Banh Mi Xiu Mai Recipe for a Vietnamese Meatball Banh Mi
Our banh mi xiu mai recipe makes a Vietnamese meatball banh mi or meatball baguette sandwich that’s stuffed with xiu mai, juicy meatballs in a rich tomato sauce. ‘Banh mi’ simply means ‘bread’ in Vietnamese but refers to both the typical Vietnamese French-style crispy baguette and Vietnam’s famous sandwiches made with those baguettes. Make the xiu mai for banh mi or use leftover meatballs. Sprinkle with fresh herbs, sliced chillies and crushed nuts.
Servings: 4
Calories: 1164kcal
Ingredients
- 20 Vietnamese meatballs in tomato sauce see this recipe
- 4 demi-baguettes or one long baguette sliced into portions
- 4 tbsp butter preferably French or a good quality butter
- 4 tbsp creamy mayonnaise optional
- 1 large cucumber cut into batons
- 2 cups fresh coriander leaves or fresh basil, mint, dill
- 1 long mild red chilli sliced, or small bird’s eye chillies for more spice
- 4 tbsp peanuts crushed in a mortar and pestle, or dukkah
Instructions
- Warm the meatballs: reheat the cooked meatballs in tomato sauce in a large deep pan or skillet over medium heat. When the sauce begins to bubble has reduced right down to a thick sauce, reduce the heat to low and simmer. When the meatballs are warmed through, prep the baguettes.
- Warm the baguettes: turn on your oven to low, cut open the baguettes, either along one side or straight down the centre, taking care not to slice right through; you don’t want to separate the baguette into two. Generously spread the butter on both sides, close the baguette, transfer to an oven tray, and repeat. Slide the tray into the oven and warm the baguettes until crispy.
- Assemble the banh mi: when the baguettes are crispy and warm, generously spread on the creamy mayonnaise, create a layer of 3-4 cucumber batons, use tongs to transfer the saucy meatballs to the baguette, sprinkle on fresh coriander leaves and crushed nuts, and serve with more fresh herbs, nuts and sliced red chillies.
Notes
When you transfer the meatballs to the banh mi don’t take too much tomato sauce or the banh mi will get soggy and fall apart. If you like, serve more sauce in a bowl at the table, so guests can help themselves – and take that delicious risk.
To serve: more fresh herbs, sliced chillies
Nutrition
Calories: 1164kcal | Carbohydrates: 158g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 2599mg | Potassium: 836mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1158IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 379mg | Iron: 12mg