Guess what? You DO NOT need trek wide and far to a Vietnamese neighbourhood to get your Vietnamese sandwich fix! This Banh Mi recipe covers the truly authentic meats as well as how to make an exceptional Banh Mi by just going to your everyday grocery store! 🙌🏻
Authentic tasting Banh Mi with just a trip to your local grocery store? YES YOU CAN!
Banh Mi recipe
Fellow Banh Mi lovers, this one’s for you! A recipe that’s been in the works for a very long time, with much taste-testing research done (it’s hard work, but someone’s gotta do it… 😂).
In today’s Banh Mi recipe, I’m going to show you:
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What Banh Mi vendors use – the authentic ingredients used by Banh Mi vendors here in Australia and in Vietnam;
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Vietnamese Grocery Stores – where and what to get in Vietnamese grocery stores that most closely replicates the authentic ingredients;
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Normal grocery stores – how to make a seriously authentic tasting Banh Mi with just a trip to your local grocery store (Woolies, Coles 🇦🇺🇦🇺); and
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Variations – two popular variations of the classic cold cuts version: softest ever Vietnamese Banh Mi meatballs and shredded chicken.
What is Banh Mi?
Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that’s made up of an odd sounding combination – crusty bread rolls smeared with pate, mayo, suspicious looking Asian ham, pickled vegetables, green onion, coriander/cilantro, a mighty wack of fresh chillies and drizzle of seasoning.
It tastes like a rich ham sandwich with a hit of Asian freshness. It’s a sensation of flavours and textures that’s generated a cult following all around the world. The most sought after Banh Mi vendors have lengthy queues from early morning – both here and in Vietnam!
I certainly had more than my fair share of Banh Mi when I was in Vietnam last year…. here I am getting stuck into one on the streets of Saigon. One for now, two for snacking on later…. 😇
What goes in Banh Mi
This Banh Mi recipe isn’t so much of a recipe as it is about sourcing the right ingredients and how to assemble it. Nice change, right?? No cooking! 😂
Here’s what you need:
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Vietnamese cold cuts (more info below, including subs) – or Vietnamese meatballs or chicken, two popular varieties I’m also sharing today.
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Very crusty baguettes – just really good, normal bread rolls. Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside! When you cut the baguette open, the crust should literally crumble everywhere and make a total mess! 👍🏼
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Pate – pork or chicken, the very best Banh Mi vendors make their own. Any normal pate that’s not heavily flavoured with liquor or a flavouring like orange is just fine.
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Mayo – mayo + pate creates a unique juiciness and savoury richness that we know and love about Banh Mi!
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Pickled carrot – simple to make, the soft crunch and tartness is such a great contrast to the other textures and flavours
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Cucumber, coriander/cilantro, green onion, chilli – the freshness and spiciness that we know and love about Banh Mi!
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Maggi Seasoning – or just soy sauce. Just a little drizzle to finish it off!
Meat in Banh Mi
1. Authentic Banh Mi Meat
The Banh Mi meat in the photo above is the real deal cold cuts which I purchased from a Banh Mi shop here in Sydney.
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Vietnamese “Brawn” (Thi Nguoi) – I call this “Pink Ham” and it’s probably unworldly of me to admit this, but I don’t particularly enjoy the flavour or texture. 😂 The speckles are kind of rubbery/crunchy (it’s pig skin/ears) – but when it’s bundled up with everything else in the Banh Mi, it’s part of the overall eating experience!
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Pork loaf (Cha Lua) – basically the pork version of the more common chicken loaf sold at everyday delis.
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Grilled/roast pork slices – The best Vietnamese Sandwich places use pork belly for flavour and richness. Any pork roast cold cuts work just fine here – I just get it from my local deli – or thinly sliced leftover Pork Roast!
2. Banh Mi Meat from Vietnamese grocery store
If you live near a Vietnamese grocery store*, the good news is that you can purchase the Pink Ham and Pork Loaf for a very reasonable price – and it comes vac packed so it lasts for ages.
I never managed to hunt down the sliced roast pork but other than the extra fat, the flavour is pretty similar to the roast pork cold cuts sold at everyday delis so just go with that!
* Sydney – find Vietnamese grocery stores that carry these in Vietnamese neighbourhoods such as Marrickville, Cabramatta and Homebush. Just Google “Vietnamese restaurant Homebush” and a map will pop up with a cluster of restaurants in that area – that’s where the grocery stores are too.
3. Local Grocery Store Banh Mi Meats!
OK! Now here’s the part I’m MOST excited about – the BEST substitutions for Banh Mi Meat you can buy from the deli at everyday local supermarket (Woolies, Coles 🇦🇺🇦🇺):
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Roast pork cold cuts
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Chicken loaf
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Brawn (aka head cheese)
The textures and flavours of these once combined with all the other “stuff” that’s crammed into the baguette, the overall taste is astonishingly similar to a real Banh Mi!
Different types of Banh Mi fillings
There’s actually a wide variety of fillings both in and outside of Vietnam, ranging from fish to grilled meats, pork floss, tofu and even ice cream!
The most well known ones that I’m sharing today are:
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Vietnamese hams – the classic!
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Smashed pork meatballs – hugely popular and my personal favourite. The softest meatballs in the world because they’re gently poached rather than pan fried. Very popular amongst people who are a bit suspicious of the Vietnamese cold cuts! 😂
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Shredded chicken – very popular here in Australia, especially in non ethnic suburbs (like, ahem, the Northern Beaches in Sydney were I reside…😉)
Smashed Pork Meatball Banh Mi
If you ever see me standing outside a Banh Mi shop, it’s probably because I’m paralysed with indecision, torn between sticking with the classic or going with my personal favourite – Banh Mi meatballs. 😩 (#FirstWorldProblems)
The agony of indecision is usually resolved by either: a) ensuring someone I’m with is getting the other version; b) getting one of each. 🤷🏻♀️
Banh Mi pork meatballs may well be the softest meatball you’ll ever have because they’re poached in a Vietnamese broth rather than pan fried. This makes them easy to “smash” to squish into the baguette – the soft texture makes them meld in so nicely with the pate and mayo!
See here for the recipe – Banh Mi Meatballs.
Chicken Banh Mi
Shredded chicken Banh Mi is not as common in Vietnam but hugely popular here in Sydney.
It’s also a really quick ‘n easy way to get a Banh Mi fix, and a great way to make one rotisserie chicken feed plenty of people (1 medium size probably makes 8 – 10 Banh Mi).
Banh Mi Sauce
Believe it or not, the most common sauce I see being used by Banh Mi vendors is Maggi Seasoning! Maggi Seasoning is like an Asian Worcestershire sauce – it’s got more layers of flavour than straight soy sauce.
Some shops mix their own using a combination of soy, fish sauce, garlic and sugar – I’ve provided a copycat of Maggi Seasoning in the recipe!
Maggi Seasoning is sold at large supermarkets in Australia (eg Woolies) and at Asian grocery stores.
Use leftovers like an Asian Worcestershire sauce, to add a boost of umami flavour into all things Asian! Also can use in place of soy sauce – but use about half the quantity because Maggi Seasoning is saltier.
Assembling
The irony of Banh Mi – after all that explanation and photos – is that the making part is a cinch. No harder than any normal sandwich! 😂
Here’s how it’s assembled:
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Split the roll down the top middle (not along the side like you’d normally do)
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Smear with pate then mayo on one side (both if you’re feeling super indulgent)
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Jam in the ham, cucumber strips, carrot, green onion, then lastly coriander/cilantro
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Finish with a sprinkle of chilli (go hard or go home!😂) and a little sprinkle of Maggi Seasoning (about 1/2 tsp)
How to eat it / keep it
You don’t need me to tell you how to eat a sandwich, but I’m going to tell you anyway!
The idea is that you grab the crusty roll, give it a good squeeze to make everything inside meld together and deflate so it can fit inside your mouth. (OK, so this is not an official Banh Mi Eating Technique, it’s just what I do 😂)
As you munch through it, you get breadcrumbs down the front of your (probably black) top, you’ve probably got mayo and pate smeared around your mouth, and there’s probably bits of carrot sticking out of your mouth.
You know you look totally unclassy and you just don’t care. Cause you’re eating a BANH MI!!! – Nagi x
PS Oh – the keeping part! To take it somewhere, just store the sauce separately and sprinkle just before eating. Other than that, the roll will keep for a day or so in the fridge, though it won’t be quite as crusty. I frequently get takeaway Banh Mi, and the only thing lacking is the crustiness.
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Banh Mi recipe
Ingredients
- 4 crusty long bread rolls (Note 1)
- 6 tbsp pork or chicken pate (Note 2)
- 6 tbsp mayonnaise (Note 3)
- 4 - 8 slices Thi Nguoi ("pink ham") OR brawn (aka head cheese, Note 4)
- 4 - 8 slices Cha Lua Vietnamese pork loaf OR chicken loaf (Note 5)
- 4 - 8 slices roast or grilled pork cold cuts (Note 6)
- 1.5 cups fresh coriander/cilantro sprigs (Note 7)
- 2 cucumbers , finely sliced lengthwise into long strips
- 4 green onion stems , cut into the length of the rolls
- 2 red chillies , finely sliced (or more!) (or less...)
- 2 tsp Maggi Seasoning , for drizzling (Note 8)
Pickled Carrots:
- 4 medium carrots , peeled cut into 2-3mm / 1/10" batons
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) hot water , boiled
- 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
- 4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (185ml) rice wine vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)
Other Filling Options!
- Pork meatballs for Banh Mi (Note 9)
- Shredded rotisserie or poached chicken (Note 10)
Instructions
- Split rolls down the centre of the top (see video).
- Spread 1.5 tbsp pate on one side, then 1.5 tbsp mayonnaise on top.
- Layer in the hams, cucumber slices and green onion.
- Stuff in plenty of carrots and coriander sprigs.
- Sprinkle with fresh chilli - as much as you dare!
- Drizzle with Maggi Seasoning (about 1/2 tsp per roll).
- Close sandwich together and devour!
Variations:
- Banh Mi pork meatballs - for each Banh Mi, use 3 meatballs. Shake off excess sauce, split warm meatballs in half then stuff into Banh Mi in place of the ham.
- Shredded cooked chicken - use in place of ham. I often use store bought rotisserie chicken for convenience!
Pickled Carrots
- Dissolve salt and sugar in the hot water, then add rice vinegar.
- Add carrot, then let stand for at least 1 hour - carrot should be a bit tangy, a bit floppy but still with a soft crunch.
- Drain and use per recipe.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
I know I shared this photo recently, but I only shared it on Instagram yesterday and asked people what they’d caption it. Some of the responses were so funny, I just had to share them here too!
Thanks very much for a great recipe! Especially re supermarket substitutions. I (Canadian) have spent more than 18 months, on and off, living in Vietnam and then brought my Polish girlfriend to visit there for several months. She quickly fell in love with the country and the food. Now living together in Poland, she was often lamenting that we’re unable to find Vietnamese food here (while there is a sizeable Viet community in Poland, we’re located in a smaller city). I just surprised her with this Bahn Mi and she went mental for it, sniffing the sandwich as it brought back memories, then eagerly scarfing in record time.
Also, just a bit of history re Maggi liquid seasoning. It originated in Switzerland in the latter 1800’s, becoming popular in other European countries and then spreading throughout the world. Now there are various versions with differing recipes throughout the world.
There’s an interesting NPR story called Maggi: The local seasoning from everywhere –
“ When it comes to home cooking, immigrants from countries as far apart as Nigeria, the Philippines and Poland share a common ingredient. They all use a condiment called Maggi seasoning. And they all think it belongs to them.“
I’ve tried quite a few varieties and my favourite is the Polish version (“Maggi Przyprawa”). It’s the only version that still constrains Lovage Herb extract, as with the original Swiss recipe (Lovage Herb is known colloquially in German and Dutch as “ Maggi Plant”)
Best regards, and thanks again
Woah that’s interesting Jopes, I wasn’t aware of this!! Thanks so much for sharing, I truly love learning new things! N x
What do you use to cut your carrot like that please? Do you have a video showing us how to cut into batons? Thank you.
I use a mandoline slicer with a julienne attachment. Many food processors probably have that attachment too.
Hi Nagi,
Re keeping, I usually buy 10 and ask for all salad separately. Keep in fridge for a day or two and heat up using the sandwich press ‘Melt’ function so it doesn’t squish the rolls (also drizzle/spray water mist on the bread before heating) to give it the extra crunch! Take out 1 -2 mins, touch n feel to your liking. Add all your salad (I always cut my own fresh cucumbers) and chillies and enjoy the crunch and freshness!
Yummy! Added your Vietnamese meatballs to some sliced pork. The crunch of the carrots are the best! Thanks Nagi 😋
Where to you buy your chicken or pork pate? It’s not chicken liver pate is it?
Hi Nagi – I normally never comment on anything online but I just had to leave one here as a fellow Sydneysider – thank you so much for this recipe!
It turned out really great and now you’ve just saved me $50 a week because that’s how much I spend on Banh Mi during my lunch breaks 🙂 Thanks a bunch, you’re a deadset legend!
PS – Hope the Northern Beaches quarantine doesn’t affect you too bad. Take care!
Wahoo!!! Perfect Madura! You can even make the meatballs and store them in the freezer for emergency Banh Mi! N x
Nagi – you’ve got to stop showing us how to make such yummy food – we’re hooked!!
BTW I have a son if you are single 😉 – please marry him and bring Dozer with you❤️
Hi Nagi, where do you buy your bread rolls from? In Dee Why? Thanks.
Another beaches local here – we buy rolls from Vans Hot Bread in DY. Their delicious rolls are also stocked at IGA Elanora Heights, Green St Grocer in Brookvale and probably heaps of other places…
Great, thanks Jasmine.
Hi Nagi,
My local Vietnamese eatery makes best in the world bahn mi and the filling I’m hooked on is the five spice crackling pork roast! Totally out of this world!
When I go for a home-made version, I stick to your recipe and opt for chicken or pork roast that I make myself. Tastes amazing too! But would love to try and make the take- away version with 5 spices but no clue how to achieve that level of awesome.
Any possibility you could share a recipe for 5 spice crackling pork roast ???
Love, Sil x
The Char Sui is marinating in the fridge for dinner tonight, fingers crossed there are enough leftovers to make bahn mi’s tomorrow for dinner as it’s going to be a hot one and these look fresh and tasty for a no cook dinner!
This is the recipe that started me on my “Nagi journey”…. it’s fabulous. Thank you. I love that Coles sell Vietnamese rolls now too.
I love your column, I love Vietnamese food, I’m learning to prepare banh mi.
I want to learn to make the pickled carrot
Hi Edna – the pickled carrots is all there in the recipe on this page. N x
How long do the pickled carrots last in the fridge and what’s the best way to store them? PS huge fan of your recipes, have lover every single recipe I’ve tried!!
Hi T, You can store them in the pickling liquid – I’ve kept mine for up to 2 weeks. N x
Nagi, I LOVE that you put an exclamation mark after the word ‘Banh Mi’ – thoroughly deserved!! I’m new to your recipes and have made a number of dishes already. We love them!!
All the detailed information on here is amazing! I’ve always been nervous to buy the vietnamese deli meats (Just in case I buy the wrong one and am not sure what to do with it) but after reading this post it has renewed my confidence when shopping for these ingredients! 😅
excellent
Exactly like the Vietnamese rolls you can buy! The seasoning is spot on! Thanks so much for this recipe.
I’m so glad you loved it Nikita! N x
I grew up in SE Louisiana eating ‘head cheese’ and it is delightful on a bahn mi. I also add pickled daicon radish. I moved to Bangkok and now have to make them myself which is why I came to your site. I like your site very much. Thank you.
I love this RametinNonta!! N x
I made this for dinner tonight with the pork meatballs and it was AMAZING. We’ve been craving Banh Mi since our local Vietnamese restaurant closed down and this really hit the spot.
You forgot to add the pickled daikon! This is a classic ingredient in traditional pork rolls
Hi Rosa – yes you definitely can! Add it to the pickled carrot and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks 🙂 N x
Yes! this is a ditto of the ones sold in viet store ….however am not too fond of vietnamese mystery meat BUT the addition of your CHAR SIU was awesome!!! ….also love your well tested recipes
Yes perfect Jean 🙂 N x