiments: Sriracha Mayonnaise, soy sauce, butter, or pate.
Herbs: Fresh cilantro
Spice: Sliced chilis or Jalapeno
Preparing Ahead of Time for the Recipe
Pickle the Carrot and Daikon. Julienne the carrots and daikon. Make the brine and pour it over the vegetables. Let it set at least 30 minutes. However, I think that the flavor is better if you can make this a day ahead of time. Just place in the refrigerator.
Make the Spicy Sauce. Combine the sriracha, mayonnaise, lime juice, and salt. This can be made just before you drizzle it on the sandwiches or a few weeks ahead of time. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you prefer less spice, just swap out the spicy mayonnaise for regular mayonnaise.
Make the Meatballs. Combine the pork and seasonings, fry in a skillet and add the flavorful sauce.
Meatball Sauce. I see quite a few recipes that do not have a sauce for the meatballs; however, at our house, we love adding a savory sauce for more flavor. Here is an easy option for you. Add a sweet soy glaze to the pan when I am cooking the meatballs. Half a cup of the soy glaze and half a cup of water. Then when assembling the sandwiches, drizzle some of this savory sauce on top of the meatballs.
Assemble the Sandwiches. Slice the rolls in half lengthwise, butter and toast them, if desired. Spread a thin layer of the cucumbers on one side, add the meatballs, top with the pickled vegetables, cilantro, jalapeno, and drizzle on the sauces.
Banh Mi Sandwich “Vietnamese Meatball Sub”
The sandwich is a bit messy to eat. If you are like me, you will have to smush the bun together to keep all the ingredients inside and fit it inside your mouth. I use lots of napkins because inevitably I have sauce on my face and something on my shirt. This is always the sign of a great tasting recipe.
I hope you give this one a try, it just might become your new favorite sandwich.
What to Serve with Meatball Subs
Pairing an easy side dish with this meatball sub rounds out the meal. Sometimes, we just want easy recipes that taste like we spent all day cooking. Enjoy the taste combination of these sides with your next meatball sub.
Party beans are cooked to perfection with just the right amount of brown sugar and bacon.
Enjoy pickled beets any time of the year.
A classic Southern Style Potato Salad is a creamy, tangy, and delicious side dish that graces our table often.
Banh Mi Sandwich “Vietnamese Meatball Sub”
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
Quick Pickle Carrot and Daikon Radish
- 1 Pound Carrots Julienned
- 1 Pound Daikon Radish Julienned
- 1 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
Making the Meatballs
- 1 Pound Ground Pork Save time and use frozen meatballs for the meatball portion and skip the rest of the ingredients in this section
- 1 Scallion or Green Onion Diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced or 3 Tablespoons of jarred garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Sriracha
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
Making the Sauce
- ½ Cup Sweet Soy Glaze
- ½ Cup Water
Sriracha Mayonnaise Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Sriracha Sauce
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Assembling the Meatball Sandwiches
- 8 Tablespoons Butter divided by the 4 baguettes
- 4 Baguettes
- 1 Jalapeno seeded and thinly sliced optional
- ¼ Cup Fresh Cilantro
- 20 Slices Cucumber 5 for each sandwich
Instructions
Quick Pickle Carrot and Daikon Radish
- Prepare Pickled Vegetables: In large saucepan, bring vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a boil. Remove from heat.1 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar, 1 Cup Water, 1/4 Cup Sugar, 1 Tablespoon Salt
- Combine carrots and radish in non-reactive bowl; pour hot liquid over vegetables. Cool to room temperature; place in canning jars and cover; refrigerate overnight.1 Pound Carrots, 1 Pound Daikon Radish
Making the Meatballs and Sauce
- Combine the meatball ingredients in a bowl, form into golf ball sized balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes. Place in a skillet with a tablespoon of oil and cook over medium high heat. Browning on all sides. This takes approximately 10 minutes. If you prefer to use a frozen meatball like I did today, the Italian style meatballs are perfect for this recipe. Another time saver.1 Pound Ground Pork, 1 Scallion, 3 Cloves Garlic, 1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce, 1 Tablespoon Sriracha, 2 Tablespoons Sugar, Salt and Pepper to taste, 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
- Add the meatball sauce and continue cooking until the sauce has bubbled 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat.½ Cup Sweet Soy Glaze, ½ Cup Water
Sriracha Mayonnaise Sauce
- Prepare Sriracha Mayo: Mix all ingredients until blended; refrigerate until ready to use.1 Tablespoon Sriracha Sauce, 1 Cup Mayonnaise, 2 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice, 1/4 tsp. salt
Assemble Meatball Sandwiches
- To assemble sandwiches, butter baguette and lightly toast.8 Tablespoons Butter, 4 Baguettes
- Place the thinly sliced cucumber on one half. Place the pickled carrot and daikon on the other half of the baguette.20 Slices Cucumber
- Add the meatballs and drizzle on the sauce.
- Drizzle on the sriracha mayo and sprinkle on the cilantro and Jalapeno slices if desired.¼ Cup Fresh Cilantro, 1 Jalapeno
[…] this sriracha mayo sauce is paramount in the delicious Banh Mi Sandwich. It has all the flavors and textures that excite the taste buds; spicy, sweet, savory, crunchy, and […]