Cilantro Chicken Meatball Bahn Mis
A simple but delicious soup that is accompanied with a healthy pinch of green onions.
I hate the idea of meal prep but I love the idea of food prep.
If you’re like me and can’t stomach eating the same exact meal every day, these Cilantro Chicken Meatballs are about to become your new best friend. I’m not big on traditional meal prep—I prefer prepping flexible components that let me switch things up throughout the week. That’s exactly why I love having a batch of these chicken meatballs on hand.
They’re quick to make, loaded with fresh cilantro flavor, and incredibly versatile. I refrain from adding eggs to the meatballs so they maintain a firmer texture since the ground chicken itself is already so soft, it really doesn’t need the addition of egg for binding. Pop them into a banh mi sandwich, slice them into a rice bowl, or coat them in your favorite sauce for a crowd-pleasing appetizer—these juicy meatballs do it all.
The best part? You can fully bake them and store them in the fridge for up to a week. Or, if you want to stock your freezer, bake them first, then freeze on a tray before transferring to a bag. Flash-freezing keeps them from sticking together, making it easy to grab just what you need.
Cilantro Chicken Meatball Bahn Mis
Ingredients for the Cilantro Chicken Meatballs
2 lbs ground chicken
8 cloves of garlic, minced
2-inch of ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
2 teaspoons MSG
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Ingredients for the Bahn Mis
Chicken liver pâté
Do chua (Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon)
Whole cilantro stems
Mayonnaise
Chili crisp or sambal
Vietnamese baguettes or Italian hoagie bread
Makes 20-22 meatballs
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, minced garlic and ginger, chopped cilantro, bread crumbs, herbs, and seasonings. Mix thoroughly using clean or gloved hands. There’s no need to add an egg—ground chicken is soft enough that the breadcrumbs will bind everything just fine.
Using a #20 cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons), portion out the mixture, then roll it between your hands to form evenly sized meatballs. Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking tray, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes, or until fully cooked through and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool before building your sandwiches.
To assemble your banh mi sandwiches—start with good bread and toast it—this is key. I like to smear a little mayonnaise on the cut sides of the baguette and toast it cut-side down in a hot pan for about 30 seconds, or until golden and crisp.
Once toasted, add a bit more mayo, a layer of chicken liver pâté if you like, and a spoonful of sambal for heat. Add 3–4 cooled cilantro chicken meatballs to the sandwich.
Top it all off with whole stems of fresh cilantro and some pickled Vietnamese daikon and carrots.
Wrap the sandwich in parchment paper like a burrito, slice it in half, and dig in!