Bánh Mì has become a global ambassador of Vietnamese culture and cuisine. Similar to Pho in 2014, Banh Mi secured its place in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 2022.
In this blog post, I will take you on a journey to discover the best places to savor Bánh Mì in Vietnam and provide you with an authentic recipe to recreate this iconic sandwich at home.
Table of Contents
What is Banh Mi?
Bánh Mì literally means bread in Vietnamese, much like Naan in Persian.
Though “Banh Mi Bread” or “Banh Mi Sandwich” may appear repetitive, in Western contexts, they denote the Vietnamese-style baguette filled with various ingredients.
Originating in the late 1800s during French colonial rule in Vietnam, the baguette was introduced by the French and subsequently adapted by the locals, evolving into the beloved Bánh Mì we enjoy today.
Due to French colonization in Indochina, you could also find Cambodian Num Pang and Laotian Khao Jee Pâté, which are close sisters of Bánh Mì.
Related Recipes | Vietnamese dishes with French influence:
(Vietnamese Red Wine Beef Stew Pho)
(Vietnamese Meat Pies)
(Vietnamese Chicken in Coconut Water)
How Vietnamese love Bánh Mì
Most Vietnamese are likely to have a favorite Bánh Mì spot conveniently located near their home or workplace.
Today, Bánh Mì and Vietnamese Coffee have captured the cultural imagination in Vietnam, particularly among the youngsters, embodying the fast-paced lifestyle of modern urban life.
Let me introduce some must-try Bánh Mì options for your upcoming trip to Vietnam:
Bánh Mì Thịt Nguội or Bánh Mì Thập Cẩm
Bánh Mì Thịt Nguội is the most popular type of Bánh Mì, typically stuffed with Vietnamese-style cold cuts such as Vietnamese Pork Roll (Chả Lụa), Red Pork Belly (Thịt Đỏ), or Head Cheese (Chả Thủ).
In Vietnam, sometimes we call it Bánh Mì Sài Gòn (Saigon-style Bánh Mì).
Bánh Mì Heo Quay
Bánh Mì Heo Quay is filled with crispy pork belly (thịt heo quay). It’s also my favorite.
Bánh Mì Xíu Mại
Bánh Mì Xíu Mại is a baguette served with Xíu Mại (Vietnamese meatballs in tomato sauce). It’s a must-try dish when you travel to Đà Lạt city.
Bánh Mì Thịt Nướng or Nem Nướng
This Bánh Mì is filled with pork skewers or Vietnamese sausage skewers.
Bánh Mì Xá Xíu or Bánh Mì Thịt Xíu
The filling for Bánh Mì Xá Xíu is 5-spice pork. This Bánh Mì is popular in central cities of Vietnam like Hoian, Danang, and Hue.
Bánh Mì Chả Cá
Bánh Mì with Chả Cá (fried fish cake), a specialty from Nha Trang (my hometown).
Note: This Chả Cá is distinct from Chả Cá Lã Vọng (turmeric fish with dill) in Hanoi.
Bánh Mì Chảo
Bánh Mì Chảo (or Bò Né): a Vietnamese-styled full breakfast in which banh mi served with a hot skillet of various ingredients such as eggs, sausages, liver pâté and Vietnamese meat balls.
Bánh Mì Chay
In Vietnam, “chay” signifies vegan or vegetarian. Bánh Mì Chay is filled with vegan ingredients like tofu, seitan, or mushrooms.
Other kinds of Bánh Mì
With Sweetened Condensed Milk: The combination of warm, crispy Bánh Mì with sweetened condensed milk might sound weird, but it’s amazing.
With Egg Cream: Enjoy toasted Bánh Mì with a rich egg yolk cream (similar to Vietnamese egg coffee).
With Soup & Stew: Bánh Mì is a fantastic partner for Vietnamese soups and stews such as Bò Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew), Cà Ri Gà (Chicken Curry), Lagu Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Ragu), and Phá Lấu (Cow Intestine Stew).
Bánh Mì Ốp La: A Bánh Mì with fried eggs and a drizzle of Nước Chấm dipping sauce or Maggi soy sauce. This was my favorite breakfast at my high school canteen.
Bánh Mì Bì: Bánh Mì with Bì (shredded pork and skin). Bì is a component of Cơm Tấm (broken rice).
Bánh Mì Que: Stick Bánh Mì from Hải Phòng province with liver pâté, pork floss, and fermented chili sauce.
Bánh Mì Hấp: Steamed Bánh Mì with stir-fried jicama and ground pork.
Bánh Mì Tôm Chiên: Deep-fried Bánh Mì with shrimps.
Local Bánh Mì Recommendations
Saigon: Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa, Bánh Mì Như Lan, Bánh Mì Bảy Hổ (a 90-year-old Bánh Mì stall featured on Netflix and loved by locals), Bánh Mì Bùi Thị Xuân, Bánh Mì Chim Chạy.
Nha Trang: Bánh Mì Ba Lẹ.
Hoian: Bánh Mì Madam Khánh, Bánh Mì Sum.
Dalat: Bánh Mì Xíu Mại 79.
Hanoi: Bánh Mì 25, Bánh Mì Hội An, Bánh Mì Cô Ba (Saigon-style Banh Mi in Hanoi), Bánh Mì Chảo Cột Điện Quán.
How to prepare Banh Mi at home
Of course, you don’t need to travel to Vietnam to enjoy a Bánh Mì. Even if there are no Bánh Mì stalls nearby, you can make your own at home with just a few of my tips.
BREAD FOR BÁNH MÌ
The Vietnamese-style baguette stands out with its ultra-thin, crispy crust and airy texture , offering more room for the filling.
However, Vietnamese bread might not be the best to enjoy on its own, as it is relatively bland and lacks the deep, rich flavors of artisan or sourdough bread. (Artisan bread in Germany is just so good!)
Avoid any bread with a dense crumb.
It’s best to make your own Bánh Mì baguette or buy one from a Vietnamese bakery. However, a very crusty baguette like a French baguette will also work well.
WHAT IS INSIDE A BÁNH MÌ
Besides the main filling (which often gives the bánh mì its name), you will typically find the following in a bánh mì:
Liver pâté: Traditional Vietnamese liver pâté is made from pork or chicken liver and seasoned with five-spice seasoning.
Mayo: Vietnamese mayo is made from egg yolk and flavored with shallot oil, scallion oil, or garlic oil. It is particularly thick and creamy compared to regular mayonnaise and it doesn’t have vinegar.
Pickled carrots & daikon: Đồ Chua are thinly sliced carrots and daikon radishes pickled in a vinegar, water, and sugar brine. They add a fresh taste and crispy texture to the bánh mì.
Other veggies: Cucumber slices, green onions, cilantro, and chili add freshness to your bánh mì.
Maggi seasoning sauce: A small splash of Maggi soy sauce enhances the flavor of your bánh mì. Or you can use regular soy sauce.
There are many different protein options for your bánh mì, which you can buy from a store or prepare at home.
VIETNAMESE COLD CUTS
MEATS
SUBSTITUTES & FUSIONS
ASSEMBLE A BÁNH MÌ
Making Bánh Mì at home may seem complex due to its variety of ingredients. However, with all the necessary items on hand, many of which are store-bought, you can actually prepare it in just 10 minutes.
- Heat the baguette bread.
- Split the roll down the top middle, but leave the back part uncut.
- Spread liver pâté and mayo on both sides of the roll.
- Layer in the protein, cucumber strips, pickles, green onion, and finally, cilantro.
- Finish by adding a few slices of chili and a drizzle of Maggi Seasoning (or Soy Sauce).
How to enjoy Banh Mi
Some popular Vietnamese street food
(Fried Rice Cakes With Eggs)
(Vietnamese Pizza)
Vietnamese Bánh Mì Sandwich Recipe (From A To Z)
Ingredients
- 4 Vietnamese-styled baguettes (or any crusty bread rolls)
- Vietnamese Liver Pâté (or your prefered pâté)
- Vietnamese Mayo (or your prefered mayo)
- Đồ Chua (Pickled carrot and daikon) (to your taste)
- Cilantro
- Green Onions (thinly sliced)
- Cucumber (thinly sliced)
- Chili (thinly sliced)
- Maggi Seasoning Sauce or Soy Sauce (to your taste)
Protein Choices (according to your preferences, should total 1 lb / 500g)
- Vietnamese Ham (Chả Lụa)
- Grilled Lemongrass Chicken
- Roasted Pork Belly
Instructions
- Warm the baguette bread.
- Slice the roll down the top middle, leaving the back part uncut.
- Spread mayo and pâté on both sides of the roll.
- Fill the bread with protein, cucumber strips, đồ chua, green onion, and cilantro.
- Top it off with a few chili slices and a drizzle of Maggi Seasoning (or Soy Sauce).
Notes
- Vietnamese baguettes work best for Banh Mi, but you can also opt for any very crusty bread, like French baguettes.
- As for the filling, you can stick with traditional options like Chả Lụa (Vietnamese Ham), Thịt Heo Quay (roasted pork belly), or Thịt Đỏ (Red Pork Belly). Alternatively, feel free to use your favorite protein (no need to limit yourself).
- Liver Paté and Mayo are a must (the Vietnamese ones work best).
- Đồ Chua (Pickled Carrot & Daikon) and Maggi Seasoning Sauce (or Soy Sauce) are irreplaceable.
hi cielle! thanks for the recipe, i think your blog is soo underrated! not only do we get a little history lesson, we also get real recommendations where to eat in vietnam, as well as a breakdown of key ingredients, saying how its different from regular pate or mayo ❤️ this beats most of the banh mi recipes from big name blogs easily :)) it also makes me realise the banh mi vendors here have been a little stingy with the do chua and mayo hahah, also i rarely see daikon here in australia, usually just carrots and cucumber. perhaps it’s been westernised, as i mostly only see roast or grilled pork banh mi. it’s also really cool to learn all the names of the cold cut meats in vietnamese, i love learning new things. thanks again for the really extensive guide!
Hello Anon. Thank you for your comment, and apologies for the late reply. I was touched by your words and am glad that you found my recipe helpful. If you have any questions about Vietnamese cooking or would like to request any recipes, please feel free to let me know ^^.
Dear Cielle, Thank you for the recipes. I made Banh Mi following your blog. Bought baguette from a local vietnamese resto that bakes them. My hubby said he loves my Banh Mi, tastes so authentic with pickled radish & carrots, fresh cucumber strips & coriander, no Pate bec hubby does not like. I dare say my Banh Mi is almost as good as street vendors in vietnam. Better than some chain store in Singapore. For Protein filling I made lemon grass chicken but with leftover fillets of turkey breast. Run out of fish sauce so I used another tbsp soya sauce & added salt. Grilled it on a teflon pan & it came out super tender & moist. I will def be making more banh mi & more lemonngrass marinates. Planning to try it on Halibut fillets next time.
If you live in Singapore, I guess you could easily get roasted pork belly?? Try it with your banh mi, add some cucumber strips, cilantro, then splash on a bit of dipping fish sauce (the recipe is on my blog). It was my favorite Bánh Mì when I was still in Saigon ^^.
Thanks! Actually that’s my plan, get some cooked pork belly from supermarket for protein in my banh mi. I am on a Banh Mi adventure, trying different proteins. Just bought bratwurst from Swiss butcher today and planning to grill it to make Banh Mi. Have you tried? How do I get lemongrass flavour in? Can I marinate it like in your chicken recipe?
Hello, Ong KC. Sorry for replying late. I haven’t tried Bratwurst with Banh Mi yet. In Germany, where I live, the Bratwurst is a bit saltier than my Vietnamese flavor, but I’m not sure about the Bratwurst in Singapore. I think if I wanted to make lemongrass-infused Bratwurst, I would try marinating the sausages with some lemongrass and green onion juice (blend the lemongrass and the white part of the green onion with a bit of water, then strain through a sieve to get the juice). The juice can impart a better flavor to your protein than minced lemongrass, and when grilling, the lemongrass will not get burnt (it’s our Vietnamese tip).
Then, you could use the juice with some sugar, MSG and maybe just a very small amount of fish sauce to marinate your Bratwurst for a few hours or overnight.
I hope that it could work. If you try to make lemongrass-infused Bratwurst, let me know the result. I’m very excited to hear about it.
Thank you for the tips. I really appreciate it. Decided not to do lemongrass infused bratwurst with sauerkraut (added like pickled vegs), as I worry the flavour may be too far off to match banh mi, I will stick to authentic Vietnamese flavours. I have done another banh mi with pork liver pate bought from Swiss deli. Protein was grilled lemongrass turkey breast, this time I have replenished my fish sauce. Also I did not forget scallions and scallion oil. I did not so much taste the difference. It was the sriracha mayo that carried the taste for me. The crunchy airy bread smeared with sriracha mayo, liver pate, then stuffed with pan grilled lemongrass turkey breast, padded with pickled carrots & radish, coriander & scallion, drenched in scallion oil. Super delicious.
Next I plan to do Vietnamese meatballs banh mi.
I’m glad that you love our Bánh Mì. In Vietnam, the meatballs for Bánh Mì is called “Xíu Mại”, it’s kind of meatballs with tomato sauce. Or you could make some grilled lemongrass meatballs, they would be awesome also. Hope you will love it ^^.
I used sriracha mayo to line the inside of the halved baguette before layering the fillings. Forgot scallions but it seems not noticeable. Also no chili for me. Next time I will make pate banh mi, we had it while on vacation in Hanoi early 2023, from a chain cafe that sells plain banh mi with only pate fillings. For me that was the best.
Yes, this pâté is very good, even if you just eat it alone with banh mi. (Sticky rice or crackers are also great side dishes 😉 !)