Banh Mi Sandwich (Vietnamese Sandwich)

stars 1 10

Main Dish

Banh Mi Sandwich Recipe (Vietnamese Sandwich): One of the most vibrant and delicious sandwiches in the world! This sammie is loaded with fresh vegetables, grilled meat, and piled high on a french baguette. If you’ve never tried a Banh Mi Sandwich… It’s time.

Vietnamese Street Food

Street food is a weakness of mine. When I travel anywhere, it’s the first thing I look for. You can often get a real sense of a country’s (or city’s) culinary clout by what you purchase from a rickety cart on a bustling corner.

In some way, such workman-meals give away a culture’s deeper secrets. What can the average cart-pushing cook whip up on the sidewalk? What does that say about a people group’s creativity, ingenuity, and zest for life?

You can learn a lot about people by what and how they cook, if you just pay attention.

Some of the best meals of my life have come from street carts. Of course, these were not the most elegant and artful meals I’ve ever eaten. They lacked trendy ingredients, pristine plating, and a lavish environment in which to enjoy them.

Yet, as for pure flavor and memorability, street food rules in my book!

I ate several meals more than two decades ago that are still so fresh in my mind; I can taste their distinct flavors from memory. Some are so unique; that I may never be able to recreate them quite right.

Vietnamese Cuisine

Vietnamese is my all-out favorite regional cuisine. Fresh, funky, full-bodied, and fragrant. In my mind, the Vietnamese hold the eastern market on flavor and appeal.

As for street food, Vietnam offers a thrilling array of choices. Salad bowls, soups, chicken wings, and spring rolls are all sold curbside to hungry passers. Yet above all these, reigns the Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich.

Banh Mi Sandwich

Banh Mi is the term for a Vietnamese baguette made with a combination of wheat and rice flour.

A Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich is stuffed with various marinated meats, cucumbers, herbs, and pickled veggies. Most Banh Mi sandwiches are also spread with pate’. The bread and pate’ are no surprise to historians, as Vietnam was a French colony in the 1800s.

The marinated meats and the pickled veggies are the standout items on this Vietnamese sandwich. In my version of the Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwiches, the chicken is soaked in a fish sauce and lime juice marinade.

Banh Mi Recipe Ingredients

For the Chicken:

Fish Sauce – Don’t be tempted to skip the fish sauce. It is a vital part of Vietnamese cooking. My suggestion with fish sauce is, hold your nose while pouring. The heinous odor will diminish once cooked, leaving a remarkable flavor.
Fresh Lime Juice
Granulated Sugar
Cloves Garlic – minced
Jalapeno
Salt
Chicken Breasts – Boneless and skinless

For the Pickled Veggies:

Hot Tap Water
Rice Vinegar
Sugar
Salt
Crushed Red Pepper
Carrots – sliced thin on the bias
Daikon Radishes – sliced thin on the bias

For the Sandwiches:

Soft Sub Rolls
Mayo
Cucumber – sliced thin
Cilantro Leaves – or even mint will work instead
Sliced Jalapeno – for extra heat (this is an optional ingredient)

I left the paté off my Banh Mi sandwiches and added a little mayonnaise. I feel the mayo offers a smooth, creamy base and doesn’t distract from the star ingredients!

How To Make This Vietnamese Sandwich

Make the chicken: In a baking dish, mix the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, garlic, jalapeno and salt. Add the chicken breasts to the dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Longer is better!
Make the pickled vegetables: Stir the hot tap water and sugar in a medium bowl, until the sugar dissolves. Add the vinegar, salt, crushed red pepper, sliced carrots and radishes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the grill to medium and Grill the Chicken. Grill the chicken breasts for 5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and cover the chicken with foil to rest for 5 minutes. Open the sub rolls and grill the insides for about 1-3 minutes—until toasted.
Drain the pickled veggies. Slice the chicken into thin pieces.
Build the sandwiches. Spread mayo over in the sub rolls. Layer the cucumber slices, chicken, pickled veggies, cilantro leaves, and jalapeños on the rolls. Serve immediately!

Grilling the marinated chicken creates a caramelized crust with a juicy interior. For those without access to a grill, you could definitely broil the chicken for a similar effect.

Although, I suggest investing in an iron grill pan. A good grill pan will produce wonderful grill marks, plus the fat and juices run away from the meat just like on an outdoor grill!

A Banh Mi Sandwich is always a big hit any time I make them, just like many Vietnamese restaurants. Give it a try!

Get the Complete Printable Banh Mi Recipe (Vietnamese Sandwich). Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Do The Leftovers Last?

The meat can last for up to a week if stored in an airtight container. If you do not want to use the leftovers in sandwiches, you can make a Banh Mi Rice Bowl, or even stuff them into spring rolls, or even over a salad.

Can I Use Other Meats?

Yes, you can use other meat variations. This recipe will also taste great with pork loin instead of chicken, or thinly sliced beef or ham. For meat-free protein, you can even incorporate hard-boiled egg slices, or tofu if desired.

Other Great Vietnamese Recipes

Print Recipe

5 from 14 votes

Leave a Review »

Banh Mi Sandwich (Vietnamese Sandwich)

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 1 10

Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich Recipe – One of the most vibrant and delicious sandwiches in the world. Loaded with fresh vegetables, grilled meat, and piled high on a french baguette.

Servings: