Hand holding Grilled Chicken Vietnamese Banh Mi held by hand

Vietnamese  Chicken Banh Mi Recipe

It’s been a while since we’ve talked about Vietnamese Banh Mi. Not sure why we don’t share more of our banh mi recipes. It’s definite one of our go-to sandwiches when we’re craving a flavorful Vietnamese sandwich. The last banh mi recipe we shared was egons ago and it was the hard-core fried egg banh mi. It was received with rave reviews but seriously, it’s hard to not drool over anything topped with a fried egg. Vietnamese sandwiches are just too good to not have it at least once a week so to satisfying all our cravings, we have tons of variations! If you’re hankering for a pork version, then our family-inspired caramelized pork belly banh mi will really hit the spot.

cutting board with sliced Vietnamese marinated banh mi chicken by whiteonricecouple.com

Grilled Chicken Vietnamese Banh Mi on a cutting board

Make a Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Our grilled chicken banh mi recipe is long overdue and it’s way easier than most folks think. The only challenge is the finding or baking the right banh mi french-style bread that’s light, crispy, fluffy and not dense. We’re in Southern California where Vietnamese bakeries are plentiful and we can easily buy a perfectly light and crispy loaf that was baked a few hours ago. But if your only resource is a regular market, then any baguette, soft hoagie or bread can work. As long as you have the flavorful grilled chicken and some of the sandwich trimmings, you’re well on your way to a fantastic homemade Viet-style Chicken Banh Mi. Or if you’re wanting a salad version, add this flavorful chicken to a salad with all the banh mi topping. Basically, everything without the bread. Here’s the Vietnamese Chicken salad recipe.

Enjoy,

diane and todd

Platter of Vietnamese chicken banh mi assembly and glass of beer

Hand holding Grilled Chicken Vietnamese Banh Mi by WhiteOnRicecouple.com

Grilled Vietnamese Chicken Banh Mi

Banh mi is all about the assembly and gathering all the filling components. If you don’t have them all, that’s totally ok. Or add your personal favorite sandwich toppings. But try not to skimp out on the fish sauce for the chicken marinade because that’s where the Vietnamese flavor comes in. If you have the tasty chicken and some bread, it’s still an AMAZING sandwich!
Makes about 4 sandwiches.
5 from 4 votes

Ingredients

For the Vietnamese Chicken

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast (if chicken breast is thick, slice them thin lengthwise)
  • 3 Tablespoons cooking oil
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic , minced
  • 2 Tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce, but fish sauce tastes totally better)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

For The Banh Mi Assembly (Not All Required):

  • 1 french baguette (soft centered crumb, crispy crust)
  • 1/4 cup pork liver pate , or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise , or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce , or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce , or to taste
  • pickled carrots and daikon Recipe for carrot/daikon pickles here.
  • fresh cilantro
  • thin slices of chili pepper
  • thin slices of cucumber

Equipment

  • Grill

Instructions 

  • In bowl combine oil, garlic, fish sauce and black pepper. Stir well. Add chicken mix chicken into the marinade, coating all the chicken pieces. Cover and set aside for about 20 minutes. You can marinade the chicken up to one day ahead of time.
  • Pre-heat grill to medium-high heat. Scrape the grill grates to make sure they are clean.
  • Place the chicken on the grill. Grill the chicken for about 2-4 minutes per side, or until slightly charred and the chicken is cooked through.
    For thicker pieces of thigh or breast, grill each side a second time for another 2-4 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
  • Slice the chicken into strips. Cut the baguette to the lengths you want each sandwich. Slit the baguette pieces lengthwise.
  • Assemble the sandwich: Layer all your favorite spreads (pate, mayo, soy sauce, etc.) and then fill in your favorite toppings (pickled carrots & daikon, cilantro, cucumber, etc.) into the sandwich along with the chicken. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 495kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 99mg, Sodium: 1504mg, Potassium: 548mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 4125IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 66mg, Iron: 3mg

Here’s all our Banh Mi Recipes for you to devour. If you make any of these recipes, please share it with us on social media! We love seeing your delicious creations from your home kitchen!

Grilled Chicken Vietnamese Banh Mi step by step photos

Grilled Chicken Vietnamese Banh Mi on a cutting board