I love traditional banh mi complete with crusty bread, mayo, pate, Vietnamese cold cuts and a whole heap of pickled vegetables, so it’s probably no surprise to you that this kid-friendly, homemade version is one we make again and again! This Chicken Banh Mi is made with honey soy chicken, which is marinated and threaded onto skewers before being cooked to perfection. This recipe uses family-friendly, familiar flavours with ingredients that are accessible at your local supermarket. Honey, rice wine vinegar and garlic create a sweet, sticky glaze on the chicken which is cooked and loaded onto crunchy Vietnamese rolls with salads of your choice. These are a fast, simple and delicious dinner option, perfect for any night of the week!
What is the best way to shred carrots?
Invest in a julienne peeler! The one linked above is excellent quality, dishwasher safe and very easy to use. It creates beautifully thin, long ribbons of carrot perfect for sushi, sandwiches, Crispy Chicken Bao and salads like my Chicken Salad with Creamy Peanut Dressing. It also doubles as a great device to make “zoodles” (zucchini “noodles”) with the added bonus of taking up very little space in the utensil drawer.
Print Honey Soy Chicken Banh Mi
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 8 wooden skewers
- 500 g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces (makes 8 skewers)
- 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic, freshly minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
To serve
- 4 Vietnamese rolls
- 4 tsp whole egg mayonnaise
- 2 carrots, julienned or thinly sliced
- 1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/4 bunch coriander/cilantro
- 2 fresh chillies, thinly sliced, optional
Instructions
- Cover the wooden skewers in cold tap water and soak for 5 minutes to stop them burning during cooking (check the skewers fit in your frying pan and cut them to size if required before threading).
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the tamari or soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar and garlic. Toss to coat and leave to marinate for up to 24 hours. There is no minimum time; these are great cooked immediately, but to intensify the flavours, 20 minutes or longer is even better.
- Thread the chicken onto the skewers.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan and cook the chicken skewers for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through, turning regularly. Add water in the last few minutes of cooking; it will help deglaze the pan and create a shiny, glossy coating on the chicken.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the skewers and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Cut the Vietnamese rolls in half. Spread one half with mayonnaise and top with cooked chicken, carrot, cucumber, coriander and chilli (if using).
Notes
MAKE AHEAD
The skewers can be prepared and marinated up to 24 hours in advance or the chicken can be marinated and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight prior to cooking.
LEFTOVERS
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Try serving leftover skewers with a simple coleslaw and some fried rice.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: chicken
- Method: pan fried
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
LJ says:
Trying this recipe tonight – I would love for a marinating time to be added on next to the cooking time – it would be helpful.
102182720691827189569 says:
This was so yummy! We went out for a family fun day recently, we were all exhausted and tired when we got home. I had already pre-marinated the meat, so it was a seriously easy meal to put together and we all loved it! Definitely a family favourite.