If you’re in Hanoi, you can’t skip Bún Chả — smoky grilled pork, fresh herbs, and noodles in a light, fragrant broth.
This recipe is my auntie’s heirloom version, straight from the Old Quarter of Hanoi.
Bún Chả – A Cherished Hanoi Delicacy
I still remember the first time I had Bún Chả — it was back in 2002, during a family trip up North to visit our relatives. I was just a kid, but that meal stuck with me.
At first bite, it reminded me of Bún Thịt Nướng from the South — same rice noodles, grilled pork, dipping sauce — but the flavor was different. Smokier, tangier, somehow more delicate. I was completely hooked.
In Hanoi, Bún Chả is the go-to lunch, while Phở—the real Northern-style Phở—is savored for breakfast.
Bún Chả even had its spotlight on the world stage when President Obama sat down with Anthony Bourdain over a bowl in 2016.
Related Recipes | More delicious Hanoi delicacies:
(Rice Noodles with Fried Tofu & Shrimp Paste)
(Hanoi-style)
(Dry Pho with Chicken)
What Makes Up a True Plate of Bún Chả?
Grilled Pork
Many recipes call Bún Chả “Vietnamese grilled meatballs” or “grilled patties.” Not wrong, but definitely incomplete. A true Bún Chả Hà Nội comes with two types of pork:
Chả Miếng – thin slices of pork (often belly, sometimes shoulder) grilled until the edges are smoky, charred, and juicy.
Chả Băm – tender little meatballs, full of flavor and grilled to perfection.
Abroad, I notice restaurants often serve just the meatballs — probably because they’re easier and more familiar. But in Hanoi? You’ll always get both, and that’s what makes it truly Bún Chả.
Marinade Musts
- Fish sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Sugar
- Vietnamese Caramel Sauce (Nước Màu)
- A bit of oil, black pepper
- Scallions, shallots, and garlic (Hanoi-style, no lemongrass or five-spice powder)
Dipping Fish Sauce (Nước Chấm Hà Nội-style)
Most recipes online use the Southern-style Nuoc Cham sauce for Bún Chả, but the version from the North is a little different.
Bun Cha dipping sauce is thinner, light, balanced, and more brothy — sometimes even made with a bit of pork broth instead of just water.
And the pickles? Also different. In the South, it’s usually Đồ Chua (daikon and carrots).
In the North, it’s Dưa Góp — pickled green papaya or kohlrabi with carrots.
Other Ingredients
- Fresh Herbs: No Bún Chả is complete without a mountain of fresh greens. Lettuce, mint, Thai basil, cilantro — whatever you’ve got. But if you want the real deal? Look for Vietnamese balm (rau kinh giới) and perilla (tía tô). Those two herbs bring the fragrance of Northern cuisine.
- Vermicelli Noodles (Bún): These springy, delicate noodles are the base of the dish. You’ll usually find them served in a heap alongside the grilled pork and herbs.
Instructions
Step 1: Marinate the Pork
- Finely chop the scallions (keep the green and white parts separate). Mince the shallot and garlic.
- In a bowl, whisk together fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, Vietnamese caramel sauce, and black pepper.
For the Pork Belly: (Optional) Remove the skin, then slice the belly into thin 4 cm (1.5 in) pieces. Toss with half the sauce, half the garlic and shallot, plus all the white parts of the scallion. Marinate for 1 hour.
For the Pork Patties: Mix the ground pork with the remaining sauce, garlic, shallot, and the green scallion parts. Add a drizzle of oil (this keeps them juicy). Let rest for 30–60 minutes, then shape into small patties.
Step 2: Grill the Pork
- Charcoal Grill (best flavor): Grill each side for 3–4 minutes until smoky and golden.
- Air Fryer (easy): Cook at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes, flip, then another 5 minutes.
- Oven (big batches): Bake at 390°F (200°C) for 20 minutes, flip, then another 15 minutes until nicely browned.
Step 3: Make the Dipping Sauce
- Peel and thinly slice green papaya and carrot (a mandolin helps, just watch your fingers).
- Soak papaya in salted water for 30 minutes to remove sap, then rinse and drain. (Skip if using kohlrabi.)
- Toss papaya and carrot with salt, sugar, and vinegar. Let sit 15 minutes → you’ve got quick pickles (Dưa Góp).
- Finely chop garlic and chili.
- Simmer fish sauce, sugar, and water until sugar dissolves. Add vinegar and lime juice.
- Stir in the garlic, chili, and pickled vegetables. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes before serving. Bún Chả dipping sauce is often enjoyed warm, especially in cooler weather.
How to Enjoy Bún Chả (Two Ways)
Pick up some noodles and herbs with your chopsticks and dip them into the bowl of dipping sauce, like how you’d eat Japanese Tsukemen.
Or just throw the noodles and herbs straight into the bowl with the grilled pork and sauce, mix it up, and enjoy it all together.
Variations & Ideas
Bún Chả + Nem Rán
In Hanoi, it’s common to serve Bún Chả with crispy fried spring rolls (Nem Rán).
Skip the Noodles
This grilled pork goes just as well with steamed jasmine rice, sticky rice, or even stuffed into a Bánh Mì.
Love the Flavors? Try These Too
If the marinade won you over, you’ll also love Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken and Lemongrass Pork Chops.
FAQs
More true-to-Vietnam flavors
Goi Cuon (Spring Rolls with Hoisin Peanut Sauce)
Banh Xeo (Sizzling Pancakes)
Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Beef Noodle Soup)
Banh Mi (Vietnamese Baguette with Cha Lua and Do Chua pickles)
Bo Ne (Steak & Eggs)
Banh Cuon (Steamed Rice Rolls)
Hu Tieu Bo Kho (Vietnamese beef stew with tapioca noodles)
Authentic Bún Chả (Hanoi Grilled Pork Noodles)
Equipment
- Charcoal grill
Ingredients
Grilled Pork:
- 1 pound pork belly (450g) (without skin)
- 1 pound ground pork (450g)
- 2 tbsp chopped white parts of the scallion
- 2 tbsp chopped green parts of the scallion
- 2 tbsp minced shallot
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 6 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 2 tbsp Vietnamese caramel sauce
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
Dipping fish sauce:
- 0.3 pound carrot (150g)
- 0.3 pound green papaya (150g) (or kohlrabi)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar (or distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar)
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 15 tbsp water (230ml)
- ¾ tbsp rice vinegar
- ¾ tbsp lime juice
- 3 tbsp sugar
- minced garlic (to your taste)
- minced chili (to your taste)
- black pepper powder (to your taste)
Other Ingredients:
- 1 pack rice vermicelli noodles
- Salad
- Vietnamese herbs (perilla, Vietnamese balm, cilantro…)
Instructions
Marinate the pork
- Finely chop the scallions (green and white parts separated). Mince the shallot and garlic.
- In a bowl, mix together the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, Vietnamese caramel sauce, and black pepper powder.
- Pork Belly:– Remove the skin from the pork belly (optional) and thinly slice it to about 1.5 inches (4 cm).– Season the pork belly with half of the sauce, half of the garlic and shallot, and all of the white parts of the scallion. Allow it to marinate for one hour.
- Pork Patties:– Mix the remaining sauce, garlic, shallot, and all of the green parts of the scallion with the ground pork until well combined. Add the cooking oil and mix again (the oil helps keep the meatballs juicy when grilling). Allow the mixture to rest for 30 minutes to one hour.– Shape the marinated ground pork into mini hamburger patties.
Grill the pork
- Charcoal Grill (yielding the best flavor): + Put the pork on the grill rack and grill each side for 3-4 minutes.
- Air Fryer (more convenient):+ Place the pork in the air fryer basket.+ Cook it at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes.+ Flip the meat and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Oven (for large batches):+ Heat the oven to 390°F (200°C).+ Arrange the meat on the rack with the drip tray underneath.+ Bake the pork belly and pork patties for 20 minutes or until they achieves a golden brown color. + Flip them and grill for an additional 15 minutes.
Make the dipping sauce
- Peel and thinly slice the green papaya and carrot. You can use a mandolin to slice them even thinner, but be cautious not to cut yourself.
- Soak the green papaya in water with salt for 30 minutes to remove the milky sap, then rinse and drain it well (skip this step if using kohlrabi).
- Mix the carrot and papaya slices with salt, sugar and vinegar. After 15 minutes, you'll have Dưa Góp pickles.
- Finely chop the garlic and chili.
- Combine the fish sauce, sugar, water. Cook the mixture over low heat until the sugar has dissolved completely. Add vinegar and lime juice.
- Add the garlic, chili, carrot, and pickles to the saucepan. Stir thoroughly to combine. Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Prepare the rice noodles & vegetables
- Cook the rice noodles following the directions on the package.
- Rinse and drain the lettuce and herbs.
Assemble & Enjoy
- Place the grilled pork in a bowl, then pour the fish sauce with pickles over the pork.
- During winter time, the locals often heat up the fish sauce broth.
- You could dip the rice noodles and herbs into the sauce in the bowl, then eat.Or you could place the rice noodles and herbs into into the bowl altogether, and enjoy.
