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–+ servings
turkey meatball banh mi sandwiches on a grey platter on top of a dark weathered wood surface with a bottle of sriracha and various green toppings such as limes, mint, basil, cilantro and fresh jalapeno

Meatball Banh Mi

Krista Stechman
A fun twist on a traditional banh mi using turkey meatballs instead of pork. This sandwich is packed with flavors using tons of fresh herbs, pickled veggies, 2 sauces and fresh jalapenos.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine thai, thai american fusion
Servings 4 people
Calories 653 kcal

Equipment

  • oven

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • ½ zucchini, diced small to medium zucchini
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha plus extra for topping the sandwich
  • 2 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus a couple pinches, divided
  • 1 egg
  • 1.5 cups hot water
  • 1.25 cups rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup matchstick carrots
  • 1 cup english cucumber sliced
  • 1 fresh jalapeno sliced
  • ½ cup mayo
  • 4 oz maeploy sweet chili sauce
  • 12-16 fresh basil leaves
  • 4 sprigs fresh mint
  • ½ bunch fresh cilantro
  • 1 baguette Italian or French

Instructions
 

  • Marinate your meat 24 hours ahead of time. Place your ground turkey into a large mixing bowl.
    2. Dice your zucchini and add it into the bowl with the turkey.
    3. Make your marinade. Mince your garlic and ginger and place them into a small to medium sized bowl. Add in your sriracha, fish sauce, lime juice and a couple pinches of salt. Stir well and add that marinade to the bowl with the ground turkey. Add 1 egg. Mix well and roll into balls. About 2 oz each. Store these in your refrigerator until cooking time.
    4. Make the picking liquid. This can be done anywhere from 2-24 hours ahead of time. Add your hot water to a medium container. Stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Add your vinegar and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. You'll want your veggies to soak in this liquid for around 2 hours so whether you've made it the day before or the day of just pour it over the top of the cucumber and matchstick carrots a couple hours before serving.
    5. Slice 1 cup of english cucumber as thick or as thin as you'd like. I prefer on the thinner side. Add that to a container along with 1 cup of matchstick carrots. Cover them with the pickling liquid 2 hours ahead of serving time.
    6. Slice 1 fresh jalapeno and set to the side for topping the sandwich. Can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours ahead of time.
    7. Make the sweet chili mayo. Mix your mayo and sweet chili sauce together and store for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
    8. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
    9. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray with a non stick cooking spray. Add your meatballs to the pan. Cook for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Let them rest 5 minutes after coming out of the oven.
    10. While the meatballs cook, tear the basil and the mint off of the stems. Rip the cilantro where the leaves start to end. I almost always use part of the stems of cilantro in all recipes.
    11. Slice the bread and rip a little of the insides out to make more room. Toast your bread for a couple minutes in the oven if you like a crunch on your bread. If not, you can either wrap it in foil and place it in the oven for 5 minutes, microwave it for 10 seconds or just leave it as is.
    12. Once the meatballs are done resting, start building your sandwich. Spread sweet chili mayo and sriracha sauce on both sides of the bread. Add your meatballs, basil, cilantro, mint, pickled veggies and fresh jalapenos. Enjoy these flavor packed sandwiches!

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 653kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 35gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 115mgSodium: 3016mgPotassium: 682mgFiber: 3gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 5754IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 3mg
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