Hot & Sweet Chicken Banh Mi

A sandwich flavor bomb.

4-6 sandwiches
1 hour
Ethan Chlebowski

Ingredients

“Char sui-ish” mayo chicken

  • Chicken Thighs
    41 lb / 450 g
  • Salt
    5 g1%
  • Mayonnaise
    40 g
  • Hoisin
    20 g
  • Honey
    15 g
  • Sriracha
    10 g
  • Soy Sauce
    10 g
  • Garlic
    1 clove
  • Chinese Five Spice
    a sprinkle
  • Black Pepper
    a sprinkle

Quick pickled carrots & radish

  • Carrots, julienned
    2
  • Daikon radish, julienned
    1
  • Water
    250 g1 part
  • Vinegar
    250 g1 part
  • Sugar
    20 g4%
  • Salt
    10 g2%

Chile garlic honey

  • Dried bird's eye chiles
    6
  • Garlic
    4 cloves
  • Honey
    a spoonful

Remaining sandwich components

  • Baguettes, 4-6
  • Cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • Cilantro, chopped
  • Jalapeños, thinly sliced
  • Mayonnaise
  • Maggi Seasoning

Method

Step 1: Marinate the chicken

In a large bowl, mix together all chicken marinade ingredients. Add the chicken to the bowl, and sprinkle evenly with salt.

Use your hands to massage the marinade into the chicken until everything is well coated. Let the chicken for around 30 minutes while you complete the next steps.

  • Note: The mayo in the marinade helps the spices stick to the chicken and creates a better crust during the searing process.

Step 2: Pickle the carrots & radish

Start the liquid: pour the water and vinegar into a pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, add the julienned carrots and watermelon radishes to a bowl. Sprinkle in the salt and sugar and lightly massage the vegetables to start softening them.

Pour the hot liquid over the carrots and radish. Stir to combine and completely dissolve the sugar and salt. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

  • Store in a mason jar or airtight container in the fridge for several weeks.

Step 3: Make the chile-garlic honey

Remove the stem and seeds from the dried chilies. Add the dried chiles to a bowl. In a kettle or pot, boil some water and pour it over the chiles. Set them aside for 5-10 minutes to rehydrate.

Toss the rehydrated chiles into a mortar and pestle with a sprinkle of salt. Bash and grind the chiles until a smooth paste forms. Add in the garlic cloves and continue mashing until a rough paste is reached.

Transfer to a container, add the spoonful of honey, and mix everything to combine. Taste it and add salt or more honey as needed. Caution: this will be spicy.

  • Store in the fridge for several weeks.

Step 4: Sear the chicken

Heat a cast iron or griddle over medium-high heat, then lay down the marinated chicken pieces in one even layer on the pan.

them until they are golden brown and crisp on one side (usually about 3-4 minutes). Flip and continue to sear until the other sides are browned and their internal temperature has reached at least 165°F/73°C.

  • Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Step 5: Assemble the sandwich

Thinly slice the chicken thighs across the grain.

Slice open the baguettes, but don’t go all the way through, leaving a “hinge” on one side. Optionally scrape out some of the bread from the interior to make more room for fillings.

First, slather mayo on both insides of the bread, then a thin layer of the chili garlic paste, and a few dashes of Maggi seasoning all around. Layer in a portion of sliced chicken, fresh vegetables, and finally, pickled carrots and radishes.

Close the sandwiches and enjoy.

“My version of the banh mi keeps all the core elements but modifies them to my tastes and the home kitchen. If you want to make your own baguettes for this, you can find my recipe for those here.”

Ethan Chlebowski
Creator

Watch & Cook

Nutritional Information

PER SANDWICH
Calories620
82g
20g
27g

FAQ

What’s up with the chile-garlic honey? Any substitutes for the dried birds eye chile?

Traditionally banh mi sandwiches include a element like jalapeños. Feel free to just include a fresh pepper or even Sriracha. This recipe levels it up with the chili paste which brings more complexity through the dried chilies and a bit of from the honey to balance it out.

  • Note: the dried bird's eye chilies are very spicy. If you can’t find them, dried arbol chilies are a close substitute. For a less spicy paste, you could use chipotle or guajillo peppers instead.

What is Maggi seasoning? Any substitutes?

Maggi is a liquid condiment that is very and and is commonly dashed onto the sandwich to bring a final element of seasoning. You can substitute fish sauce or soy sauce for a similar effect.

Can I make this with other meats or fillings?

Definitely. Feel free to use the on chicken breast, steak, or pork. Traditionally, banh mi’s can have many different meat fillings, including cold cuts, pate, or even meatballs!