Crockpot Banh Mi Meatballs
These Crockpot Banh Mi Meatballs are tender, juicy, and slow cooked in a rich sweet-and-savory garlic soy sauce. Topped with quick pickled carrots and daikon, fresh cilantro, green onions, and sesame seeds, they’re delicious served over jasmine rice or tucked into toasted banh mi rolls for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 25 MINS
- Cook Time: 4-5 HOURS
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 6-8 SERVINGS 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Vietnamese Inspired
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground pork (or 1 pound pork + 1 pound ground beef)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 3 green onions, finely sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Slurry
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Quick Pickled Vegetables
- 2 carrots, julienned
- 1 cup daikon radish, julienned
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup warm water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, panko, eggs, garlic, ginger, green onions, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper. Mix until just combined and roll into 1½-inch meatballs.
- (Optional) Brown the meatballs in a skillet for 2–3 minutes per side to develop extra flavor.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, hoisin, sriracha, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.
- Pour a little sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the meatballs and pour the remaining sauce over the top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Stir together the cornstarch and water. Add it to the slow cooker during the last 20 minutes of cooking and stir gently until the sauce thickens.
- While the meatballs cook, combine the carrots, daikon, red onion, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and warm water in a jar. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Serve the meatballs over jasmine rice or in toasted hoagie rolls. Top with the quick pickled vegetables, cilantro, jalapeños, green onions, sesame seeds, and a squeeze of fresh lime.
Notes
- Browning the meatballs is optional but adds extra flavor.
- Ground pork gives the most authentic banh mi flavor.
- The pickled vegetables can be made up to one week in advance.
- Leftover meatballs are delicious in rice bowls, lettuce wraps, or noodle bowls.
- Add extra sriracha or sliced jalapeños for more heat.
Make It Your Own
- Substitute ground chicken or turkey for a lighter version.
- Add cucumber slices to the sandwiches for extra crunch.
- Use Hawaiian rolls for mini banh mi sliders.
- Serve over coconut rice or garlic noodles.
- Top with spicy mayo for even more flavor.
Find it online: https://www.firsthomelovelife.com/crockpot-banh-mi-meatballs/