Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich
Published May 02, 2023
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Chicken banh mi sandwiches are stuffed with tangy pickled vegetables, crunchy cucumbers, juicy shredded chicken, and served on a super soft baguette with a layer of creamy, spicy sriracha mayo. You won’t believe how easy it is to make these mouthwatering Vietnamese sandwiches!
You’re going to fall in love with these amazingly flavorful Vietnamese-inspired sandwiches. Chicken banh mi sandwiches are a step above – somehow fresh and hearty, colorful, and a little bit gourmet. But that’s not all, these sandwiches are also really, really easy to make.
Banh mi, AKA Vietnamese sandwiches, are the perfect meal to make if you want to impress a few hungry guests, but don’t have a lot of time to do so. Pickle the veggies and cook the chicken breast the day before (or just grab a rotisserie chicken), spread the bread with creamy, spicy, and 100% addictive mayo sriracha sauce, and fill bakery-style baguettes with your tasty ingredients.
Don’t be surprised if more than one person asks for the recipe for these homemade chicken banh mi sandwiches!
What is Chicken Banh Mi?
Banh mi sandwiches are Vietnamese sandwiches that are made by layering meat, pate, pickled daikon and carrots, and fresh sliced cucumber on a soft baguette. While they can be made with any type of meat, pork belly, as well as shredded pork, pork meatballs, and pork sausage are the most common. Vegetarian banh mi chay is made by using tofu instead of meat.
This version of the sandwich uses chicken as the protein and Sriracha mayo for creaminess and spice.
How to Make Chicken Banh Mi
- Pickle the veggies. Whisk together the water, sugar, salt, and rice vinegar. Place the daikon and carrots in a jar, then pour the pickling mixture over the vegetables. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together the mayonnaise and Sriracha.
- Assemble the sandwich. Spread both sides of a sliced baguette with Sriracha mayo. Fill the sandwiches with chicken, cucumber slices, pickles, and cilantro.
Ingredients
- Warm Water, Sugar, Kosher Salt, Rice Vinegar – The pickling solution is a balanced mix of sweet, salty, and tangy flavors.
- Daikon radish – Daikon radish are a mild-flavored winter root vegetable. When pickled, daikons remain crunchy and a little sweet. Daikon radish can be found at international grocery stores, but if you don’t have it, just double up on the carrots.
- Carrots – Slice carrots into matchsticks or just purchase a bag of shredded carrots.
- Sriracha mayo – Sriracha mayo is super easy to make and tastes so much fresher than a store-bought brand. The blend of creamy mayo and spicy Sriracha is the perfect condiment for this Vietnamese sandwich.
- Baguette – French baguettes are traditionally used for banh mi, but you can also substitute hoagie rolls. Toast the baguette for a warm, flakey sandwich, or leave untoasted for a softer bite.
- Cucumber Slices – Fresh cucumber feels refreshing and crisp with the soft baguette and pickled veggies.
- Shredded cooked– Using leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken make assembling this sandwich easy.
- Cilantro Leaves – Cilantro adds a vibrant finish to all of the sweet, pickled, creamy, and spicy flavors.
Make Ahead
You can make the pickled daikon and carrots up to a month in advance. Because the vegetables must sit for at least an hour in the pickling liquid, doing so will save you about an hour in the kitchen.
Tips
- Because baguettes are a thicker style of bread, don’t be afraid to “overfill” the sandwich rolls so each bite has a little bit of each crunchy, tangy, meaty flavor.
Variations
- Try a different protein – Pork belly banh mi is a popular variation of this mouthwatering Vietnamese sandwich. You can also stuff these sandwiches with lunch meats or add pate.
- Make it spicier – Sliced jalapenos turn up the heat in the banh mi sauce. You can also pickle the jalapenos with the daikon and carrots.
FAQs
Pickling the daikon and the carrots, while leaving the cucumbers unpickled creates a beautiful contrast in flavors. While the pickled vegetables have a tangy, sweet vinegary flavor, the cucumbers remain refreshingly crisp.
When you break down what’s in a chicken banh mi sandwich, you get a light but satisfying meal that’s made with lean chicken meat, crunchy veggies, fresh herbs, and a thin layer of banh mi sauce. Not only is chicken banh mi one of the most flavorful sandwiches you can make, but most of the ingredients are nutritious whole foods.
More Asian Recipes
- Korean Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Asian Chopped Salad with Sweet Sesame Vinaigrette
- Easy Vegetarian Sushi
- Lemongrass Chicken
- Crispy Baked Spring Rolls
Favorite Tools
Pin this now to save it for later
Pin It Now
Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich Recipe
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Mason Jars
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 3 cups warm water
- 3 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
- 4 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 cup daikon radish matchsticks (if you don't have daikon radish, just double the amount of carrots you use to make the pickles)
- 1 cup carrot matchsticks
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Sriracha
- 1 baguette (substitute 4 hoagie rolls)
- 1 cup cucumber slices
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (from a rotisserie chicken or from 2 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
- 1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves (you can include the tender upper stems)
Instructions
- At least 1 hour ahead: In a small bowl, whisk together the water, sugar, salt, and rice vinegar until the sugar and salt dissolve. Layer the daikon and carrots into jars, packing them tightly. Pour the liquids over the vegetables until they are completely covered. Put the lids on the jars and refrigerate for at least an hour before assembling the sandwiches. Store the pickles in the fridge for up to a month.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise and Sriracha. Set aside.
- Slice open the baguette. You can toast it if you'd like.
- Spread both sides of the bread with Sriracha mayonnaise. Fill the sandwiches with chicken, cucumber slices, pickles, and cilantro.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s like you are the Pope and I am your disciple. We are kindred spirits in the Banh mi world. I am praying that this sandwich materializes on my desk in the next 5 seconds. Sri…racha
This just went down at our house and it was awesome! I varied things a little bit. I bought one large chicken breast, boiled it for about 10 minutes, diced it up and then covered it in the siracha mayo. It sat in the fridge while the carrots pickled. I was a little nervous about the taste but would do it all over again 🙂 thanks Inquiring Chef! Chirag was quite impressed….
Mmmm, Neuf – a little Siracha marinade, huh? Love that!
OK … chief of the senior citizens idiots here … but I can’t find ‘sriacha’ anywhere. I tried 3 grocieries over lunch to no avail, is it in come kind of a specialty store? I don’t think I’ve ever tasted it, but now my curiosity has me! Any ideas?
Doug – it’s a bit of a specialty item, but I think it should be available in the Asian food aisle of lots of grocery stores. It’s bright red, and usually comes in a bottle with a green top. I’m sure they have it at Whole Foods, but if all else fails, the Asian grocery store will definitely have it. I think you’ll really like it once you track some down! I put it in fried rice, over Asian noodles, stir-fry it with vegetables, but it might be best in this Siracha Mayo.
You had me at sriracha mayo. If I could find a way to put sriracha on everything I eat, I probably would. 🙂 Love the idea of using rotisserie chicken for a quickie filling… these would be perfect on a busy weeknight!
I’m with you Isabelle – once I discovered it, I’m always looking for a way to use it!
Chi will love these! Making them for sure!
Oh how hard it must have been to get the photos without chowing into this! Yum!