Name: Bún chả Hà Nội — Hanoi grilled pork with rice vermicelli
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 130 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 400 g ground pork shoulder, preferably about 20% fat; 400 g pork belly, skin removed and sliced 5 mm thick; 50 g shallots, finely minced; 15 g garlic, finely minced (about 3 cloves; split between pork and broth); 60 ml fish sauce, divided (15 ml for the pork and 45 ml for the dipping broth); 50 g granulated sugar, divided (10 g for caramel, 15 g for the pork, 10 g for the pickle and 15 g for the broth); 20 ml water, divided (5 ml to start the caramel and 15 ml to loosen it); 15 ml oyster sauce; 2 g ground black pepper; 200 g peeled green papaya, cut into fine matchsticks (green kohlrabi is a practical substitute); 100 g carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks; 4 g fine salt; 70 ml rice vinegar, divided (20 ml for the pickle and 50 ml for the broth); 400 ml warm water; 15 ml fresh lime juice; 1 fresh red bird’s-eye chili, thinly sliced (optional); 300 g dried thin rice vermicelli (bún), or about 600 g fresh cooked bún; 120 g leaf lettuce, washed and torn; 30 g fresh mint leaves; 30 g Vietnamese perilla (tía tô), or additional mint if unavailable; 20 g fresh cilantro leaves; 200 g cucumber, cut into batons; 1 lime, cut into wedges

A wide Hanoi-style bún chả spread with grilled pork, dipping broth, rice vermicelli and fresh herbs. — Hanoi bún chả with grilled pork, rice vermicelli, fresh herbs and warm dipping broth.

Yield 4 servings

Cook time About 25 minutes

Passive time At least 60 minutes to marinate the pork

Total time About 2 hours 10 minutes

Calories About 1,120 kcal per serving

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bún chả Hà Nội — Hanoi grilled pork with rice vermicelli

Bún chả is a much-loved Hanoi lunch built around contrast: smoky, caramel-edged pork; cool rice vermicelli; fresh herbs; and a warm, lightly sweet, tart dipping broth. This home version serves both small ground-pork patties and thin pork-belly slices, with quick-pickled green papaya and carrot. Keep the noodles and greens on the plate and the broth in individual bowls, then dip small bites as you eat. Recipes vary from stall to stall, so these measured proportions are one practical version rather than a universal formula.

Practical

Tips for successKeep the pork refrigerated during its one-hour marinade; longer marinating is optional. Shape the ground pork into thick, small patties so the centers cook before the sugared edges burn. Use a two-zone charcoal grill or cook in batches over a grill pan. Move meat away from flare-ups. Check the patties with a thermometer. For the thin belly, insert a thin-tip probe sideways into the center of a slice. Keep the vermicelli cool and separate from the warm broth until each bite is dipped. Taste the dipping broth with a piece of pork and noodle together; the components are meant to balance one another.

Ingredients

Pork patties and belly

400 g ground pork shoulder, preferably about 20% fat
400 g pork belly, skin removed and sliced 5 mm thick
50 g shallots, finely minced
15 g garlic, finely minced (about 3 cloves; split between pork and broth)
60 ml fish sauce, divided (15 ml for the pork and 45 ml for the dipping broth)
50 g granulated sugar, divided (10 g for caramel, 15 g for the pork, 10 g for the pickle and 15 g for the broth)
20 ml water, divided (5 ml to start the caramel and 15 ml to loosen it)
15 ml oyster sauce
2 g ground black pepper

Quick pickle and dipping broth

200 g peeled green papaya, cut into fine matchsticks (green kohlrabi is a practical substitute)
100 g carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
4 g fine salt
70 ml rice vinegar, divided (20 ml for the pickle and 50 ml for the broth)
400 ml warm water
15 ml fresh lime juice
1 fresh red bird’s-eye chili, thinly sliced (optional)

Noodles and fresh accompaniments

300 g dried thin rice vermicelli (bún), or about 600 g fresh cooked bún
120 g leaf lettuce, washed and torn
30 g fresh mint leaves
30 g Vietnamese perilla (tía tô), or additional mint if unavailable
20 g fresh cilantro leaves
200 g cucumber, cut into batons
1 lime, cut into wedges

Method

Make the caramel: put 10 g sugar and 5 ml water in a small heavy saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves and turns deep amber. Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the remaining 15 ml water; hot caramel can splatter. Let it cool.
Mix the cooled caramel with the shallots, 10 g garlic, 15 ml fish sauce, 15 g sugar, oyster sauce and black pepper. Divide the marinade between the ground pork and belly. Shape the ground pork into 12 patties about 5 cm across. Cover and refrigerate both meats for at least 60 minutes.
Toss the papaya and carrot with 4 g salt and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse briefly, drain and squeeze dry. Toss with 20 ml rice vinegar and 10 g sugar; keep chilled and crisp. For the dipping broth, dissolve the remaining 15 g sugar in 400 ml warm water, then stir in 45 ml fish sauce, 50 ml rice vinegar, 15 ml lime juice and the remaining 5 g garlic. Add optional chili. Warm gently; do not boil.
Cook the dried vermicelli according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with cool water and drain thoroughly so the strands stay separate. Arrange the noodles, lettuce, mint, perilla, cilantro and cucumber on four plates.
Prepare a charcoal grill with a medium-hot area, or heat a grill pan or broiler. Grill the patties and belly in batches, turning for even browning. Keep raw-meat utensils and trays away from cooked pork. Cook patties to 71.1°C / 160°F at the center. Cook the whole-cut belly to at least 62.8°C / 145°F and rest it for 3 minutes; for these thin slices, insert a thin-tip thermometer sideways into the center. Avoid flare-ups that char the sugar before the pork cooks through.
Divide the warm dipping broth among four individual bowls and add some of the drained pickle to each. Transfer grilled pork to a clean platter. Keep the broth warm, not scalding hot.
Serve each plate of noodles, herbs and vegetables beside the pork and dipping broth. Dip small bundles of cool noodles and herbs with a piece of pork into the warm broth as you eat; do not pour all the broth over the noodle plate. Offer lime wedges and optional chili at the table.

Practical

Practical guidance

Make ahead: Marinate the pork for up to one day in the refrigerator. Make the pickle and dipping broth several hours ahead and chill them; warm the broth gently before serving. Serving: Put pork into the individual dipping bowls or serve it beside them. Keep noodles and herbs on their own plate so diners can dip each bite. Storage: Refrigerate cooked pork, noodles and broth in separate shallow covered containers within 2 hours, at or below 4°C / 40°F, and use within 3 days. Keep herbs separate. Reheat pork and broth until steaming hot; prepare noodles fresh for the best texture. Substitutions: Use green kohlrabi in place of green papaya if needed. If perilla is unavailable, add more mint; its distinctive aroma will be missing.

Troubleshooting

Pork burns before it cooks: The grill is too hot or sugar is flaring. Move the meat to a cooler zone, grill in smaller batches and check the center temperature. Patties fall apart: The mixture may be warm or loosely shaped. Chill it briefly and press each patty firmly without making it thin. Dipping broth tastes too sharp or salty: Adjust with a little warm water and sugar; taste it with pork and noodles, not by itself. Noodles clump: Rinse them with cool water after cooking, drain well and loosen gently before plating.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cook the pork without a charcoal grill? Yes. A grill pan or broiler can brown it, though it will not have the same charcoal aroma. Ventilate the kitchen and watch for sugar flare-ups. Can I use only one kind of pork? You can, but the patties and belly provide different textures. Keep the total amount similar and follow the correct safe temperature for ground or whole-cut pork. Why is the dipping broth warm? The warm, diluted fish-sauce broth receives the smoky pork and crisp pickle, while the noodles and herbs stay cool on the side. Can I use fresh vermicelli? Yes. Use about 600 g fresh cooked bún and follow the package directions for warming or rinsing. Is this eaten like noodle soup? No; the broth is served separately for dipping bites of noodles, herbs and pork.

Nutrition per serving

These rounded estimates divide the measured pork, 300 g dry vermicelli, sauces, sugar, pickle and accompaniments among four servings. Pork fat content, rendered fat left on the grill, noodle brand and how much dipping broth is consumed can substantially change the values.

Nutrition per serving

Serving sizeAbout 650–750 g including noodles, pork, dipping broth, pickles, herbs and vegetables
CaloriesAbout 1,120 kcal
CarbohydrateAbout 83 g
ProteinAbout 35 g
FatAbout 70 g
FibreAbout 5 g
SodiumAbout 1,850 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains fish (fish sauce), soy and molluscs (oyster sauce; check the label for additional soy or wheat). Keep raw pork and its marinade separate from cooked pork, noodles and ready-to-eat herbs. Ground pork patties must reach 71.1°C / 160°F. Whole-cut pork belly must reach 62.8°C / 145°F and rest for at least 3 minutes; measure thin slices by inserting a thin-tip thermometer sideways into the center. Refrigerate cooked food within 2 hours at or below 4°C / 40°F and use within 3 days. Do not reuse raw-pork marinade unless it is brought to a full boil.

Enjoy

Build each bite with cool noodles, a few herbs and grilled pork, then dip it in the warm broth.
Add lime or chili at the table to suit your taste.

Bún chả Hà Nội — Hanoi grilled pork with rice vermicelli

Practical

Ingredients

Pork patties and belly

Quick pickle and dipping broth

Noodles and fresh accompaniments

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Enjoy

Vietnamese National Dishes

Bún nước lèo Sóc Trăng

Chả cá Lã Vọng Hà Nội

Traditional Hội An Chicken Rice (Cơm gà Hội An truyền thống)