Vietnamese Lemongrass Meatballs

We enjoy these tasty meatballs served over a bowl of rice or wrapped in lettuce cups. They're balanced with flavors of spicy, salty, tangy, and sweet, and also make wonderful appetizers. Leftover meatballs may be stored in the freezer in a resealable plastic bag.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 306 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 pound lean ground pork
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon white sugar, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger root
• 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemongrass paste (such as Gourmet Garden®)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
• 1 small Thai chile pepper, minced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 3

Combine ground pork, bread crumbs, shallot, lemongrass paste, mint, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger root, and salt in a large bowl. Using a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, shape mixture into meatballs, and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven until meatballs are no longer pink in the center and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Step 5

Meanwhile, prepare the dipping sauce by mixing water, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, Thai chile, and garlic in a small bowl.

Step 6

Place meatballs under the hot broiler just until the tops start to turn brown to get a little color and crispness, about 2 minutes. Serve with the dipping sauce.