This banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) is made with chicken and full of pickled vegetables. My husband works around a lot of Vietnamese restaurants, and I was making him bring me home these tasty sandwiches. Finally I attempted to make one, and here it is. I also love the pickled vegetables, so I make sure there are plenty of those.
Ingredients
- rice vinegar: 0.5 cup
- white sugar: 0.25 cup
- water: 0.25 cup
- carrots: 0.25 cup (matchstick-cut)
- daikon radish: 0.25 cup (matchstick-cut; peeled)
- white onion: 0.25 cup (thinly sliced)
- skinless, boneless chicken breast half: 1 piece
- garlic salt: 1 pinch (to taste)
- ground black pepper: 0 piece (to taste)
- French baguette: 1 piece (12 inch)
- mayonnaise: 4 Tbsp
- cucumber: 0.25 cup (thinly sliced)
- cilantro leaves: 1 Tbsp (fresh)
- jalapeño pepper: 1 small (cut into 1/16 inch matchsticks)
- lime: 1 wedge
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Combine rice vinegar, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Allow the mixture to cool.
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Place carrot, radish, and onion in a bowl. Pour in cooled vinegar mixture and let marinate at least 30 minutes.
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While vegetables marinate, set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler. Lightly oil a slotted broiler pan.
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Sprinkle chicken breast with garlic salt and pepper.
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Place chicken on the prepared pan and broil, turning once, until browned and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes per side.
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Place chicken on a cutting board. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
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Slice baguette in half lengthwise. Pull out the soft center of the bread, leaving a cavity for the fillings.
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Lightly toast baguette under the broiler, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Drain off excess vinegar mixture after vegetables have marinated.
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To assemble the sandwich, spread each half of toasted baguette with mayonnaise. Layer chicken on the bottom half of the bread. Top with cucumber, drained pickled vegetables, cilantro, and jalapeno. Squeeze lime wedge over fillings and cover with top half of baguette.
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Cut into two 6-inch sandwiches to serve.
