Cilantro chicken meatball banh mi with pickled carrots and daikon. Wrap it in parchment, slice it in half, and dig in.
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 loaded with garlic, ginger, and fresh cilantro, and they can go in a few very delicious directions. Tuck them into a banh mi with pâté, mayonnaise, and pickled vegetables. Add them to an Asian rice bowl studded with kimchi or pickled daikon, edamame, carrots, and cilantro. Or glaze them with teriyaki and put them out as an appetizer. Same batch of meatballs, a completely different meal.
Why I skip the egg but keep the stems
Ground chicken is already soft, so I refrain from adding eggs to these meatballs. The panko binds the mixture without making it softer, and the finished meatballs have the firmer texture I want for a sandwich. There’s no need to add an egg just because you usually put one in meatballs.
Use both the cilantro leaves and stems. The stems have plenty of flavor, and they belong in the mixture. Chop them along with the leaves before measuring your half cup.
Start with good bread and toast it
For the banh mi, start with a Vietnamese baguette or Italian hoagie roll. I like to smear a little mayonnaise on the cut sides and toast the bread cut-side down in a hot pan until golden and crisp. This is the key. Then, add a little more mayo, chicken liver pâté (if you like), and chili crisp or sambal for heat.
The pickled carrots and daikon bring the crunch and acidity, and whole stems of cilantro finish it off. Wrap the sandwich in parchment paper like a burrito before slicing it in half. It helps keep all those good things inside the bread.
Watch the methodology
How to serve
Build the sandwiches just before eating, using 3–4 meatballs in each one. Alternatively, batch for rice bowls with pickled vegetables, edamame, carrots, and cilantro. For an appetizer, glaze the cooked meatballs with teriyaki and serve them warm sprinkled with sesame seeds.
How to store
Store the cooked meatballs separately from the bread and sandwich toppings. Refrigerate them in shallow, covered containers within 2 hours of cooking and keep them at 40°F or below. Use within 3–4 days.
To stock your freezer, bake the meatballs first, chill them promptly, then freeze them in a single layer on a tray before transferring to a freezer bag. Freezing them separately keeps them from sticking together, so you can grab just what you need. Thaw in the refrigerator and, when reheating, heat to 165°F throughout. You can also cook from frozen but add in additional cooking time in the oven.
Cilantro Chicken Meatball Banh Mis
Garlic, ginger, and cilantro chicken meatballs tucked into toasted baguettes with mayonnaise, optional chicken liver pâté, pickled carrots and daikon, and fresh cilantro.
Yield: 20–22 meatballs; 3–4 per sandwich | Prep time: about 30 minutes | Cook time: about 20 minutes, plus bread toasting | Total time: about 50 minutes, plus cooling, bread toasting, and assembly | Category: Main Course | Cuisine: Vietnamese-inspired | Method: Baking, Pan-toasting
Equipment
Knife and cutting board
Large mixing bowl and measuring cups and spoons
#20 cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons)
Baking tray and parchment paper
Instant-read thermometer
Skillet and spatula
Ingredients
For the cilantro chicken meatballs
2 lbs ground chicken
8 cloves of garlic, minced
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
2 teaspoons MSG
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the banh mis
Chicken liver pâté (optional)
Do chua (Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon)
Whole cilantro stems
Mayonnaise
Chili crisp or sambal
Vietnamese baguettes or Italian hoagie bread
Instructions
Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Mix the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken, minced garlic and ginger, panko, chopped cilantro leaves and stems, fish sauce, white pepper, MSG, kosher salt, and sugar. Mix thoroughly using clean or gloved hands. There’s no need to add an egg—the ground chicken and breadcrumbs bind everything just fine.
Scoop and shape. 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. You should have 20–22 meatballs.
Bake and cool. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes, or until lightly golden and the center reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and let them cool before building your sandwiches.
Toast the bread. Split the Vietnamese baguettes or Italian hoagie bread. Smear a little mayonnaise on the cut sides and toast cut-side down in a hot pan for about 30 seconds, or until golden and crisp.
Add the spreads and meatballs. Once toasted, add a bit more mayo, a layer of chicken liver pâté if you like, and a spoonful of sambal or chili crisp for heat. Add 3–4 cooled cilantro chicken meatballs to each sandwich.
Finish with herbs and pickles. Top with whole stems of fresh cilantro and the pickled Vietnamese daikon and carrots.
Wrap, slice, and eat. Wrap the sandwich in parchment paper like a burrito, slice it in half, and dig in!
Notes
The meatball yield is 20–22. Assemble only as many sandwiches as you need, using 3–4 meatballs per sandwich.
Use cilantro leaves and stems for flavor. No egg is needed in the meatball mixture.
For rice bowls, serve with kimchi or pickled daikon, edamame, carrots, and cilantro. For an appetizer, glaze the cooked meatballs with teriyaki.
Refrigerate cooked meatballs within 2 hours, keep at 40°F or below, and use within 3–4 days. Freeze in a single layer before bagging for longer storage; thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat to 165°F.
More recipes to try
For another sandwich worth wrapping in parchment, try my Corn Fritter BLT with Old Bay Mayo. Follow lunch with Mango Tiramisu for a cold, fruity dessert.