• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Bun Bo Bae

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Life
    • Travel
    • Reviews
  • Contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Life
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Pork » Vietnamese Meatballs (Xíu Mại)

    Vietnamese Meatballs (Xíu Mại)

    Published: Jul 10, 2020 Modified: Jul 12, 2020 by Suzanne Nuyen This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

    Tweet
    Share
    Pin240
    Share12
    252 Shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Is there anything more comforting than a meatball? They're so versatile; you can eat them as an appetizer, in a sandwich, over your favorite pasta or rice, and for any meal! These Vietnamese Meatballs, or xíu mại, are made with pork and shrimp. They are so tender, with a subtle crunch from the addition of jicama.

    There are many ways to serve Xíu Mại, as seen here.

    These can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They're actually typically eaten for breakfast in Vietnam! Xíu mại taste great with a baguette to dip into the tangy fresh tomato sauce. You can also make a bánh mì with them, with some crunch cucumber, pickled daikon/carrot and cilantro. I like to call it a Vietnamese meatball sub.

    Seven meatballs in a thin tomato sauce in a white plate with gold trim
    These meatballs can be served by themselves, with baguette slices to dip into the sauce.
    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 💭 Tips and Substitutions
    • 🍚 Serving suggestions
    • 🥡 How to store or make in advance
    • 👪 Serving size
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 🏋️ Nutrition Info

    🥘 Ingredients

    You will need:

    • 450g (1 lb) ground pork, 80% lean 20% fat recommended
    • 125g (5oz) shrimp, peeled, deveined and finely minced
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoon fish sauce
    • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tbsp)
    • 4-5 cloves garlic (about 1 tbsp)
    • 150g (5 oz or ¾ cup) finely diced jicama
    • panko bread crumbs
    • 2 large tomatoes (about 600-650g, or 1 ½-2 lbs)
    • 1 ½ cups chicken broth

    🔪 Instructions

    Bring a pot, wok or steamer of water to boil while you mix and shape the meatballs.

    🍖 Make and steam the meatballs

    Ground pork, minced shrimp, garlic, shallot and minced water chestnut
    If you can't find jicama, you can used canned water chestnuts like I have here.

    Gently mix together the ground pork, shrimp, jicama, salt, pepper, fish sauce, shallot, garlic and bread crumbs until just combined. Be careful not to overmix this as it will result in a tougher meatball texture.

    Shape the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs with lightly oiled hands. You can also use a tablespoon or a small scoop. Feel free to make the meatballs larger or smaller depending on what you want to eat them with.

    11 meatballs on a green plate inside of a bamboo steamer
    Steam the meatballs in a heat safe plate that will collect the juices.

    Arrange the meatballs in a heat-safe plate or tray and steam them until just cooked. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes for golf-ball sized meatballs. They will release some liquid while they steam. Keep this to make the sauce.

    🍅 Make the sauce

    A tomato on a wooden cutting board with part of the skin peeled off
    Peel the tomato skins off for a smoother, silkier Xíu Mại sauce.

    While the xíu mại are steaming, make the sauce. Bring a small pot of water to boil and carefully place the tomatoes in for about 30 seconds, or until the skin easily peels back. Peel the skin back and blend them until smooth.

    A green dutch oven pot with a small amount of pureed tomatoes
    Pureed tomatoes reducing to make Xíu Mại.

    In a heavy-bottomed with a little bit of oil, heat the tomato puree over medium heat until a rich red color develops.

    When you're happy with the color of the tomatoes, add 2 cups of chicken broth or water.

    Vietnamese meatballs simmering in a thin tomato sauce
    Simmer the Xíu Mại along with their juices for a few minutes so they absorb the sauce's flavor.

    Once the xíu mại are ready, take them out of the steamer and carefully add them to the tomato sauce, along with any liquid that they may have released.

    Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

    💭 Tips and Substitutions

    • I recommend finding ground pork with a little bit of fat in it for the best texture in your Vietnamese meatballs. 80% fat 20% lean works.
    • If you cannot find jicama at the grocery store, you can use canned water chestnuts to get the same effect. I wouldn't recommend omitting this entirely as it adds moisture as well as a subtle crunch to the meatball.
    • If you don't have the proper equipment to steam the meatballs, you can bake or pan fry them before adding to the tomato sauce. I find that the texture of the steamed meatballs is the most tender.
    • You can use regular breadcrumbs if you don't have panko crumbs. Panko crumbs will result in a more tender meatball, though.
    • For a thicker, chunkier sauce, do not peel and puree the tomatoes. Just dice them up and fry them in oil until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add less chicken broth to the sauce to get the sauce consistency you like.

    🍚 Serving suggestions

    A hand holding a baguette sandwich with three meatballs, cilantro and pickled carrots and daikon radish
    Vietnamese meatballs make a great sandwich. Pair them with cilantro and pickled carrots and daikon.

    Xíu mại is usually eaten with bread, either ripped up and dipped into the tomato sauce or as a sandwich. Try them in a Vietnamese baguette with cilantro, cucumber and pickled daikon and radish. Vietnamese meatballs also taste great over rice. They'd be a fun appetizer if you make smaller meatballs as well.

    🥡 How to store or make in advance

    You can freeze the xíu mại mixture before cooking or roll them into meatballs mixture and freeze for up to six months. Defrost and steam them when you are ready to eat. The tomato sauce can be made and stored in an airtight container for up to six months.

    Once cooked, store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

    👪 Serving size

    This recipe makes enough for four sandwiches. It's easily doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.

    📋 Recipe

    Seven meatballs in a thin tomato sauce in a white plate with gold trim
    Print Pin
    5 from 1 vote

    Vietnamese Meatballs (Xíu Mại)

    These versatile pork and shrimp meatballs are melt in your mouth tender. Fresh tomatoes make for a savory and tangy sauce, and diced jicama lend a subtle crunch.
    Course Appetizer, Breakfast, dinner, lunch, Main Course
    Cuisine Asian, Vietnamese
    Keyword Meatballs, Pork, Shrimp
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 531kcal

    Equipment

    • Bambo Steamer or Steamer Basket

    Ingredients

    • 450 g ground pork (about 1 lb, 80% lean 20% fat recommended)
    • 125 g shrimp, peeled, deveined and finely minced (about 5 oz or ¼ cup)
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tbsp)
    • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp)
    • 150 g jicama, finely diced (about 5 oz or ½ cup)
    • 30 g panko bread crumbp (about ⅓ cup)
    • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
    • 2 medium tomatoes (about 600-650g, or 1½-2 lbs)
    • 1½ cup chicken broth or water (about 350 ml or 12 fluid oz)

    Instructions

    • Gently mix together the ground pork, shrimp, jicama, salt, pepper, fish sauce, shallot, garlic and bread crumbs until just combined. Be careful not to overmix this as it will result in a tougher meatball texture.
    • Shape the mixture into 16 golf ball sized meatballs with lightly oiled hands. You can also use a tablespoon or a small scoop. Feel free to make the meatballs larger or smaller depending on what you want to eat them with.
    • Arrange the meatballs in a heat-safe plate or tray and steam them until just cooked. This will take about 15-20 minutes for golf-ball sized meatballs. They will release some liquid while they steam. Keep this to make the sauce.
    • While the xíu mại are steaming, make the sauce. Bring a small pot of water to boil and carefully place the tomatoes in for about 30 seconds, or until the skin easily peels back. Peel the skin back and blend them until smooth.
    • In a heavy-bottomed with a little bit of oil, heat the tomato puree over medium heat until a rich red color develops and the tomato puree has thickened. If you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pot, you should be able to see the bottom for a second before the sauce pools back down.
    • When you're happy with the color of the tomatoes, add 1 cup of chicken broth or water.
    • Once the xíu mại are ready, take them out of the steamer and carefully add them to the tomato sauce, along with any liquid that they may have released.
    • Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

    Notes

    • I recommend finding ground pork with a little bit of fat in it for the best texture in your Vietnamese meatballs. 80% fat 20% lean works.
    • If you cannot find jicama at the grocery store, you can use canned water chestnuts to get the same effect. I wouldn't recommend omitting this entirely as it adds moisture as well as a subtle crunch to the meatball.
    • If you don't have the proper equipment to steam the meatballs, you can bake or pan fry them before adding to the tomato sauce. I find that the texture of the steamed meatballs is the most tender.
    • You can use regular breadcrumbs if you don't have panko crumbs. Panko crumbs will result in a more tender meatball, though.
    • For a thicker, chunkier sauce, do not peel and puree the tomatoes. Just dice them up and fry them in oil until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add less chicken broth to the sauce to get the sauce consistency you like.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4meatballs | Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.5g | Protein: 40.6g | Fat: 23.8g | Saturated Fat: 7.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 162.2mg | Sodium: 835.4mg | Potassium: 366mg | Sugar: 5.6g

    🏋️ Nutrition Info

    Nutrition Facts
    Vietnamese Meatballs (Xíu Mại)
    Amount Per Serving (4 meatballs)
    Calories 531 Calories from Fat 214
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 23.8g37%
    Saturated Fat 7.2g45%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
    Cholesterol 162.2mg54%
    Sodium 835.4mg36%
    Potassium 366mg10%
    Carbohydrates 17.5g6%
    Sugar 5.6g6%
    Protein 40.6g81%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Did you make this recipe? Please tag @BunBoBaeBlog on Instagram or leave a rating or comment on the blog!


    Don't miss a single recipe! Sign up with your email below for recipes in your inbox.


    Loved this recipe? You might also like:

    • Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)
    • Vietnamese Crab Noodle Soup (Bún Riêu)
    • Vietnamese Fish Sauce Glazed Chicken Wings (Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm)
    • Crock Pot Vietnamese Beef Stew (Bò Kho)

    Tweet
    Share
    Pin240
    Share12
    252 Shares
    « Vietnamese Coconut Banana Bread Pudding (Bánh Chuối Nướng)
    Three days in Nashville: What to do and Where to Eat »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tough Cookie

      October 09, 2021 at 7:07 pm

      Can I substitute the whole cooking tomato puree with tomato paste? If yes, how much paste do I use?

      Reply
      • Suzanne Nuyen

        December 30, 2021 at 1:50 am

        Hello! I would recommend using something like a tomato sauce or tomato puree so that it's more liquidy. Tomato paste is very concentrated and you'll have to dilute it to get the same brothy consistency you see in this recipe. I've never tried it with tomato paste so I can't tell you for sure how much to use.

        Reply
    2. Celia

      November 27, 2020 at 5:37 pm

      5 stars
      This is pretty good. I made this today and didn’t think my daughter would eat it. And she ate it with rice, I made the sauce more soupy. I added 1 extra cup of chicken broth and some sugar and chicken bouillon to the tomato’s. I also sautéed the tomatoes with shallots too. It was really good and the meatballs were super juicy!

      Reply
      • Suzanne Nuyen

        November 29, 2020 at 12:28 am

        Thank you for the kind review Celia! I'm so glad you kids liked it. This was a huge hit for me when I was a kid too. I loved dipping pieces of bread into the sauce. Adding shallots and extra bouillon to the sauce sounds like a delicious adaptation.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! I'm Suzanne, your Bun Bo Bae. I'm a journalist, professional amateur baker, noodle enthusiast and food photographer living in Washington, DC. My immigrant parents taught me everything I know about Vietnamese home cooking, and now I want to share it with you!

    More about me →

    Newest Recipes

    • Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (Gà Chiên Lá Quế Đài Loan)
    • Vietnamese Red Rice (Cơm Đỏ)
    • Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bò Lúc Lắc)
    • Vietnamese Shrimp Toast (Bánh Mì Nướng Tôm)

    Sign up for my newsletter here!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
    • Contact
    • Media Kit

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    As Seen On

    Copyright © 2019 - 2020 Bun Bo Bae

    Copyright © 2023 Bun Bo Bae on the Foodie Pro Theme