Teriyaki Chicken Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwiches)

My teriyaki chicken banh mi recipe all started with a spontaneous date night with my husband. Long story short, it ended in me developing this delicious and easy recipe! These Vietnamese sandwiches have the perfect crunch from French bread.

Freshness from cilantro, pickled carrots, and fresh cucumbers. Creaminess from a little mayo and the perfect savory bite from the teriyaki chicken! It’s a sandwich you’ll crave time and time again!

This post may contain affiliate links of items I know and love. Read our disclosure policy for more information. I NEVER use AI (artificial intelligence) to create content for Plum Branch Home. Recipes, blog posts, photos, videos, podcasts, social media content: everything is made from scratch by me, Molly LaFontaine. After developing my recipes, they’re tested 2x by my husband, Tyler, and I before publishing. What you see from Plum Branch Home is real. It’s made for a reason, tested, and loved!

If you’ve never had a banh mi, you’ve got to try one! They’re one of my favorite sandwiches ever, and I didn’t really like carrots or cucumbers before trying it. It surprised me so much!

If you like Asian food, you’re going to love a banh mi! Think of a slightly sweet soy sauce-based marinade that coats the chicken. It really is delicious!

Inspiration Behind My Teriyaki Chicken Banh Mi

Every Friday, my husband and I go out to a restaurant for date night, and on one of those nights, I felt very spontaneous. It was my turn to pick where we went, so I chose a little Vietnamese restaurant here in Nashville to try our first banh mi.

My husband has a few co-workers who either lived in Vietnam or visited and couldn’t stop talking about these sandwiches. So we knew we had to try them!

After one bite, we both fell in love! We couldn’t stop talking about how amazing they were. The taste, the texture, and the experience were all above our expectations. And we’re people who don’t really love carrots, haha!

After eating there for a few more Fridays, I dove into the world of making banh mi! I did a bunch of research and tasted many sandwiches.

All of that led to my teriyaki chicken banh mi recipe that I’m sharing with you today. If you love Asian food, you’re going to love this recipe! 

What is Chicken Banh Mi?

This chicken banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that consists of a crunchy French bread slathered with mayo on the inside. It’s then filled with chicken (flavored with homemade teriyaki marinade in my recipe), pickled carrots, fresh cucumbers, jalapeno, and fresh cilantro. It’s usually served at room temperature.

What’s in a Traditional Banh Mi?

A traditional banh mi consists of crunchy French bread with mayo (sometimes pâté) spread on the inside. Then it’s filled with some kind of protein (pork, chicken, beef, etc.), pickled carrots, pickled daikon (Asian radish), jalapenos, cucumbers, and cilantro!

Why You’ll Love My Banh Mi Recipe

• Teriyaki Flavored Chicken: My marinade gives the chicken the best teriyaki flavor!
• Simple Recipe: The steps are really simple to follow, so you won’t feel overwhelmed!
• Wholesome Ingredients: Each ingredient is wholesome, even the mayo if you choose a clean ingredient brand.
• Restaurant-Quality: This sandwich looks and tastes like it was made in a restaurant!
• No Daikon: If you have a hard time finding daikon at the store, no worries, I don’t use it in my recipe.
• Delicious Pickled Carrots: My pickling solution adds so much flavor to the carrots!

Best Bread for Making Banh Mi

The best and traditional bread used for banh mi is French bread! It adds the perfect crunch and texture. You can buy a loaf at your local bakery, in the grocery store, or make your own.

I like to make my own with my sourdough starter. I’ve got my sourdough French bread recipe here on the blog. It’s super simple and easy!

If you’d like to make your own with sourdough but don’t have a starter, no worries! Grab my free guide so you can make your own starter at home.

If you’re new to sourdough baking and feel hesitant, or you have questions, I’ve got something for you! I broke down the basics of what you need to know about sourdough baking in my free sourdough baking guide for beginners. I highly recommend grabbing a copy!

Tips for Making Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwiches

1. It’s best to pickle the carrots for 24-48 hours before you use them for the best flavor.
2. Don’t pour hot or warm pickling solution into the jars; make sure it’s cooled to room temperature.
3. Don’t skip the chicken marinating; it gives it so much flavor. Make sure you let it sit for 30 minutes in the fridge.
4. For the best flavor, make French bread at home!
5. Don’t pickle the cucumbers for a fresh flavor.
6. Don’t skip the mayo; it adds the perfect creaminess.

Banh Mi Ingredients You’ll Need (with notes)

Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for measurements.

For Pickling the Carrots

• Very Hot Water: You’ll want to bring it to almost a boil.
• White Distilled Vinegar: I like to use organic.
• Pure Cane Sugar: You can also use regular sugar if you prefer.
• Sea Salt: You can use regular table salt if you prefer.
• Large Carrots: Or you can buy shredded carrots, carrot sticks, or matchbox carrots just not baby carrots.

To Marinate the Banh Mi Chicken

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: Make sure you use a large one.
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce: I like to use an organic or Non-GMO option.
• Fresh Garlic Cloves: You’ll want to mince them with a grater or garlic press or use garlic powder.
• Fresh Ginger: You want to peel and grate it or use ginger paste.
• Raw Honey: Adds the perfect sweetness, you can also use regular sugar.
• Distilled White Vinegar: I like to use organic.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Adds a spice but doesn’t make it spicy.
• Sea Salt: You can use regular table salt if you prefer.
• Ground Black Pepper: a must for seasoning
• Onion Powder: Adds a savory flavor.
• Water: Helps thin out the marinade.

To Make the Vietnamese Sandwich

• Large English Cucumber: Make sure it’s seedless.
• Jalapeno: This is optional, you don’t have to add it in.
• French bread: I like to make my own using my sourdough recipe but you can use any.
• Mayo: Use any brand you’d like or homemade.
• Cilantro: Fresh is the best.

Helpful Kitchen Tools for this Recipe

This section contains Amazon affiliate links to items I use and love for this recipe.

• Mason Jar (for pickling)
• Cutting board
• Chef’s knife
• Vegetable peeler
• Microplane (my favorite way to grate and mince ginger and garlic!)

How to Make Teriyaki Chicken Banh Mi Sandwiches

Note: Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post for the full written recipe.

Pickle Carrots – 1 hour up to 48 hours in advance

Rinse carrots with water and dry with a kitchen towel.

Peel carrots and slice them into really thin sticks. Place them in a clean 16 oz mason jar or a similar sized airtight jar.(OR YOU CAN USE MATCHBOX CARROTS, SHREDDED CARROTS, OR CARROT STICKS FROM THE STORE just not baby carrots)

Bring water to almost a boil, but not quite, in a pan or kettle.

Pour hot water into a mixing bowl then add in vinegar, sugar, and salt. Mix to combine until everything is dissolved.

Let mixture sit on the counter until cooled down to room temperature. Don’t put it in the fridge, leave it on the counter.

Once it’s cooled, pour into the jar until the carrots are completely submerged. The jar should be about full.

Put an airtight lid on jar and place in the fridge for at least 1 hour up to 48 hours. Best if pickled overnight (24 hours or more).

Marinate the Chicken

Cut chicken into small bite sized pieces. Set aside.

Add soy sauce, minced garlic, grated & peeled ginger, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper into a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.

Add chicken and stir to evenly coat all the pieces.

Place in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes up to 4 hours. (No more than 4 hours).

Cook the Chicken

You can cook chicken in a skillet or on the grill until fully cooked. Discard all leftover marinade for food safety.

FOR THE GRILL: Heat your grill (indoor or outdoor) to medium heat, 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it’s hot, place the chicken onto the grill, ensure they’re not touching. Cook for 4-5 minutes.Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. You can figure this out by cutting a piece in half or using a meat thermometer.

FOR THE STOVETOP SKILLET: Heat about 1 Tbsp avocado oil over medium heat in a skillet until warm. Add chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes then flip and cook another 4-5 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

Prep Veggies

While the chicken is cooking, rinse the cucumber and (optional) jalapeño with water and dry with a kitchen towel.

Leave the cucumber skin on and slice it in half then both halves in half. You should have 4 sections. Then cut those halves in half so that you have 8 spears.

Store 6 pieces away in the fridge. For the other two, slice them into thin coins (or triangles). About 1/2 cup. Set aside.

It you want to use jalapeño (optional), slice the jalapeño into thin coins. If you don’t want all the heat remove membrane and seeds first. Set aside.

Assemble the Banh Mi

To assemble grab French bread and slice it into as many sections as you desire. I usually slice 1 long French bread into 3 sections to make 3 sandwiches.

Then slice the bread down the side to open it up 3/4 of the way. Do not cut all the way through.

Spread mayo all over the inside of the bread on both sides.

Add pickled carrots (make sure excess pickling liquid is dripped off), sliced cucumber, and jalapeños (if desired). Repeat with each sandwich.

Divide chicken between the sandwiches (it’s not going to be super packed with meat since we’re adding so many veggies).

Add a few handfuls of cilantro to each sandwich and serve. Enjoy! These sandwiches are wonderful served cold the next day too!

Video Tutorial

Making This Recipe Ahead

• If you’d like to make this recipe ahead of time, you can pickle the veggies up to 1 week before you use them. 
• Make your bread, if you choose, a few days ahead.
• Whip up your marinade 24 hours before adding in the chicken. Once you add in the chicken, it can marinate for up to 4 hours before you cook it.

Best Ways to Serve Banh Mi

My husband and I love our banh mi sandwiches served by themselves. They’re so filling and have everything you could need: bread, veggies, chicken, and even a little mayo!

These sandwiches are perfect for date nights at home, lunches on hot summer days, a meal after a workout, or when you’re craving some Asian food!

Storing Leftovers

The best way to store leftover banh mi is in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

How to Eat Leftover Banh Mi

Leftover banh mi is best served cold! You wouldn’t want to heat the pickled veggies, and the mayo would soak into the bread and may turn greasy. Trust me, cold banh mi is so good!

Variations and Substitutions

• Choose a Different Meat: You can choose any protein you’d like. Popular options are pork, pork shoulder, ground beef, and chicken thighs.
• Choose a Different Flavor: You can use any kind of flavoring, spice, or sauce on the chicken in a banh mi. Although the teriyaki is so good!
• Add Daikon (radish): Daikon is a mild-tasting white radish that traditional banh mi’s include.
• Leave off the Mayo: If you can’t have dairy, you can leave the mayo off.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Main Dish Chicken Recipes To Try

If you’re looking for more main dish recipes using chicken, try a few of these:

• Sheet Pan Chipotle Chicken Peach Tacos
• BBQ Chicken Flatbread Pizza (Grilled or Baked)
• Oven-Baked Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
• Grilled Chicken Bites with Creamy Garlic Sauce
• Foolproof Chicken Shawarma Sheet Pan Dinner

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