Vietnam · Meat Dishes

Bún Chả

Hanoi's most iconic street-food dish: smoky grilled pork patties (chả băm) and caramelized pork belly slices (chả miếng) submerged in a warm, sweet-sour dipping broth, served alongside cool rice vermicelli, pickled…

60 min✻4 servings✻480 kcal
Bún Chả

Ingredients

  • ground pork300 g
  • pork belly300 g
  • fish sauce3 tbsp
  • sugar2 tbsp
  • shallots3
  • garlic cloves, minced (2 for each marinade, 2 for the dipping broth)6
  • neutral oil1 tbsp
  • carrots200 g
  • daikon radish200 g
  • rice vinegar4 tbsp
  • sugar2 tbsp
  • fish sauce60 ml
  • fresh lime juice60 ml
  • sugar3 tbsp
  • warm water250 ml
  • rice vermicelli200 g
  • large handful of fresh herbs: Vietnamese mint, Thai basil, perilla, or regular mint1
  • heads of butter lettuce, leaves separated2

Method

  1. 1Pickle the vegetables. Combine the rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add the julienned carrot and daikon. Toss well and set aside for at least 30 minutes, ideally 2 hours. The pickle should taste bright and lightly sweet-sour. Drain before serving.
  2. 2Marinate the pork belly (chả miếng). Combine 1.5 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, half the minced shallot, and 2 minced garlic cloves in a bowl. Add the pork belly slices and toss to coat. Marinate 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 4 hours refrigerated.
  3. 3Mix the pork patties (chả băm). Combine the ground pork with the remaining 1.5 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, remaining shallot, 2 more minced garlic cloves, and a pinch of black pepper. Mix by hand for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture becomes cohesive and slightly sticky. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Oil your hands lightly and shape into small flat patties about 6 cm wide and 1 cm thick — slightly thicker in the center than at the edge. This shape ensures the center stays moist while the edge chars.
  4. 4Grill the pork. Heat a charcoal grill, cast-iron grill pan, or oven broiler to high. Grill the patties and belly slices over direct high heat, turning every 2 minutes, for 6 to 8 minutes total, until deeply caramelized and charred at the edges. The sugar in the marinade scorches quickly — watch carefully and turn frequently. The pork should be smoky and brown with crisp, caramelized edges.
  5. 5Make the dipping broth. Dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Taste: the broth should be distinctly sweet, sour, and salty in roughly equal measure. Add thinly sliced fresh chilli to taste. Keep warm — unlike cold nước chấm served with other dishes, Hanoi bún chả broth is served warm. Transfer the grilled pork directly into the warm broth and let soak for 2 minutes before serving.
  6. 6Cook the noodles and serve. Cook the rice vermicelli in boiling water according to the package (usually 3 to 5 minutes). Drain and rinse under cold water. Arrange on a plate. Set out the herbs and lettuce on a separate plate. Serve the warm pork-filled broth in individual bowls alongside the noodles and herbs. To eat: pick up a small tangle of noodles and herbs with chopsticks, dip into the broth, scoop up a piece of pork and some pickle, and eat in one bite.