Vietnamese Bánh Mì Sandwich Recipe (From A To Z) (2024)

The Bánh Mì Sandwich is a Vietnamese-French influenced dish that introduces Vietnamese culture and cuisine to the world. In 2022, just as “pho” did back in 2014, the term “Banh Mi” earned its official spot in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

In this blog post, I will guide you on where you can enjoy Bánh Mì in Vietnam and how to prepare an authentic Bánh Mì Sandwich at home, just like a Vietnamese.

🙋‍♀️ What is Banh Mi?

“Bánh Mì” literally means bread in Vietnamese, much like “Naan” in Persian.

While “Banh Mi Bread” or “Banh Mi Sandwich” may seem somewhat redundant, in the West, they refer specifically to the Vietnamese-style baguette filled with various ingredients.

Bánh Mì has its roots in the late 1800s during the French colonial period in Vietnam. The French brought the baguette to Vietnam, and the Vietnamese started stuffing it with locally adapted ingredients, giving rise to the Bánh Mì we love today.

Vietnamese dishes with French influence

🌟 The locally loved Banh Mi in Vietnam

I mean, any Vietnamese would likely have their favorite Bánh Mì food stall conveniently nearby their home or workplace.

Now, Bánh Mì and Vietnamese iced coffee have become a cultural phenomenon in Vietnam, especially among young people, as they symbolize the fast-paced lifestyle.

Bánh Mì Thịt Nguội or Bánh Mì Thập Cẩm is the most popular type of Bánh Mì, typically filled with Vietnamese-styled cold cuts like Ham (Chả Lụa), Red Pork Belly (Thịt Đỏ), or Head Cheese (Chả Thủ).

Bánh Mì Heo Quay features crispy pork belly (my personal favorite).

Bánh Mì Xíu Mại: Banh mi with Vietnamese meatballs, a specialty from Da Lat.

Bánh Mì Thịt Nướng or Nem Nướng is filled with pork skewers or Vietnamese sausage skewers.

Bánh Mì Thịt Xíu highlights 5-spice pork, a specialty from Hoi An.

Bánh Mì Chả Cá includes fried fish cake, a specialty from Nha Trang (my hometown)

Bánh Mì Chảo (or Bò Né): a Vietnamese-styled full breakfast in which banh mi served with a hot pan of various ingredients such as eggs, sausages, liver pâté and Vietnamese meat balls.

Bánh Mì Chay: a Bánh Mì filled with vegan ingredients such as tofu, seitan, or mushrooms.

We also enjoy Bánh Mì some simple ways like:

• Dipping it in sweetened condensed milk: the combination of warm and crispy Bánh Mì with condensed milk may sound weird, but it’s an amazing combo.
• Pairing it with Vietnamese egg coffee.

Where to eat:

Saigon:

• Bánh Mì Huỳnh Hoa
• Bánh Mì Như Lan
• Bánh Mì Bảy Hổ (a 90-year-old Bánh Mì stall featured on Netflix and beloved by locals).
• Bánh Mì Bùi Thị Xuân
• Bánh Mì Chim Chạy

Nha Trang:

• Bánh Mì Ba Lẹ

Hoi An:

• Bánh Mì Madam Khánh
• Bánh Mì Sum

Hanoi:

• Bánh Mì 25
• Bánh Mì Hội An
• Bánh Mì Cô Ba (Saigon-style Banh Mi in Hanoi)
• Bánh Mì Chảo Cột Điện Quán

📝 Prepare Banh Mi at home

Of course, you don’t need to travel to Vietnam right now to grab a Banh Mi. Even if there are no Banh Mi stalls nearby, you can still make your own Bánh Mì at home with just a few of my tips.

Bread for Banh Mi

The Vietnamese-style baguette stands out with its ultra-thin and crispy crust. It’s also quite airy with less crumb, providing more room for the filling.

The Vietnamese bread may not be the best to enjoy on its own because it’s rather bland and lacks the deep, rich flavors found in artisan or sourdough bread. (Well, artisan bread in Germany is just so good!!)

Avoid any bread with a dense crumb. It’s ideal if you can either make your own Bánh Mì baguette or purchase one from a Vietnamese bakery. Alternatively, any very crusty baguette, such as a French baguette, will also work fine.

What is inside Banh Mi

Inside a Banh Mi, there are typically several ingredients:

Liver Pâté: A traditional Vietnamese liver pâté usually crafted from pork or chicken livers and seasoned with a blend of five-spice seasoning.

Mayo: Vietnamese mayo is made from egg yolks and infused with shallot oil, scallion oil, or garlic oil, without any vinegar. It is notably thick and creamy compared to regular mayo.

Pickled carrot & daikon (Don’t skip this!): Đồ Chua is thinly sliced carrots and daikon radish pickled in a brine of vinegar, water, and sugar. They add a fresh flavor and crunchy texture to your Banh Mi.

Sliced cucumber, green onion, cilantro and chili: These ingredients provide freshness and a spicy kick to your Banh Mi.

Maggi seasoning sauce: small drizzle of Maggi soy sauce can enhance the flavor of your Banh Mi. Alternatively, you can use your regular soy sauce.

Protein choices are versatile. You can fill your Banh Mi with various options, whether store-bought or homemade.

• Bánh Mì Ốp La: sunny-side-up eggs & nước chấm. My favorite breakfast at the high school’s canteen.
• Vietnamese cold cuts:
  • Chả Lụa (Vietnamese pork roll)
  • Chả Quế (Vietnamese cinnamon sausage)
  • Chả Thủ (Vietnamese headcheese)
  • Nem Chua (fermented pork paste)
• Gà Nướng: Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Chicken
• Thịt Heo Quay: crispy roasted pork belly
• Thịt Nướng & Nem Nướng: grilled pork and grilled pork sausage

Substitutes and Fusions:

• Regular sausages and ham from your local super markets.
• Chicken Teriyaki
• Gochujang Chicken
• Gà roti (Vietnamese Rotisserie Chicken)

Assemble the Bánh Mì

Bánh Mì might initially appear challenging to prepare at home due to its numerous ingredients. However, if you have all the necessary ingredients ready (many of which are store-bought), you can actually whip it up 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, đồ chua, 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 Sandwich

Vietnamese people love eating Bánh Mì anytime during the day, but it’s particularly well-suited for a quick breakfast (although many are more into piping bowls of Phở or fancy Cơm Tấm for breakfast).

Bánh Mì is an excellent choice for a picnic or camping trip. You can either assemble Banh Mi at home or bring all the ingredients and put it together at your campsite.

Banh Mi Charcuterie Board, the deconstructed version of Bánh Mì, is also a creative idea for your potluck parties or family gatherings.

For me, I simply love having Bánh Mì with milk tea for breakfast, and my caramel milk tea is always the best choice.