Banh Mi
Crusty baguette with grilled pork, pickled veg, and cilantro.
Ingredients
- 1 Baguette
- 300 g Pork belly
- ½ White radish
- 1 Carrot
- ½ Cucumber
- 2 tbsp Fish sauce
- 3 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 4 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Julienne the daikon and carrot and pickle them in the vinegar and sugar for at least 20 minutes.
- Thinly slice the pork and coat it in the fish sauce and a pinch of the sugar.
- Leave the pork to rest in the marinade, ideally at least 20 minutes, while the pickles sit.
- Grill the pork over high heat until caramelised and cooked through.
- Slice the cucumber, then split and lightly toast the baguette.
- Spread the mayo, then layer the pork, drained pickles, cucumber, and cilantro.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Banh Mi
Banh mi is the sandwich born from Vietnam's French colonial era, when the airy baguette met local ingredients and became something entirely its own. What defines it is contrast stacked into a single crusty roll: rich, savory protein against bright, sour pickles, cool cucumber, fresh cilantro, and a slick of mayonnaise. This version grills fish-sauce-marinated pork until it caramelizes, then layers it into a lightly toasted baguette so the crust shatters while the crumb stays soft enough to yield.
The pickled daikon and carrot are the key move — julienned and steeped in vinegar and sugar for at least twenty minutes, they turn sharp and crunchy and do the work of cutting through the fatty pork. The marinade doubles as a rest period, giving the fish sauce time to season the meat before it hits high heat. It's built for lunch or a fast dinner, eaten out of hand, and it rewards a little patience at the two waiting stages: the pickles need their soak and the pork its marinade. Drain the pickles well before building so the bread stays crisp rather than soggy.
Banh Mi: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Banh Mi?
A serving has about 1314 calories — 30.5g protein, 88.2g carbs, 93.1g fat, 6g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 30.5g of protein, roughly 9% of its calories.
Is Banh Mi gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Baguette. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Banh Mi take to make?
About 40 minutes start to finish, but only around 21 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Banh Mi?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out cilantro — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Banh Mi make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.