Vietnamese Banh Mi Bowl: All the Flavor, No Bread Required

⏱ Marinate: 30 min, overnight 🔥Cook: 15 min 👤Serves: 4 🌶Heat: Adjustable

Vietnamese banh mi bowl takes everything that makes the classic baguette sandwich so good, marinated pork, tangy pickled carrot and daikon, cool cucumber, a spicy mayo drizzle and puts it over rice instead of bread. Everything that made the sandwich great is still here. You’re just eating it with a fork. Quick to put together on a weeknight, and just as good packed for lunch the next day.

Ingredients

For the pork

• 1 lb pork tenderloin or ground pork, sliced thin if using tenderloin. Ground pork cooks faster for a quicker weeknight version.
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the quick pickled vegetables

• 1 cup carrots, julienned or shredded
• 1 cup daikon radish, julienned, or substitute red radish if daikon isn’t available
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the bowls

• 3 cups cooked jasmine or white rice
• 1 English cucumber, sliced thin
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1–2 teaspoons sriracha, adjust for heat
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce, stirred into the mayo
• Fresh cilantro, for garnish
• Sliced jalapeño, optional
• Lime wedges

Step by step

1. Marinate the pork. Whisk together soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, garlic, ginger and pepper. Add the pork, tossing to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight for deeper flavor.
2. Quick pickle the vegetables. In a bowl, combine carrots and daikon with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.The longer these sit, the better, even just 30 minutes gives good tang and crunch, but an hour or more lets the vegetables soften slightly while still keeping their bite.
3. Cook the pork. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the pork until browned and cooked through, about 3–4 minutes per side for sliced tenderloin, or 6–8 minutes for ground pork, breaking it up as it cooks.
4. Make the sriracha mayo. Stir together mayonnaise, sriracha and soy sauce until smooth. Taste and adjust the heat.
5. Assemble the bowls. Divide rice between four bowls. Top with the cooked pork. Use a slotted spoon to add the pickled vegetables, leaving the excess liquid behind. Add cucumber slices, cilantro and jalapeño if using. Drizzle generously with sriracha mayo. Serve with lime wedges.Using a slotted spoon for the pickled vegetables matters, straight pickling liquid poured into the bowl waters down the rice and makes everything soggy by the time you’re halfway through eating.

What makes it taste like banh mi

A classic banh mi sandwich gets its identity from a specific combination, savory marinated protein, tangy pickled vegetables, and a creamy, spicy mayo, all balanced against soft bread. Take away the bread and put the same combination over rice, and the flavor profile carries through completely. Nothing about what makes banh mi taste like banh mi depends on the baguette.

Make it your own

Claire’s note

Chicken works just as well as pork here, marinate the same way and grill or pan-sear until cooked through. For a vegetarian version, swap in pan-seared tofu marinated in the same mixture minus the fish sauce, using a splash of soy sauce in its place. Store-bought pickled vegetables work in a pinch if you’re short on time. Leftover components keep well separately, rice and pork for 3–5 days, pickled vegetables up to a week in their liquid, and the mayo for about 5 days. Add fresh toppings just before serving each time.

Serve with

Vietnamese banh mi bowl is a complete meal on its own, protein, vegetables and rice all in one bowl. For more from the Asian collection the complete Asian recipes guide has it all.

Add Vietnamese banh mi bowl to your weekly meal planner, marinate the pork the night before for an easy weeknight dinner. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.

Vietnamese Banh Mi Bowl

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• Author: Claire Bennett
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Diet: None

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Description

A delightful Vietnamese Banh Mi Bowl featuring marinated pork, tangy pickled vegetables, and a spicy mayo drizzle over rice.

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Ingredients

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• 1 lb pork tenderloin or ground pork, sliced thin if using tenderloin
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup carrots, julienned or shredded
• 1 cup daikon radish, julienned (or substitute red radish)
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups cooked jasmine or white rice
• 1 English cucumber, sliced thin
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1–2 teaspoons sriracha (adjust for heat)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (stirred into the mayo)
• Fresh cilantro (for garnish)
• Sliced jalapeño (optional)
• Lime wedges

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Instructions

1. Marinate the pork. Whisk together soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, garlic, ginger, and pepper. Add the pork, tossing to coat. Marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight for deeper flavor.
2. Quick pickle the vegetables. In a bowl, combine carrots and daikon with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Cook the pork. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the pork until browned and cooked through, about 3–4 minutes per side for sliced tenderloin, or 6–8 minutes for ground pork, breaking it up as it cooks.
4. Make the sriracha mayo. Stir together mayonnaise, sriracha, and soy sauce until smooth. Taste and adjust the heat.
5. Assemble the bowls. Divide rice between four bowls. Top with the cooked pork. Use a slotted spoon to add the pickled vegetables, leaving the excess liquid behind. Add cucumber slices, cilantro, and jalapeño if using. Drizzle generously with sriracha mayo. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

For a quick weeknight dinner, marinate the pork the night before. Leftover components keep well separately, with rice and pork lasting 3–5 days, pickled vegetables up to a week, and mayo around 5 days.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Grilling
• Cuisine: Vietnamese

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 500
• Sugar: 10g
• Sodium: 800mg
• Fat: 20g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 60g
• Fiber: 4g
• Protein: 25g
• Cholesterol: 60mg