These Banh Mi Meatball Sliders combine juicy, tender meatballs with the tangy crunch of pickled veggies, and a kick of sauce all packed in a slider bun!
Banh Mi Meatball Sliders
Inspired by the iconic Vietnamese Banh Mi, this recipe aims to capture those compelling flavors and textures that have won hearts globally. Originating on the vibrant streets of Vietnam, the classic Banh Mi stands as a testament to the country’s culinary ingenuity, blending French colonial influences, evident in the baguette, with the unique flavors and ingredients of Vietnamese cooking.
Banh Mi Meatball Sliders were created with an appreciation for this cultural staple, featuring succulent pork meatballs, tangy pickled veggies, and a bold, spicy sauce, all nestled within a soft, buttery bun. While they’re a twist on the authentic sandwich, enjoying them can be a gateway to exploring more traditional Vietnamese dishes. If these get you hooked, why not dive deeper into Vietnamese cuisine? Consider hitting up a local Vietnamese joint and tasting the real deal!
Banh Mi Meatball Ingredients
- Ground pork: Not too lean for juicier meatballs, but if you’re looking for a lighter meal, use 93/7 ground turkey.
- Fresh basil: Use freshly picked basil leaves for the best aroma and flavor
- Green onions: Opt for crisp, bright green ones; we’ll use all parts of the green onions for this recipe!
- Minced garlic: Fresh if you’ve got the time; jarred if you’re in a rush!
- Soy sauce: Skip low-sodium here; we’re relying on the saltiness of regular soy sauce here.
- Sriracha: If you don’t care for much heat, you can play around with quantity here, but note that you may be losing some flavor.
- White sugar: This helps to balance the spice and flavors. You can even add a pinch to your sauce if it ends up too spicy.
- Cornstarch: Essential for binding these meatballs and keeps them from falling apart.
Remaining Slider Ingredients
- Carrots and radishes: We use matchstick carrots (quicker) and any type of radish will do. Use Daikon if you can find it for a more authentic touch.
- Rice vinegar: Be sure to use unseasoned for flavor control.
- Brioche buns: These buttery buns nicely complement the Banh Mi Meatballs and pickled veggies.
- English cucumber: Seek firm, bright green ones for crispness.
- Mayo: Full-fat mayo for richness and thickness in the sauce.
- Lime juice and zest: We always prefer fresh squeezed over bottled; avoid grating the white pith in zest as it’s quite bitter!
How To Make Banh Mi Meatballs (Tips)
- Meatball consistency: Don’t over-mix the meatball mixture, or it can become tough. Additionally, wetting your hands makes rolling the meatballs easier and less messy.
- Uniform size: Use a cookie dough scoop or a food scale to measure meatball portions for uniform size, ensuring they cook evenly.
- Compress: Tightly compress the meatballs to keep them from falling apart.
- Prep ahead: If you think of it, make your pickled veggies and sauce a day or two ahead. They’ll only get more flavorful and it helps break up the cooking time!
Tips, Continued
- High-quality buns: Look for fresh, high-quality brioche buns. They make a world of difference in these Banh Mi Meatball Sliders!
- Proper toasting: Toast the buns with a bit of butter in a pan until golden brown for added flavor and to prevent them from getting soggy from the sauce or pickled veggies.
- Customizable heat: Adjust the amount of sriracha in both the meatballs and the sauce to control the spiciness according to your preference.
- Fresh herbs: Don’t skip the fresh herbs like cilantro and basil; they add a crucial layer of flavor and freshness to the sliders.
Storage
Banh Mi Meatball Storage
These sliders are best enjoyed fresh and warm. The contrast between the warm meatball and cool, crisp pickled veggies and cucumber is part of the experience!
If you have leftovers, store slider components separately: meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge (3-4 days) or freezer (up to 3 months), pickled veggies in their brine in the fridge (5-7 days), sauce in the fridge (up to a week), and buns at room temperature (a few days) or in the freezer (up to 3 months). For optimal freshness and texture, assemble sliders just before serving.
More Meatball Recipes:
- Greek Meatball Bowls with an herby sauce
- Our favorite, all-purpose Chicken Meatballs
- Meatballs and Rice all made in one pot!
- Swedish Meatballs in a cream sauce
- Porcupine Meatballs rice stuffed meatballs!
Banh Mi Meatball Sliders
Equipment
- Large, dark rimmed baking sheet
- Cooking Spray
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb. (16 oz) ground pork (or use 93/7 ground turkey)
- ⅓ cup each: finely chopped fresh basil, green onions (3-4 onions)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon each: regular soy sauce, sriracha, white sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Fine sea salt & pepper (1 tsp each)
Pickled Veggies
- 2 cups carrots cut into matchsticks
- 2 cups radishes, cut into matchsticks
- ¼ cup each: unseasoned rice vinegar, white sugar
For Serving
- 1 pkg. brioche slider buns, plus softened butter
- 1 English cucumber
- Optional: 1 bunch fresh cilantro, jalapeños (thinly sliced)
Sauce
- ½ cup full-fat regular mayo
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, plus 1/4 tsp zest
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prepare a dark-rimmed baking sheet by greasing it; no lining is necessary.
- MEATBALLS: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. Knead the mixture until everything is well combined. With wet hands, take about 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon (or 30 grams) of the mixture and roll it into a ball. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and spray them generously with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip each meatball and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until nicely browned all over. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- PICKLED VEGGIES: In a large wide-mouth jar or large bowl, add carrots and radishes. Top with vinegar, sugar, and 1 tsp fine sea salt. Add lid on jar and shake well. Shake well or toss with tongs every 10-15 minutes while preparing the rest of the dish.
- SAUCE: Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together until smooth. Season with a pinch of salt, cover and chill in fridge until needed.
- ASSEMBLE: Butter buns and toast in a dry skillet. Add sauce to both sides of bun. Top with a big scoop of pickled veggies, thinly sliced cucumbers, jalapeños, a few sprigs of cilantro, and meatball(s). Sandwich together and enjoy promptly!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So good and can’t wait to make these again!
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Janelle!