Bún chả is a Hanoi specialty of grilled pork served with rice vermicelli, fresh herbs, and a tangy fish-sauce dipping bowl. Northern Vietnamese menus also feature names such as phở, bánh cuốn, bún riêu, and chả cá; this recipe focuses on bun cha, with a quick pickle and separate pork patties and slices.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) ground pork, preferably with some fat
- 1 lb (450 g) pork shoulder, sliced about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fish sauce, for the pork
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar, for the pork
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil
- 2 medium shallots, about 2 oz (55 g), finely minced
- 3 garlic cloves, about 9 g, finely minced and divided
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (100 g) julienned green papaya, peeled and seeded
- ½ cup (60 g) julienned carrot
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) warm water, for the dipping sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fish sauce, for the dipping sauce
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, for the dipping sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lime juice, about 2 to 3 limes
- 1 small red chili, about 5 g, thinly sliced, or less to taste
- 12 oz (340 g) dried rice vermicelli
- 3 qt (2.8 L) water, for boiling the noodles
- 1 qt (950 ml) cool water, for rinsing the noodles
- 1 medium cucumber, about 7 oz (200 g), thinly sliced
- 1 small head soft lettuce, about 5 oz (150 g), leaves separated
- 1 cup (25 g) fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup (20 g) fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 cup (15 g) perilla leaves, optional
Instructions
- Make the quick pickle. Put the green papaya and carrot in a bowl with the rice vinegar and salt. Toss well and leave at room temperature while you prepare the pork. The vegetables should soften slightly and turn pleasantly tart, but remain crisp. If using a firm green papaya, slice it thinly so it pickles in the short resting time.
- Season and shape the pork. In a bowl, combine the ground pork with the shallots, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, the oil, and black pepper. Mix just until evenly seasoned; packing or overworking the meat can make the patties dense. Divide into 8 portions and shape each into a patty about 2½ inches (6 cm) wide and ½ inch (1 cm) thick. Put the sliced pork shoulder in a second bowl and toss it with the remaining 1 minced garlic clove. Cover both bowls and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Keep the raw pork separate from the ready-to-eat vegetables and herbs.
- Mix the dipping sauce. Stir the warm water and ¼ cup sugar together until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the lime juice and ¼ cup fish sauce, then add the sliced chili. Taste it: it should be sweet, salty, and sour rather than sharply salty. Add a spoonful of water if it tastes too intense, or a little more lime juice if you prefer a brighter sauce. Set aside.
- Cook and rinse the noodles. Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Cook the rice vermicelli according to its package directions, usually about 4 to 6 minutes, until tender but not mushy. Drain in a colander and rinse with the cool water to stop the cooking and remove excess surface starch. Shake off the water well and divide the noodles among four bowls or plates.
- Grill the pork. Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly oil the cooking surface if needed. Grill the pork shoulder in batches, turning once, until browned and cooked through; check the thickest pieces with a food thermometer for the USDA FSIS safe minimum of 145°F (63°C), then let whole cuts rest for 3 minutes. Grill the patties in batches, turning once, until well browned and a thermometer in the center of each reaches the USDA FSIS safe minimum of 160°F (71°C) for ground pork. Depending on the grill and batch size, allow about 25 to 27 minutes for the meat.
- Arrange and serve. Let the cooked pork rest for 3 minutes, then divide the pork shoulder and patties among the bowls. Add the drained pickle, cucumber, lettuce, mint, cilantro, and perilla, if using. Serve the dipping sauce in individual bowls alongside, so everyone can dip the pork and noodles or spoon sauce over their portion.
Tips
- Look for the right texture. Ground pork with some fat stays more tender on the grill than very lean meat. If your ground pork is lean, take care not to cook the patties longer than needed once they reach 160°F (71°C). Pork shoulder is a useful cut for the slices because it stays flavorful and is easy to cut thinly.
- Make the patties evenly thick. Similar-sized patties cook at a similar rate. If the edges crack while shaping, dampen your hands lightly and press the patties back together. Avoid pressing them down repeatedly on the grill; that can squeeze out juices and cause flare-ups.
- Adjust hard-to-find ingredients thoughtfully. Green papaya is traditional in many versions of the pickle but may be difficult to find. Use peeled daikon for a crisp, mild substitute, or use extra carrot for a sweeter result. Perilla leaves add a distinctive herbal note; if unavailable, simply serve extra mint and cilantro rather than trying to imitate their exact flavor.
- Balance the dipping sauce gradually. Fish sauce varies in saltiness, and limes vary in tartness. Start with the listed amounts, taste after stirring, and adjust in small increments. The sauce is meant to be assertive beside plain noodles, but it should not overpower the pork and fresh herbs.
Serving Suggestions
Set the noodles, pork, herbs, cucumber, pickles, and dipping sauce on the table separately for a relaxed, build-your-own meal. A typical bite combines a little noodle, one piece of pork, herbs, and pickle, dipped into the sauce. You can also put the noodles and greens in a wide bowl, arrange the meat on top, and pour over some sauce just before eating. Keeping the sauce on the side helps the noodles stay pleasantly springy.
For a more complete spread, serve bun cha with extra lettuce leaves for wrapping, additional lime wedges, and sliced chili for people who want more heat. The meal is already substantial, so a light vegetable side such as blanched greens or a simple cucumber salad is enough. Provide spoons for the dipping bowls, since the sauce contains small pieces of pickle and chili that are easy to scoop up. If serving family-style, use separate platters and serving utensils for cooked pork and raw herbs.
The names you may see alongside bun cha reflect the variety of northern Vietnamese cooking. Phở is a noodle soup, bánh cuốn are delicate steamed rice rolls, bún riêu is a rice-vermicelli soup often associated with tomato and crab, and chả cá refers to a turmeric-seasoned fish dish served with herbs and noodles. These are distinct foods, not alternate names for bun cha. Their recipes and garnishes vary by household and locality, so a menu name may point to a familiar style while still leaving room for local versions.
Variations
Make it without a grill. A ridged grill pan works well indoors. You can also use a heavy skillet: cook the pork in batches over medium-high heat, turning as needed, and avoid crowding the pan so the meat browns rather than steams. Ventilate the kitchen because the sugar in the marinade can smoke if the pan gets too hot.
Use one style of pork. For a simpler shopping list, make all the meat from ground pork and form 8 to 10 small patties. Alternatively, use all sliced pork shoulder, though you will lose the contrast between the tender, browned patties and the thin grilled slices. Keep the same thermometer targets for the cut you choose.
Change the pickle or heat. Daikon and carrot make a crisp alternative to green papaya. For a milder bowl, leave out the chili; for a hotter sauce, offer sliced chili at the table instead of increasing it in the shared batch. A little extra lime can brighten the sauce, while a small splash of water softens an overly strong fish-sauce flavor.
Adapt the herbs to what you can find. Mint and cilantro are accessible substitutes when specialty herbs are unavailable, while perilla is optional rather than essential to making this version. Add other tender herbs only if you enjoy their flavor; keep the total amount moderate so the herbs complement rather than hide the grilled pork.
Storage and Reheating
For food safety, refrigerate cooked pork, noodles, sauce, and prepared vegetables within 2 hours of cooking or serving. Store them in separate airtight containers; separating the sauce and herbs helps preserve their texture. Cooked pork and noodles keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. For best quality, use the fresh herbs and quick pickle within about 2 days. Do not leave the assembled bowls at room temperature for extended serving.
Reheat pork in a covered skillet with a spoonful of water, or microwave it in short intervals, until leftovers reach 165°F (74°C), checking the center with a food thermometer. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat. Noodles can be warmed briefly in hot water or in the microwave with a little water; avoid prolonged heating, which makes them soft. Serve leftover herbs and cucumber cold, and make fresh noodles if the stored ones have become clumped or dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does bun cha mean? Bún refers to rice vermicelli, and chả is used for seasoned or prepared meat cakes in this dish’s name. Bun cha is closely associated with Hanoi and is generally served with grilled pork, noodles, herbs, and a dipping sauce. Spellings vary when Vietnamese accents are omitted, so you may see “bun cha” as well as “bún chả.”
Can I prepare any parts ahead? Yes. You can mix the dipping sauce and make the quick pickle several hours ahead, then refrigerate them separately. Shape and marinate the pork for up to a few hours in the refrigerator, but keep raw pork covered and away from ready-to-eat ingredients. Cook the noodles and grill the meat close to serving time for the best texture.
Do I have to use fish sauce? Fish sauce gives the dipping sauce its characteristic salty, savory flavor. If you need to avoid it, use a suitable vegetarian fish-sauce alternative, following its label for substitution amounts; the finished sauce will taste different and may need less added salt. Soy sauce can work in a pinch, but it changes the flavor and does not reproduce fish sauce exactly.
Can I cook the pork in an oven? Yes, though it will not have quite the same grilled aroma. Arrange the pork in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet pan and broil, turning as needed, until browned and the required safe internal temperatures are reached. Broilers vary, so watch closely to prevent the sugar in the marinade from burning, and do not rely on color alone to judge doneness.
How should I eat the dipping sauce? You can dip each bite of pork and noodles, or spoon a little sauce over a bowl. Start with a small amount and add more to taste; dipping bowls are meant to let each person control the balance of salty, sour, and sweet flavors. The vegetables in the quick pickle can be eaten with the meal or scooped up with the sauce.
Related
- Vietnamese Pho Recipe with Rich Homemade Broth
- Vietnamese Pork Chops: Juicy, Caramelized & Glazed
- Vietnamese Lotus Root Salad (Goi Ngo Sen) Recipe
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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