A “Banh Mi” is a Vietnamese sandwich that typically consists of pork (and or other meats), pickled vegetables, cilantro, and a spicy mayonnaise – served on a fresh baguette.
Now I can’t help you with making the baguette low carb (yet), but the rest of the components of a traditional Banh Mi sandwich are all represented in this delicious low carb meatball recipe!
To make the pickled Daikon radish and carrots, I finally unpacked this vegetable spiralizer I bought from Amazon.com months ago for the first time! It was surprisingly easy to use, and I am kicking myself for not putting it to work sooner!
If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can simply cut the veggies into thin strands (julienne) or grate them with a cheese grater (not as pretty but it will work!)Â Keep in mind that you may not get as much yield if you grate the veggies as they will pack down more than if they are spiralized.
The pickled veggie strands, mixed with cilantro and sliced scallions add a tangy, fresh component that really livens up this dish. The meatballs are delightfully savory, and the mayo has a spicy sweet thing going on that brings it all together.
When I had Mr. Hungry try it out, his comment was “it’s like eating an entire Chinese Buffet in one bite….in a good way.” He loved it needless to say. It really is a party in your mouth, with every flavor represented in a bold way – salty, sweet, tangy, spicy, all there and working in perfect harmony.
I can only imagine how much better this would all be nestled into a warm, fresh baguette – but I promise that this low carb version is the next best thing! Even without the baguette, this recipe makes a hearty and totally satisfying meal!
Vietnamese Bahn Mi Meatballs – Low Carb Recipe
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A low carb meatball recipe inspired by the classic Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich. “Like eating an entire Chinese buffet in one bite!”
Ingredients
For the pickled vegetables:
- 1 medium daikon radish, spiralized or julienne cut
- 1 medium carrot, spiralized or julienne cut
- 1/3 cup unseasoned (no sugar added) rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar substitute (Swerve, Splenda, etc.)
- 1 tsp fish sauce
For the meatballs:
- 1lb ground pork (or turkey)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar substitute (Swerve, Splenda, etc.)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
For the mayonnaise:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp (or more) Sriracha hot sauce
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar substitute
- 1 tsp unseasoned (no sugar added) rice wine vinegar
To garnish:
- 1/4 cup sliced scallions
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
For the pickled vegetables:
- Combine the diakon and carrot in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, sugar substitute, and fish sauce. Pour over the veggies and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least one hour, stirring occasionally.
For the meatballs:
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly. Form into 16 one and a half inch meatballs. Fry in a nonstick pan (use a little olive oil if necessary) until golden brown and cooked through.
For the mayonnaise:
- Combine all of the mayonnaise ingredients together and stir until smooth.
To assemble:
- Drain the pickled veggies and place on a plate or platter. Place the meatballs on top of the vegetables and garnish generously with the fresh cilantro and scallions. Serve with the mayonnaise on top or on the side.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per serving: 529 calories, 45g fat, 6g net carbs, 25g protein
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 meatballs, 1/2 cup veggies, 2 tbsp mayonnaise
Can’t get enough meatballs? Me either! That’s why I post a new low carb meatball recipe here on I Breathe I’m Hungry almost every Monday! You can find some of my favorites like the Meatballs alla Parmigiana, General Tso’s Meatballs, Jalapeno Popper Meatballs, and Loaded Nacho Meatballs – along with over 30 others by clicking here!
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Catherine says
These will definitely go on my meatball rotation! I’m thinking of doing a meatball bar for Super Bowl! Thank you for another awesome recipe!
Suzanne Adams says
I love this recipe, so good and easy to make. I could’t find the radish at the store so I used mung bean sprouts and shirataki noodles, worked well.
Calvin says
A nice classic, I like bahn mi
Shantelle C Stephens says
My 5th recipe of yours… Another winner, I used coconut flour instead of almond flour. I added cucumbers thinly sliced to the carrot daikon pickles, added fermented gojuchang to the meatball mixture. And mixed some shirataki noodles. In with the pickles veggies for a base and served it in a bowl. And did not add any sugar substitutes. So very delicious! Thank you for inspiring me daily!
Brandy T Jones says
So the pickles came out fine without any sugar?
Ms. Maggie Maye says
Made these a second time, made about 1.75 lb of ground pork since I’m meal prepping for the week and wanted more than 3-4 meatballs for my 5 lunches. (Can you blame me?!) I wound up with 32 meatballs about 1″ with my scooper.
A short cut I did was putting the cilantro (I added more, as I love cilantro), 3 garlic cloves, and cut 3 green onion into 2″ pieces, with the fresh ginger (a 1″ piece) in my mini processor. Got everything all finely minced, rather than grating and chopping.
I also baked in the oven at 350*F for 17 minutes instead of pan frying and about 3 minutes under the broiler to brown them a bit. YUM!