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Vietnamese Meatballs (Xiu Mai)

Delicious tender meatballs poached in a sweet tomato sauce. Comes together easily, for breakfast or dinner with sliced baguette, or as a delicious filling for a meatball bahn mi
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Course: Appetizer, dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: 3jamigos.com, meatballs, Vietnamese, xiu mai
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 4 oz jicama (1 cup) finely diced, substitute water chesnuts 1-5 ounce can, drained and finely diced
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced, keep the white and green parts separate. Can substitute finely minced shallots 1 large or two small for the meatballs
  • 1 lb ground pork not too lean 80/20 is perfect
  • 1 tsp garlic minced

Seasonings

  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce I use 3 Crabs, Red Boat is a bit more concentrated, would also work well
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1/2 Tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp chicken powder optional
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Sauce

  • 2 lbs or 4 medium tomatoes I prefer fresh tomatoes, if tomatoes are particularly juicy, reduce water to 1 cup
  • 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 Tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups water can use low-sodium chicken broth in place of water
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Thickener

  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • 2 tsp water

Garnish

  • Green onions, the reserved thinly sliced green parts from the meatballs
  • Cilanto, loosely chopped optional
  • Fresh red chili peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced optional

Instructions

The Meatballs:

  • Remove the jicama skin using a vegetable peeler. Finely dice the jicama.
  • Cut off the white (root) portion of the green onions and finely chop. Chop the green onion stems. Transfer the green onion stems into a small bowl and set aside for later.
  • In a medium bowl, add the ground pork, jicama, green onion (white) root, garlic, fish sauce, cornstarch, and black pepper. Mix together by hand combining all of the ingredients well. Mix in one direction. Combine just until everything sticks together. Avoid over-working the meat mixture as this will make the meatballs tough.
  • Using an ice cream scoop (#40 ~2 T) scoop out some of the meat mixture and transfer to a large plate. Continue making small mounds until all the meat mixture is used. Wet your palms with water to prevent sticking. Gently roll each of the mounds into a ball. ( I use a #40 ice cream scoop to portion out meatballs and then roll each by hand into a ball).

The Sauce:

  • Chop the tomatoes.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add vegetable oil then add the minced garlic and tomato paste. Saute for 15-20 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir together. Add the sugar, fish sauce, and water. Stir together combining the ingredients. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for 5 minutes.

Cook the Meatballs

  • Make room in the center of the skillet by pushing the tomatoes to the side. Gently transfer the meatballs into the sauce. Cover and cook on medium-low for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, rotate the meatballs and cook for another 5 minutes. For a thicker sauce, leave uncovered after adding meatballs.
  • Mix the cornstarch and water until smooth and add to the sauce. Stir gently to allow sauce to thicken. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Grind ground black pepper.
  • To serve, transfer a few meatballs into a small bowl along with a generous amount of tomato sauce. Top with the chopped green onions. I like garnishing with chopped cilantro and sliced fresh chili peppers. Enjoy these scrumptious Vietnamese Meatballs with crusty bread.