Description

Bún Chả Hanoi is a classic Vietnamese dish featuring grilled pork patties and slices served with rice vermicelli, fresh herbs, and a tangy dipping sauce. This street food favorite from Hanoi is known for its vibrant flavors, refreshing ingredients, and delightful balance of sweet, sour, salty, and umami notes.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Pork

300g (10 oz) pork shoulder, thinly sliced
200g (7 oz) ground pork
2 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

For the Dipping Sauce (Nước chấm)

4 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bird’s eye chili, thinly sliced (optional)
30g (1 oz) shredded carrot

To Serve

400g (14 oz) rice vermicelli noodles (bún), cooked per package instructions
Fresh herbs: mint, cilantro, Thai basil, perilla leaves
Lettuce leaves, torn
Cucumber, sliced
Pickled vegetables (optional)

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Instructions

Marinate the Pork: Combine the sliced pork shoulder and ground pork in a large bowl. Add the chopped shallots, minced garlic, fish sauce, honey (or sugar), soy sauce, pepper, and vegetable oil. Mix thoroughly, cover, and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator (ideally 1-2 hours for best flavor).
Shape the Pork Patties: With damp hands, shape the seasoned ground pork into small patties, about 5cm (2 inches) wide and 1cm (½ inch) thick. Set aside.
Grill the Pork: Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the pork patties and marinated pork slices until charred and cooked through, turning once (about 4-5 minutes per side). Alternatively, cook under a broiler or in a grill pan on the stovetop if you don’t have an outdoor grill.
Prepare the Dipping Sauce: In a bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Add fish sauce, rice vinegar or lime juice, minced garlic, sliced chili, and shredded carrot. Stir well to combine and adjust seasoning to taste (it should be balanced, neither too salty nor too sweet).
Cook the Vermicelli Noodles: While the pork grills, cook the rice vermicelli according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
Assemble and Serve: Divide the noodles into bowls. Arrange the grilled pork, fresh herbs, lettuce, and cucumber around the noodles. Pour the dipping sauce into small bowls for each serving. To eat, diners dip the pork and noodles into the sauce, or pour some sauce over the bowl and toss everything together.

Notes

Traditional bún chả is grilled over charcoal for an authentic smoky flavor, but a stovetop grill pan or broiler works in a pinch.
Feel free to add pickled carrots and daikon for extra crunch and tang.
Customize the herb selection to your taste and availability.
For a shortcut, use pre-shaped pork meatballs.
The nước chấm dipping sauce can be made in advance—just add the carrot and chili right before serving for best texture.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 400g)
Calories: 520
Sugar: 10g
Sodium: 1250mg
Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Unsaturated Fat: 10g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 58g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 34g
Cholesterol: 90mg