Bún chả

Hanoi-style grilled pork patties with rice vermicelli, herbs, and a sweet-sour fish-sauce dip.

Preparation: 35 min · Cooking: 28 min · Total: 1 hr 18 min · 4 servings

Ingredients

• 400 g dried rice vermicelli — Check the package for its exact soaking or boiling method.
• 600 g ground pork — Keep refrigerated; use 15–20% fat for juicy patties.
• 90 ml fish sauce — Contains fish; divide 30 ml for pork and 60 ml for sauce.
• 200 g mixed lettuce, mint, coriander, and perilla if available — Wash thoroughly and dry; keep chilled.
• 1 pc carrot — About 120 g; peel and cut into fine matchsticks.
• 80 g granulated sugar — Divide 30 g for pork and 50 g for sauce.
• 60 ml rice vinegar
• 30 ml fresh lime juice
• 300 ml warm water — For the dipping sauce.
• 3 clove garlic — Finely mince and divide equally.
• 1 pc fresh red chili — Thinly slice; wash hands after handling.
• 2 pc shallots — Peel and finely mince.
• 15 ml neutral oil
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Measure and divide the seasonings

   Keep the 600 g ground pork refrigerated while you measure the remaining ingredients. Divide the 90 ml fish sauce into 30 ml for the pork and 60 ml for the dipping sauce; divide the 80 g sugar into 30 g and 50 g portions. Peel and finely mince the 2 shallots and 3 garlic cloves, keeping half the garlic for the pork and half for the sauce. Thinly slice the chili. Use separate utensils and a separate plate for the raw pork.

2. Prepare the noodles, carrot, and herbs

   Bring a saucepan of water to a boil for the noodles. Peel the carrot and cut it into fine matchsticks. Separate the lettuce and herb leaves, rinse them thoroughly under cool running water, and dry them in a clean spinner or towel. Keep the washed vegetables and herbs away from the raw-pork area and refrigerate them until serving.

   The herbs are clean and dry and the carrot is cut into fine, even matchsticks.

3. Season and shape the pork

   Mix the ground pork with the 30 ml fish sauce, 30 g sugar, minced shallots, half the garlic, 15 ml neutral oil, and 1 tsp black pepper until evenly combined. Shape into 16 thin patties, each about 4 cm wide and 1 cm thick, and place them on the raw-meat plate. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Wash hands, the bowl, and all raw-meat surfaces with hot soapy water before touching ready-to-eat ingredients.

   The mixture is evenly seasoned and forms 16 thin, uniform patties.

4. Cook the noodles and pork

   Cook or soak the 400 g rice vermicelli according to its package, usually 4–6 minutes, until tender but still springy. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water, and drain very well. Meanwhile, preheat a grill pan or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pork patties in a single layer, in batches if necessary, for 4–5 minutes per side. Turn with clean tongs and continue until browned and every patty reaches 71°C at its thickest point. Keep cooked patties on a clean plate; never return them to the raw-meat plate.

   Patties are browned and reach 71°C; noodles are tender but springy.

   Cook the noodles and pork: 1680 seconds

5. Make the dipping sauce

   In a clean bowl, stir the remaining 50 g sugar into 300 ml warm water until dissolved. Add the remaining 60 ml fish sauce, 60 ml rice vinegar, 30 ml lime juice, remaining garlic, sliced chili, and carrot matchsticks. Leave for 10 minutes so the carrot softens slightly, then taste with a clean spoon. The sauce should be sweet, salty, sour, and pleasantly diluted; add a little water only if it is too strong.

   Sugar is dissolved and the sauce tastes balanced rather than harsh or syrupy.

6. Check every component

   Confirm with a clean food thermometer that the center of every pork patty has reached 71°C; cook any cooler patty for 1–2 minutes more and check again. The patties should be browned outside and juicy but not raw inside, the noodles should be tender and separate rather than mushy, and the carrot should be lightly softened while retaining some crunch. Do not judge pork safety by color alone.

   All patties reach 71°C and no noodle clumps or raw pork remain.

7. Assemble, serve, and store safely

   Divide the warm dipping sauce and pork patties among 4 bowls. Serve the drained rice noodles and the chilled lettuce and herbs separately so each diner can dip and combine them at the table; do not toss everything together in advance. Refrigerate pork, sauce, noodles, and herbs in separate covered containers within 2 hours. Use pork, sauce, and noodles within 3 days and the herbs within 2 days. Reheat pork and sauce to 74°C, but serve the herbs cold and discard any herbs that contacted a used bowl.

   Four bowls contain warm sauce and pork; noodles and chilled herbs remain separate.

Tips

• Thin patties cook evenly and give more browned surface without drying the center.
• Drain the noodles thoroughly so they do not dilute the dipping sauce.

Common mistakes

• Putting cooked patties back on the raw-pork plate can recontaminate them.
• Boiling rice vermicelli too long makes it break and turn mushy in the sauce.

Substitutions

• For a pork-free version, use 600 g ground chicken and cook every patty to 74°C; the flavor and texture will differ from traditional bún chả.

Storage

Refrigerate pork, sauce, noodles, and herbs separately within 2 hours. Use pork, sauce, and noodles within 3 days and herbs within 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat only the pork and dipping sauce until both reach 74°C. Keep the herbs cold; loosen refrigerated noodles briefly with hot water and drain.

About this recipe

Bún chả is associated with Hanoi. Grilled pork is served in a light sweet-sour fish-sauce broth, with rice vermicelli and fresh herbs alongside for dipping and combining at the table.

Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.