This meatball banh mi with pickled carrot and daikon, Sriracha mayo, cilantro, and jalapeno, is the most surprisingly delicious thing I’ve made in a while. If you’re not already familiar, banh mi are a kind of Vietnamese sandwich, usually made with a soft Vietnamese baguette, raw veggies, and some kind of protein––often grilled pork or a pork cutlet.
This banh mi recipe is made with juicy homemade pork meatballs, seasoned with garlic, herbs, Sriracha, and fish sauce. AMAZING.
For me, what makes this sandwich great, and banh mi great in general…is the mixture of the bright, crisp textures and flavors of the vegetables, and the richness of the meat (the healthy slathering of spicy mayo doesn’t hurt either). It’s picnic blanket food, for picnic blanket weather. So put these together, grab three other lucky sandwich recipients, and prepare for awesomeness.
Okay, on with the recipe. It was adapted from this recipe on Epicurious.
Here are your ingredients. It may seem like a lot, but most of them are kitchen staples, and this banh mi recipe is super easy to assemble.
Carrot Daikon Salad:
- 2 medium carrots, julienned
- 1 cup julienned daikon radish
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, basil, or parsley
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
To assemble the sandwiches:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha
- 1 baguette, cut into 4 equal pieces and lightly toasted
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
- fresh cilantro
Start by preparing the carrot and daikon. Add the julienned carrots and daikon to a large bowl and toss in the sugar, salt, vinegar and sesame oil. Set aside for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. I actually got through all the chopping before realizing that this would have been the perfect time to use the julienne peeler we made these veggie noodles with a few weeks ago. Alas! In any case, I highly recommend using that peeler or even a mandoline slicer for this, if you have one.
While that salad is picking, thoroughly combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl. Hand-mushing is definitely the best method to employ here.
Form the mixture into meatballs (you should get about 20 out of the deal), place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, and transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes.
After the meatballs have been chilled, heat a tablespoon of oil in a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Fry the meatballs until browned on all sides and cooked through.
Ka-POW.
In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise and Sriracha. This stuff takes this sandwich’s awesomeness to a whole different level.
Open up each piece of bread, and spread the Sriracha mayonnaise on each side. Fill with the pickled carrots and daikon, cooked meatballs, jalapenos, and cilantro. Serve!
This banh mi recipe is an awesome one but check out a few of our other sandwiches like our authentic Cuban Sandwich and the Morning Glory breakfast sandwich.
Meatball Banh Mi
Ingredients
Carrot Daikon Salad:
- 2 medium carrots (julienned)
- 1 cup daikon radish (julienned)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground pork (450g)
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or basil
- 1 scallion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
To assemble the sandwiches:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha
- 1 baguette (cut into 4 equal pieces and lightly toasted)
- 1 jalapeno (seeded and thinly sliced)
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Start by preparing the carrot and daikon. Add the julienned carrots and daikon to a large bowl and toss in the sugar, salt, vinegar and sesame oil. Set aside for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- While that’s going, thoroughly combine all the meatball ingredients in a bowl, and form into meatballs (you should get about 20). Place the meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet, and transfer to the freezer for 20 minutes. After the meatballs have been chilled, heat a tablespoon of oil in a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Fry the meatballs until browned on all sides and cooked through.
- In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise and Sriracha. Open up each piece of bread, and spread the Sriracha mayonnaise on each side. Fill with the pickled carrots and daikon, cooked meatballs, jalapenos, and cilantro. Serve!
Nutrition
Kasia says
Hey, can I replace pork with beef?
Sarah says
Hi Kasia, yes you could!
Arlene says
This recipe is a regular request for birthdays in our house. We love it! Super fresh and a great mix of flavors. We always keep the siracha on the table for folks who like it a bit spicier. We make it as written with really no changes other than I’ve modified with pulled chicken or ground turkey when we are feeding people who don’t eat pork. All are delicious
Sarah says
Aww, that’s so special to know, Arlene! A banh mi birthday tradition!
Judy says
Our favorite-est Banh Mi place recently closed ?. They made their own mayo and globbed that on their own freshly made Vietnamese baguette. ??. I added minced lemongrass to the mince mixture and followed the instructions/ingredients exactly. Delish!!!! Thank you! I will attemp the Chinese bakery items soon!
Sarah says
Glad we could help you make Banh Mi at home, Judy!
Steve says
I always have challenges making crunchy meatballs and this recipe just made me feel like a top ranking chef. The detailed guide made it quite easy for me to work on my meatballs and they turned out crunch and very sweet. I cannot wait to get back in the kitchen and make some meatballs to gift to my relatives. I’m sure they will love it. Thanks for shedding some light. I’m now a better chef all thanks to you. Kudos.
Sarah says
So glad we could help you made the meatballs of your dreams, Steve! Thanks for stopping by and commenting :)
Lauren says
These meatballs are FANTASTIC! They have become our go-to recipe for just about every occasion – quick weeknight dinners, entertaining friends and family, date nights, you name it, these meatballs and sriracha mayo are either on the table or a top contender for our table.
I have started adding some breadcrumbs and an egg in the meatballs, just like you would when you make Italian meatballs, and I serve the sandwiches with slices of mango and avocado for additional flavors and textures!
All around, 10/10!
Sarah says
Hey Lauren, thank you so much for your feedback. I’m so glad that this recipe has made such an impact! Love the idea of adding mango and avocado to the sandwiches!
Michelle says
One of my go to recipes now–thanks so much for sharing! It’s a huge hit with my family…even my picky teen. Have used ground chicken and bagged coleslaw mix when in a pinch and it’s just as delicious! Love it!
Michelle says
Sorry! Forgot my five stars!
Sarah says
Thanks Michelle! :)
Karen says
Fantastic recipe! I’ve made the meatballs on their own a few times, which are delicious. I made the full sandwich recently and it was incredibly delicious. ‘ll make the sandwiches again for sure.
Sarah says
Thanks Karen! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. :)
Gerri says
I’ve made this at least 5X now and it’s always a huge hit-very simple and delicious! Easy weeknight dinner loved by all. We like it spicy so we top with xtra sriracha. The most important part is the bread. I buy half baked baguettes at the bakery and cook them at home. Fresh and hot with a crispy crust and soft warm inside-sooooooooo good!
Sarah says
Oh that’s an awesome idea, Gerri! I’ve never tried those half-baked baguettes but I imagine having fresh-baked bread for this recipe makes all the difference.
Laurie says
Sooo good! I had my first Bahn Mi 2 weeks ago on vacation. I became obsessed. No chance of finding one locally, unfortunately. I made this recipe last night. My husband and I both loved it. That siracha mayo is revelation. I really liked the fact that I could prep everything in the afternoon, and the actual cook time is only minutes. Thank you Sarah for posting this. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes! I think I am going to freeze a big batch of the meatballs today.
Sarah says
Oooh that’s a great idea! I have to confess that I haven’t had this sandwich in a while––you’re making me want to have it again!