Vietnamese Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Xíu Mại)
How to make Vietnamese meatballs in tomato sauce, known as Xíu Mại! This comfort dish is made with juicy beef and pork meatballs simmered in a savory, lightly sweet tomato sauce. Popular in both home cooking and street food, xíu mại is especially well known in southern Vietnam, where it’s often served with crusty baguette for dipping, steamed rice, or even alongside noodles.
The tomato sauce is light and brothy rather than thick, allowing the natural sweetness and acidity of tomatoes to balance the richness of the meat. The dish is comforting without feeling heavy, and approachable even for cooks who are new to Vietnamese food. Xíu mại is an ideal recipe if you’re looking for an easy, satisfying weeknight meal, something cozy during cooler weather, or a crowd-pleasing dish to serve family-style.
Vietnamese Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Xíu Mại)
Ingredients
Meatballs
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- 2 Tbsp shallots, minced
- ⅓ cup green onion, chopped
- ½ cup jicama, minced
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ Tbsp brown sugar
- 1.5 Tbsp cornstarch
Tomato sauce
- ⅓ onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 red Thai chilies, minced (optional)
Garnish
- 1 baguette
- 1 green onion
Instructions Start Cooking
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the meatball ingredients and set aside as you prep the veggies.½ lb ground beef, ½ lb ground pork, 2 Tbsp shallots, ⅓ cup green onion, ½ cup jicama, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ Tbsp brown sugar, 1.5 Tbsp cornstarch
- Cut tomatoes, onions, and garlic.⅓ onion, 1 Tbsp garlic, 1 cup tomatoes
- Shape the meatballs.
- Heat oil over a large pan on medium heat, and sautee the onion and garlic for 2 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes and cook it for 2-3 minutes then add in the meatballs. Sear each side of the meatball.
- Add in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Bring to a boil then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and allow it to cook for 10-12 minutes.1 cup tomato sauce, 1 Tbsp tomato paste, ⅓ cup water
- In the meantime, toast the baguette.1 baguette
- Mix in the sugar, fish sauce, black pepper, and Thai chilis to the tomato sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes then remove from heat.1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 red Thai chilies, 1 green onion
Hi, I’m Tam!
I’m a Vietnamese American and the creator behind this recipe blog. I was previously a scientist but now do recipe development and content creation. I turned my love for research and food into intentional, science-backed cooking…
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