Bun Cha — Grilled Meat Noodles
Transport yourself to Hanoi with this iconic street food! Smoky grilled pork, fresh noodles, and vibrant herbs create an unforgettable flavor explosion.
Bun Cha — Grilled Meat Noodles
Transport yourself to Hanoi with this iconic street food! Smoky grilled pork, fresh noodles, and vibrant herbs create an unforgettable flavor explosion.
Key move
Achieve a deep, caramelized char on the pork patties without drying them out by using a hot grill and a sugar-rich marinade.
Cook mode keeps your place
Larger text, ingredients in reach, and saved step progress while you cook.
The Setup
- Grill
- Mixing Bowl
The Mise en Place
5 of 12Your prep station before cooking begins
The Protein (0/2)
The Aromatics (0/1)
The Pantry (0/4)
Pork patties are sticking to the grill.
Make sure the grill is hot enough and well-oiled before adding the patties.
Pork patties are burning on the outside but still raw inside.
Reduce the heat to medium and continue grilling until cooked through.
Chef's Notes
For best flavor, marinate the pork and patties for at least 30 minutes, or ideally overnight.
Grill the patties and pork belly until nicely charred for maximum smoky flavor.
Serve Bun Cha with plenty of fresh herbs like mint, cilantro, and Thai basil for a refreshing contrast.
The dipping sauce (nuoc cham) can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
The Method
MARINATE
Prep aheadIn a bowl, combine ground pork (900 g), fish sauce (¼ cups), sugar (2 tbsp), minced garlic (4 cloves), and black pepper (1 tsp). Mix well and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Uneven texture: If not mixed thoroughly, the patties will fall apart on the grill.
Pork mixture is well combined.
PREPARE
Prep aheadWhile the pork is marinating, prepare the rice noodles (2½ cups) according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Overcooking: Rice noodles turn to mush quickly; test them 30 seconds before the package time.
Rice noodles are cooked and drained.
FORM
Prep aheadShape the marinated pork into small, flat patties, about 2 inches in diameter.
Uneven cooking: Patties of varying thickness will result in some being burnt while others remain raw in the center.
Pork is formed into uniform patties.
PREHEAT
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.
Flare-ups: The high sugar content in the marinade causes rapid flare-ups; keep a spray bottle of water nearby.
Grill is preheated to medium-high.
GRILL
Grill the pork patties for 3-4 minutes per side, or until they are cooked through and have a deep, caramelized char.
Flare-ups: Fat dripping onto the coals can cause flames. Move patties to a cooler spot if fire touches the meat.
Sugar burning: The high sugar content in the marinade burns quickly. Monitor closely to prevent acrid, black carbon buildup.
Pork patties are cooked through with a deep char.
ASSEMBLE
In a bowl, arrange rice noodles (2½ cups), lettuce (1 head), and fresh herbs (mint (1 cup), cilantro (1 cup), and perilla, if using).
Bruised herbs: Avoid using a knife; chopping causes oxidation and turns the edges of delicate herbs black.
Noodles, lettuce, and herbs are arranged in serving bowls.
TOP
Top with grilled pork patties and pickled vegetables (1 cup).
Soggy patties: Do not submerge the patties completely; keep the charred top half above the sauce to maintain texture.
Patties and pickled vegetables are added to the bowls.
SERVE
Serve immediately with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce (¾ cups) on the side. Let everyone dip and enjoy!
Soggy herbs: Keep herbs separate from the hot pork until the moment of eating to maintain their crisp texture.
Dish is served with dipping sauce.
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