Bánh mì gà nướng – Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Sandwich
With a crispy texture, flavorful, juicy grilled chicken, and crunchy sour pickled carrots and daikon in every bite, these Banh Mi Ga Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Chicken sandwiches) may just be the sandwich of your dreams.
These might fool you with their gourmet vibes, but trust me, they’re super easy to whip up.Looking back to my high school days, I used to eat Banh Mi Ga Nuong in the morning because it was an affordable and quick meal that we could offer.
Currently, my family and I live in the USA. However, that memory still evokes the flavorful taste of my childhood, so I usually make a Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Sandwich for my child.
Tonight, we had sandwiches with grilled chicken for dinner, and Kenny smothered her still-warm, juicy, golden chicken thighs with the aromatic, spicy flavour of lemongrass.
She declared it the best chicken she’s ever had. I swear, my first thought every morning isn’t deep or profound—it’s pure excitement about getting to eat that bowl again for lunch.
This dish is like a little symphony – the crispy texture of the bread, the juiciness of the chicken thighs, the crunchiness and sourness of the pickled carrots and daikon, combined with a hint of spicy jalapeno and cilantro.
All of that makes the taste blow up. If you want to keep things simple, just stick with the chicken, the pickled stuff, and the bread.
What is a Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Sandwich (Bánh Mì Gà Nướng)?
Bánh Mì Gà Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Sandwich) is a variation of the Vietnamese sandwich, originating from the combination of a French baguette, grilled meats, and pickled vegetables to balance the taste for the native Vietnamese palate.
This dish does not have a single origin, but rather represents the development of Vietnamese street food, particularly in Saigon.
Instead of just using pate and butter or cheese, Vietnamese sandwiches are added with other ingredients such as grilled chicken, grilled pork, pickles, cucumbers, cilantro and sauces to create a flavorful taste.
Vietnamese bread originated from the French baguette, which was introduced to Vietnam in the 19th century, particularly to Saigon in 1859.
The French colonial expedition to conquer Gia Dinh brought bread closer to the people. Initially, this food was viewed by our people as a snack, rather than a main dish.
Bread is used to supplement a meal, not as a complete meal in itself. Gradually, bread has become a staple of Vietnamese cuisine. Over time, the Vietnamese have modified it, making the bread shorter and adding various types of fillings, which has developed it into a popular street food.
Combination with grilled chicken: Grilled chicken is a favourite meat of many people, and combining it with bread is a new and creative variation.
Vietnamese grilled chicken sandwiches can be prepared in many different ways, from shredded grilled chicken to honey-grilled chicken and lemongrass-grilled chicken, accompanied by special sauces.
Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments
- Chicken thighs: You can substitute with deboned chicken wings, drumsticks, or any other part of the chicken you prefer, but remember that white meat tends to be drier than dark meat.
- Baguettes: Vietnamese baguettes are the classic choice here—they’re lighter with a more delicate crust. But hey, if French baguettes are all you’ve got, they’ll do the job!
- Pickled carrots and daikon ( Đồ Chua): You can substitute pickled cucumber, pickled kohlrabi or any sour stuff.
- Veggies & Garnish: Cucumber, cilantro: You can substitute with any other vegetables or garnishes you prefer.
- Honey: You can prepare with sugar
- Vinegar: White vinegar, apple vinegar or distilled vinegar
- Fish sauce: If you don’t like fish sauce
- Minced Garlic
- Minced Shallot
- Sliced lemongrass
- Aromatics: Cilantro
- Spices: Five-spice powder, pepper
Oyster Sauce, Cooking oil, MSG, Pepper, Mayonnaise, soy sauce, Granulated sugar
How to make Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Sandwich (Bánh Mì Gà Nướng)?
With just a few simple steps, Bánh Mì Gà Nướng, also known as a Vietnamese Grilled Chicken sandwich, is incredibly easy to prepare.
If you already have the Pickled carrots and Daikon ( Đồ Chua ) or any pickled things, you can skip the instructions for making pickled carrots and daikon and move on to marinating and grilling the marinated chicken
Making the Vietnamese Pickled carrots and daikon
Add salt and granulated sugar to a pot, mix to dissolve, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, add the vinegar, remove the pan from the heat, and set it aside to cool to room temperature.
While the water is cooling, peel the daikon and carrot, then julienne them into small matchsticks. You can see in the images above for detailed step-by-step instructions on how to julienne daikon and carrots.
In a large bowl, evenly sprinkle sliced daikon and carrots with salt and toss to coat. Soak for 30 minutes.
Rinse thoroughly to remove the salt, and then, in small handfuls, squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
Add the julienned daikon and carrots into a jar, then pour the pickling water to the top. Close the lid and let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Then, store it in the refrigerator.
For more specifics, you can learn how to make Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon (Đồ chua)
Marinate the chicken
You should prepare minced garlic, minced shallot, sliced lemongrass, five-spice powder, MSG, pepper, salt, fish sauce, and cooking oil, then put them together with the deboned chicken.
Mix all the ingredients and let them marinate for about 30 minutes (overnight is best for optimal flavour).
Marinate the deboned chicken with the mixed sauce in a bowl or bag for at least 3 hours, but overnight is best.
Notice: Before cooking, remove the marinated chicken from the fridge for about an hour.
Tips: You can add 1-2 spoons of pineapple juice. It helps tenderise meat by breaking down proteins and connective tissue faster, making it more tender.
Grill the chicken
You can grill the marinated chicken with a cast-iron skillet or grill pan, but in this recipe, I will use the air fryer because it’s much simpler to use than the others.
Place the marinated chicken in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes on each side, flipping once. It’s done once it’s turned brown or it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Assemble the Bánh Mì Gà Nướng
Spread a spoonful of mayonnaise and soy sauce inside each bread. Fill the grilled chicken, sliced cucumber, pickled daikon and carrots, and cilantro.
If you want it spicier, add the jalapeno or chile sauce.
Storage & Leftovers
It’s best to store leftovers in a tight container in the fridge. You need to let the grilled chicken cool completely before storing it. The separated chicken will last in the refrigerator for up to five days.
If you assemble all the ingredients together, it’s best to eat it on the same day.
Bánh mì gà nướng – Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Equipments
- 1 Air fryer
Ingredients
Pickled carrots and daikon
- 1 Small carrot ( julienned : 0.3 lb)
- 1 Medium daikon ( julienned : 1 lb)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- 1 cups water
The marinade and chicken
- 1 tbsp five-spice powder
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tps pepper
- 1 tbsp honey
- 3 Shallots (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (cut into pieces)
- 1 lb boned chicken thighs 4 chiken thighs
Herbs and Sandwiches
- 4 loaves bread or Baguettes
- 2 cucumber sliced
- 1 jalapeno sliced
- Mayonnaise, Soy sauce ( optional)
Instructions
- Start by preparing the daikon and carrots. Add the julienned carrots and daikon to a bowl and coat them with the salt. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly to remove the salt and squeeze as much water as possible. Mix the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar until dissolved. Put the squeezed carrots and daikon in a jar, then add them.
- Then prepare the chicken. In the large bowl, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, the fish sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, sugar, salt, minced shallots, minced garlic, sliced lemongrass, and honey. Mix all the ingredients and let them marinate for about 30 minutes.
- Put the marinated chicken in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes on each side, flipping once. It’s done once it’s turned brown or it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
- To assemble the sandwiches, open each piece of bread and spread mayonnaise and soy sauce on both sides. Fill with the Vietnamese pickled daikon and carrots. Slice the grilled chicken, and add it to the sandwiches, along with sliced cucumber and cilantro. Serve!
