Making a Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich at home is easier you think! This quick Banh Mi recipe has authentic flavors and only takes 25 minutes to make.
Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich
After a long day of SEO, social media and retouching pictures, dinnertime rolls around and snaps me out of my computer induced haze.
If the decision to order out is made (hey – I don’t cook every day!), Ben will likely suggest grabbing a banh mi sandwich from one of the many shops that flank our brownstone. We’re spoiled for choice in Brooklyn when it comes to ordering a zesty, flavorful Vietnamese sandwich.
While I absolutely love eating banh mi, sometimes the classic preparation – which usually contains multiple meaty ingredients – seems a little heavy for summer dining.
It got me thinking that I could whip up a delicious chicken banh mi sandwich that would have all of the deep, soulful flavors of the original, minus a few calories.
It is bikini season after all!
What is Banh Mi?
Well, banh mi literally translates into ‘bread’ – but normally references a sandwich served on a flaky, fresh French style baguette. Instead of relying solely on wheat flour, the Vietnamese version of the baguette will usually use wheat and rice flour. This results in a lighter, crispier crust and an airier texture to the bread.
The fillings differ from preparation to preparation, however most classic banh mi sandwich recipes will have pate, a cold cut like thin sliced ham and maybe spiced ground meat or pork belly for good measure.
What is ubiquitous in a banh mi sandwich is the use of vinegary and sweet pickled carrots and daikon radish – along with fresh cilantro, cucumber and (optional) fresh jalapeños.
It is also quite common to use mayonnaise and a chili sauce like sriracha in your banh mi sandwich. It is truly a mash up of ingredients endemic to France and Vietnam, used in harmony to create something spectacular.
A Healthier Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich
Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich Recipe
Make your own Vietnamese sandwiches at home! This is an Easy Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich Recipe your family will love!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 2 people 1x
- Category: Sandwich
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound boneless chicken breast (cut into thin slices)
- 1 jalapeno (thinly sliced)
- 1 English cucumber (cut into strips)
- 2 small shallots (finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- juice of 1 lime
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 baguette
- mayonnaise
- sriracha sauce
- handful cilantro
For the pickled carrots and daikon:
- 1/2 cup carrots (cut into thin strips)
- 1/2 cup daikon (peeled and cut into thin strips)
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons sugar
Instructions
- Put carrots, daikon and ingredients for the pickling into a bowl. Stir well and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
- In a bowl, add lime juice, fish sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, fresh black pepper, 2 tbsp oil, shallots and garlic. Add chicken and mix well. Put the mixture and the chicken in a zip lock back, take out excess air and seal. Massage well and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Section the baguette into sandwich size portions, put in a cooking tray and toast for a few minutes (just so there is a bit of a crunchy texture). In a pan over medium/high heat, add chicken and shallots and cook until well done. Throw the pickling juice away and squeeze excess liquid from the carrots.
- Assemble banh mi and eat immediately.
Notes
These ingredients are just suggestions. Get creative and add your own spin to this Chicken Banh Mi Recipe! You can refrigerate the ingredients separately for 3-5 days.
* I use Red Boat fish sauce because it’s 100% pure and is Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 707
- Sugar: 8.6 g
- Sodium: 4016.3 mg
- Fat: 14.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 27.3 g
- Cholesterol: 89.8 mg
Other Yummy Sandwiches:
Love these sandwiches and they are best made with a homemade bun using rice flour for a crunchier lecture to the bread. I use baguettes in a pinch, but prefer the homemade solution since we can’t find traditional buns any where locally.
Hi Bill, I don’t think I’ve ever tried rice flour buns at home. I’ll look for them next time I make a banh mi since good bread always makes everything better 🙂 Thank you for the tip!
Amazing! The other day I happened to catch a rerun of the show Restaurant Startup where one of the contestants was a Banh Mi food truck owner. Call me sheltered, I had never heard of Banh Mi before and in the same week, I see your recipe too! I love the combination of flavors and how your version uses marinated chicken breast and all those beautiful fresh and pickled ingredients – wow – my mouth is salivating already!! I will have to see if I can find the traditional rice flour baguette locally but a French baguette will have to do if all else fails. Thanks for the history and explanation of this simple but tasty sandwich!
★★★★★