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A close up of nem nuong (Vietnamese grilled pork sausage) that has been skewered and served on a metal plate
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5 from 7 votes

Grilled Vietnamese Pork Sausages (Nem Nuong)

An easy-to-make, sweet, garlicky, and smoky Vietnamese sausage (Nem Nuong) grilled on the BBQ. It tastes amazing when served as is as a snack or appetizer, added to vermicelli noodle dishes, or rolled into delicious Vietnamese spring rolls.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main, Snack
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Servings: 20 mini sausages
Calories: 104kcal
Author: Joyce Lee

Equipment

  • Food processor

Ingredients

Nem Nuong Ingredients

Garlicky Bacon Fat

  • 3 slices bacon
  • 3-4 cloves garlic
  • 1 shallot (or small onion)

Annatto Oil (Optional for Colour)

Instructions

Making the Garlicky Bacon Fat

  • In a food processor, combine the garlic, shallots, and bacon and blitz until a paste forms (I found it easier to chop everything up into smaller pieces first).
    If you don't have a food processor, you can chop this by hand, but it must be chopped very finely into almost a paste.
  • Set aside for later

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are not making the annatto oil, you will still need the oil from the ingredient list. Just add it directly to the pork on the next step in the 'Mixing the Nem Nuong'

    Making the Annatto Oil (Optional for Color)

    • Set the stove to low heat and add the oil and annatto seeds into a small saucepan. Let it toast until the oil turns a dark orange color. (approximately 1-2 minutes)
    • Turn off the heat and remove the seeds from the pan. Set the oil aside to cool for later.

    Mixing the Nem Nuong

    • In a food processor or stand mixer, combine all the ingredients in the Nem Nuong Ingredient list and mix for 10-15 minutes.
    • Add in the 'Garlicky Bacon Fat' mix and annatto oil you created earlier and continue to mix for another 5-10 minutes.
      ** If you don't have a food processor or stand mixer, you can also mix this by hand but it will take a lot of mixing! Mix it in one direction only and keep mixing until everything looks 'sticky'.
    • Remove a little piece of meat and pan-fry or microwave it to do a taste test to see if it is salty enough (or sweet enough) to your preference.
      Not all fish sauces are created equal and some are saltier than others. Adjust the seasonings by adding more honey or more fish sauce to your liking.
    • Once you are done, put the meat in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour to cool.
    • Soak the skewers in a tall cup glass of water and set aside

    Skewering the Ground Meat

    • Once the meat is cold, remove it from the fridge and set up your skewering station, and lightly oil your hands.
      If your hands are very hot or warm, run your wrist under cold water to cool them down a bit so that it doesn't make the meat sticky.
    • Take about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of meat and roll it into a ball and skewer it.
      Gently squeeze your hand around the ball to form an oval shape (or you can keep it as a round meatball as well)
    • If there is an opening or hole on the openings of the meat, seal it well by pinching the openings and gently twisting your finger, and then sliding it slightly towards the meatball.
    • Continue to do this until all the meat is used up.

    Grilling & Serving It

    • Set your BBQ or charcoal grill to approximately 450F (232C) - 500F (260C) degrees.
      Once the grill is hot, add the skewers and close the lid.
    • Cook the skewers for about 3-4 minutes until the meat becomes firm.
      Give it a gentle poke to see if it is still mushy. If it is still mushy it will be very difficult to flip it. Wait until it is firm before trying to flip it.
    • Once the meatballs are firm and cooked, you no longer need to use the lid anymore and can grill it over the open fire to start browning it by flipping it every 1-2 minutes for approximately 10-12 minutes.
    • You will know the meat is done when it is very firm and browned evenly.
    • Serve it over some vermicelli noodles, use it in Vietnamese rice spring rolls or eat them as is with Nuoc Cham sauce! :)

    Notes

    • To save you some time, you can also make these as meatballs without skewers, just make sure you make them big enough that they won't fall through the grill grates.
    • If you don't have a grill or charcoal smoker, you can also cook this in a frying pan as well but you will miss out on the smoky flavor.
    • Mix the annatto oil last with a utensil so that you don't die your hands
    • For more tips and tricks regarding skewering, refer to my page "How to Skewer Ground Meat (So That It Stays On the Sticks)"

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sausage | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg