Chicken Banh Mi
A Vietnamese sandwich filled with grilled lemongrass marinated chicken thighs and topped with pickled vegetables and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
- 1 20-inch French baguette
Lemongrass Chicken- Marinate Overnight
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 3-inch lemongrass stalk cut in thirds and sliced
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pickled Vegetables- Make at least the day before
- ½ large daikon (approximately 1/2 lb) peeled and julienned
- 2 large carrots peeled and julienned
- 2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cups water warm
- 1 cup white distilled vinegar
Condiments and Toppings
- Mayonnaise
- Maggi Seasoning Sauce
- Jalapenos sliced
- Fresh cilantro leaves chopped
Instructions
Chicken Marinade
- In a gallon size resealable bag combined the chicken marinade ingredients (lemongrass, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, coconut aminos, avocado oil, sesame oil, honey, and black pepper). Seal the bag, shake well to combine ingredients, then add the chicken. Reseal it (removing as much air as possible), shake the bag to coat all the chicken thighs in the marinade. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight (the longer the better! I marinate mine overnight). Flip the bag over once half way through marinating time.
Pickled Vegetables
- Place julienned daikon and carrots into a colander over the sink. Sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large measuring cup or bowl, mix honey into warm water until the honey has been fully incorporated. Add vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine.
- Check to see if you are able to bend the vegetable without it breaking. *See above for pictures. Once the vegetables have softened, run cold water over the vegetables to remove the salt. Drain well.
- Transfer vegetables to a large container with a lid. I use a large mason jar. Poor vinegar mixture over vegetables. Seal and refrigerate. *See notes below.
Cooking the Chicken
- Heat a grill pan on medium heat. Once heated evenly, add chicken thighs ensuring you leave the shallots and lemon grass behind in the marinade (discard marinade) and cook 5 minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from grill pan and set aside.
Assembling Sandwiches
- Split the French baguette lengthwise and then cut it to 4 or 5 equal servings. Optional- Warm baguettes in the oven preheated to 400F for 3-4 minutes. (I always warm my baguettes before assembling the sandwich.)
- Spread mayonnaise on one half of each individual baguette.
- Slice chicken thighs and a fill each baguette with the sliced chicken, pickled vegetables, jalapenos, cilantro, and a few splashes of Maggi Seasoning sauce.
- For best results, serve immediately while the chicken is still warm.
Notes
Pickled vegetables should sit at least overnight in the fridge before eating. The longer they sit the better the flavors will be. Pickled vegetables can last 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.