Easy Vietnamese-Style Pork Meatballs

This Easy Vietnamese-Style Pork Meatballs recipe is super simple to make but one that delivers big flavours. These pork meatballs are a deliciously fresh lunch or dinner option. Serve them with rice noodles and fresh vegetables of choice, or in lettuce wraps for a lighter snack.

I love meatballs, and you’ll normally find one variety on our weekly meal plan. They’re easy to make, easy to bake, and super versatile. These Vietnamese-style meatballs are no exception – you’ll easily find all ingredients at the grocery store if not in your fridge/pantry. No trip to the Asian grocer needed here! This is a great weeknight meal to get on the table, fast.

Meatballs for toddlers

Homemade meatballs are great for little people who are self-feeding, and they can actually be served to babies from 6 months old if prepared properly.

Making your own with any kind of ground meat is a great way to control the size, sodium levels and texture of the meatballs. They’re easy for toddlers to eat, as you can shape or chop them to the appropriate size. Meatballs can be a choking hazard [1] for babies and toddlers if they put a whole meatball in their mouth, and so serving larger meatballs is best. If serving to young children, make at least 2 inch/ 5cm diameter balls to reduce the risk. Using an ice cream or cookie scoop to size them out is really handy! It’s also important that you serve tender meatballs, to further reduce the risk of choking. These juicy pork meatballs tick all the boxes for toddlers!

What you need to make these Vietnamese Meatballs

Here’s what you need for this pork meatball recipe:

Pork mince/ground pork – I use high quality store-bought pork mince.

Green onions – You might call them shallots or green shallots here in Australia, or scallions elsewhere. These are best to use in this recipe, but you can substitute with brown onion. I use the whole length of the onion, because (a) I like the taste and (b) dislike food waste. If your little people don’t appreciate green in their food though, I suggest you just use the whiter end and find another use (garnish?) for the green top. The green is visible in these meatballs if you use the whole thing.

Lemongrass – I get great fresh lemongrass at my local fruit market. It’s important to remove the hard outer skin as it won’t chop finely. Here’s how to prepare it [1] 😊. If you can’t source fresh lemongrass, then substitute with 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste.

Fish sauce – Fish sauce has a high sodium content, so leave it out if you’re serving these meatballs to babies under 12 months of age. For more information on sodium for babies see Solid Starts [2].

Garlic – If substituting fresh cloves of garlic for minced garlic, then use 1 to 2 teaspoons depending on your love of it.

Lime juice – Try to use fresh lime! You’ll need the juice of about half a lime. Use the rest for serving and garnishing!

White pepper – Substitute with black pepper if you need.

How to make Vietnamese Pork Meatballs

Thermomixer? These pork meatballs are very simple to whip up in my Thermomix. Simply add, chop and mix the ingredients in your machine. Roll into balls by hand.

Conventional cook? You can just as easily make these pork meatballs in a food processor or by hand. It’s a matter of chopping, mixing and rolling.

Everyone! These meatballs are so easy to cook, particularly if baking. I always bake meatballs, not only for the health factor but because I think there’s better uses for my time than standing over a frypan, cooking batches of meatballs 😆. You can also cook them in your air fryer. If you prefer pan-fried meatballs, then just heat a little vegetable oil in a frypan over medium heat and add the meatballs in a single layer. Cook the meatballs until they are golden brown, around 2 to 3 minutes per side.

See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and detailed steps for both thermo cooker and conventional cooking methods.

Adapting this recipe for babies and toddlers

For baby-friendly Vietnamese-Style Pork Meatballs, leave out the fish sauce. Cook until well-done. You can then either chop to a suitable size, or mash or puree for a tasty introduction to new foods. When rolling the meatballs, remember to go large! Make at least 2 inch/ 5cm diameter meatballs to reduce choking risk. When prepared properly, these meatballs are fantastic toddler food, as are Lamb and Mint Meatballs or Chicken, Lemon and Garlic Meatballs. Give them a go next time!

How to serve Vietnamese-Style Pork Meatballs

I love serving these meatballs with Vietnamese noodle salad – rice vermicelli noodles, julienned carrot and snow peas, fresh herbs like mint and coriander leaves, and a simple dressing of fish sauce, garlic and lime juice. My easy, non-authentic Bún Chả recipe😬. There are so many options with how you serve these meatballs. They’re great appetizers when served with a little bit of nuoc cham sauce, a Vietnamese dipping sauce. And equally delicious as a light meal when served in lettuce cups with fresh mint and bean sprouts. Try it all!

If you try these Easy Vietnamese-Style Pork Meatballs, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too for more delicious recipes.

Happy cooking!

Chloe x

[1] How to prepare lemongrass, 2020, The Spruce Eats.

[2] Sodium and babies, 2023, Solid Starts Inc.