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Banh mi meatball sub on cream plate.

Easy Banh Mi Sandwiches {Vietnamese Meatball Sub}

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Spicy Sauce:

  • ⅔ cup mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha or sweet Thai chili sauce (see note)
  • 1 green onion, white and green parts finely chopped, white and green parts finely chopped

Relish:

  • 2 large carrots, coarsely grated or cut into thin matchsticks (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 English cucumber, coarsely grated or cut into thin matchsticks (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Meatballs:

  • 2 pounds ground pork, ground turkey or a combination
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dried
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce (see note)
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha or sweet Thai chili sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 teaspoons sesame or vegetable or coconut oil, for browning

Sandwiches:

Instructions 

  • For the sauce, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, green onions and sriracha. Cover and refrigerate. This can be made several days in advance.
  • For the relish, toss together the carrots and cucumber. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, vinegar, salt and sesame oil. Pour over the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate. The relish can be made a day or so in advance.
  • For the meatballs, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork (or turkey), basil, garlic, green onions, fish sauce, hot sauce, sugar, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Scoop the mixture into 1- to 2-inch meatballs. Heat the sesame oil (or other oil, if using) in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the meatballs in a single layer and brown on all sides.
  • Transfer the browned meatballs to a foil-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining meatballs (adding additional oil if necessary). Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven (I like to place the cooked meatballs one by one on a layer of paper towels to absorb any excess grease).
  • To assemble the sandwiches, slice the buns or baguettes in half. Spread the dressing on the top half of the bread. Layer cilantro to taste on the bottom half. Place 3 or so meatballs (will depend on how big you made them) on top of the cilantro. Drain the relish and place a heaping spoonful on top of the meatballs. Press on the sandwich top and devour.

Notes

Spiciness: for the creamy dressing, use the sriracha sauce if you like things spicy. I've made the sandwiches both ways and while I enjoy the heat, my kids don't as much, so I usually use the sweet Thai chili sauce which still has a kick to it but also has a bit of sweetness.
Fish Sauce: don't be scared of fish sauce. It adds great flavor. If you don't have it or prefer not to use it, consider adding a bit of soy sauce and increasing the salt if needed (fish sauce packs a salty punch).
Bread: the traditional bread vehicle for a Banh Mi is a crusty-type baguette. I go the unauthentic route and stuff all the goodness inside fluffy homemade bread (baked into the shape of longer hoagie buns instead of dinner rolls).