Banh Mi-Style Pork Meatball Bowls
with Pickled Veggie Salad, Ginger Rice & Chili Mayo
Combining tender meat, crunchy pickled veggies, fresh cilantro, spicy chiles, and creamy spreads, the Vietnamese banh mi is one of our all-time favorite sandwiches. Here, we take all those same flavors and textures and channel them into some seriously delicious rice bowls. Pork meatballs are infused with citrusy ponzu, roasted until tender, then tossed in a spicy sweet soy glaze. They’re piled over ginger rice with a pickled cucumber and carrot salad, creamy chili mayo, and aromatic cilantro. Prepare to be bowled over!
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
Ingredients
1 thumb
Ginger
1 clove
Garlic
1 unit
Mini Cucumber
¼ ounce
Cilantro
5 teaspoon
White Wine Vinegar
½ cup
Jasmine Rice
10 ounce
Ground Pork
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
6 milliliters
Ponzu Sauce
(Contains: Wheat, Fish, Soy)
4 ounce
Shredded Carrots
1 ounce
Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
(Contains: Eggs)
4 tablespoon
Sweet Soy Glaze
(Contains: Wheat, Soy, Sesame)
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
1 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
½ teaspoon
Sugar
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Peel and mince or grate ginger. Peel and mince garlic. Trim and halve cucumber lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise into half-moons. Finely chop cilantro.
• Melt 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add half the ginger; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. • Stir in rice, 3⁄4 cup water (11⁄2 cups for 4), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• While rice cooks, in a large bowl, combine pork*, panko, ponzu, garlic, remaining ginger, salt (we used 3⁄4 tsp; 11⁄2 tsp for 4 servings), and pepper. • Form mixture into 10-12 11⁄2-inch meatballs (20-24 meatballs for 4 servings) and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. • Roast on top rack until browned and cooked through, 14-16 minutes.
• While meatballs cook, in a medium bowl, combine cucumber, carrots, half the cilantro, and 1⁄4 of the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. • In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, 1⁄4 of the vinegar, and up to half the chili sauce to taste (save the rest for the next step).
• In a second large bowl, combine 21⁄2 TBSP sweet soy glaze (5 TBSP for 4 servings), 1⁄2 tsp sugar (1 tsp for 4), and remaining chili sauce to taste. (Be sure to measure the sweet soy glaze– we sent more!) • Once meatballs are done, carefully transfer to large bowl with sauce; toss to coat.
• Fluff rice with a fork; season with salt and pepper. • Divide rice between bowls and top with meatballs, any remaining sauce from bowl, and pickled veggie salad. Drizzle with chili mayo. Garnish with remaining cilantro and serve.
Ground Pork is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160º.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the delicious blend of sweet, savory, and fresh flavors, with some finding it reminiscent of authentic Vietnamese cuisine 🍲.
- Ease of prep: Generally easy to prepare, though a few found the multiple components and meatball-making slightly time-consuming.
- Suggestions: Consider adding more sauce, pickling veggies longer, and including jalapeños or bell peppers for extra kick and authenticity.
- Portions: Some wished for more rice and meatballs; others felt the carrot-to-cucumber ratio was off with too many carrots.
- Texture: Meatballs were tender for most, but a few found them dry; pickled veggies added a nice crunch.
