Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi
By Matthew FairmanPublished on December 19, 2024
Time
1¾ hours, plus 1 hour pickling and marinating
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Pickles
1½ carrots, peeled and cut into ⅛-inch matchsticks (1 cup)2 ounces daikon radish, peeled and cut into ⅛-inch matchsticks (½ cup)½ teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided2½ teaspoons table salt, divided½ cup distilled white vinegar 2 tablespoons waterChicken
¼ cup packed brown sugar 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and sliced thin1 shallot, quartered3 tablespoons fish sauce 3 tablespoons oyster sauce 4 garlic cloves, smashed1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon sriracha 1 teaspoon five-spice powder 1¾ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and pounded ¼ inch thick2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided1 tablespoon lime juiceBanh Mi
¾ cup Kewpie mayonnaise 4 (8-inch) banh mi rolls, lightly toasted and split½ English cucumber, sliced on bias ¼ inch thick1 cup fresh cilantro leaves 1 large jalapeño chile, sliced on bias ¼ inch thick2 teaspoons Maggi liquid seasoningBefore You Begin
Look for banh mi rolls—a distinct style of soft white roll with a thin, crisp crust and an even, resilient crumb—at your local Vietnamese bakery or restaurant. In a pinch, you can use any locally available (roughly 8-inch) soft white sub rolls. Maggi Seasoning, a black coffee–colored liquid with a deeply concentrated umami flavor, adds a savory punch to these sandwiches; look for it online or in Asian markets. We prefer the flavor of Kewpie mayonnaise for these banh mi, but you can substitute another type of mayonnaise if you prefer.
Instructions
- Toss carrots, daikon, ½ teaspoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt together in bowl. Massage vegetables gently with your fingers until juices begin to pool at bottom of bowl, about 2 minutes; let sit for 5 minutes. Drain vegetables in colander and rinse with cold water. Drain vegetables again and transfer to 1-cup jar.
- Whisk vinegar, water, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt in bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour vinegar mixture into jar until vegetables are covered with brine; discard any excess brine or reserve for another use. Refrigerate vegetables in brine for at least 1 hour or up to 1 month.
- Meanwhile, process sugar, lemongrass, shallot, fish sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, sesame oil, sriracha, and five-spice powder in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Place chicken in large zipper-lock bag. Pour marinade over chicken, seal bag, and turn to thoroughly coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place half of chicken in pan (allowing any excess marinade to drip back into bag) and cook until chicken is deeply browned and charred in spots and registers 170 to 175 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (Reduce heat as needed if chicken gets too dark too quickly.)
- Transfer chicken to cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels and repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining chicken. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. Slice chicken ¼ inch thick and drizzle with lime juice.
- Spread mayonnaise evenly over both cut sides of each roll. Divide pickles, chicken, cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeño evenly among rolls. Drizzle with Maggi Seasoning. Gently press sandwich halves together to compress fillings slightly. Serve.
for the pickles
for the chicken
for the banh mi
Time
1¾ hours, plus 1 hour pickling and marinatingYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Pickles
Chicken
Banh Mi
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pickles
Chicken
Banh Mi
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Pickles
Chicken
Banh Mi
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We reached out to Peter Nguyen—chef and owner of Banh Mi Boys in New Orleans—for guidance on making our lemongrass chicken banh mi. For the restaurant’s grilled lemongrass chicken, they first apply a sweet-salty marinade with a core of key ingredients: aromatic lemongrass, shallot, and garlic alongside fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and five-spice powder. The sugar holds the saltiness of the supersavory fish and oyster sauces in check while encouraging quick, thorough caramelization on the exterior of the chicken thighs. For our version, a 12-inch nonstick skillet swapped in perfectly for the restaurant flat-top griddle. Pounding the boneless thighs to an even thickness ensured that they would fully cook through in the hot skillet before the exterior (holding on to the sugar the marinade) got too dark.
Before You Begin
Look for banh mi rolls—a distinct style of soft white roll with a thin, crisp crust and an even, resilient crumb—at your local Vietnamese bakery or restaurant. In a pinch, you can use any locally available (roughly 8-inch) soft white sub rolls. Maggi Seasoning, a black coffee–colored liquid with a deeply concentrated umami flavor, adds a savory punch to these sandwiches; look for it online or in Asian markets. We prefer the flavor of Kewpie mayonnaise for these banh mi, but you can substitute another type of mayonnaise if you prefer.
Instructions
- Toss carrots, daikon, ½ teaspoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt together in bowl. Massage vegetables gently with your fingers until juices begin to pool at bottom of bowl, about 2 minutes; let sit for 5 minutes. Drain vegetables in colander and rinse with cold water. Drain vegetables again and transfer to 1-cup jar.
- Whisk vinegar, water, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt in bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour vinegar mixture into jar until vegetables are covered with brine; discard any excess brine or reserve for another use. Refrigerate vegetables in brine for at least 1 hour or up to 1 month.
- Meanwhile, process sugar, lemongrass, shallot, fish sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, sesame oil, sriracha, and five-spice powder in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Place chicken in large zipper-lock bag. Pour marinade over chicken, seal bag, and turn to thoroughly coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place half of chicken in pan (allowing any excess marinade to drip back into bag) and cook until chicken is deeply browned and charred in spots and registers 170 to 175 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (Reduce heat as needed if chicken gets too dark too quickly.)
- Transfer chicken to cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels and repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining chicken. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. Slice chicken ¼ inch thick and drizzle with lime juice.
- Spread mayonnaise evenly over both cut sides of each roll. Divide pickles, chicken, cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeño evenly among rolls. Drizzle with Maggi Seasoning. Gently press sandwich halves together to compress fillings slightly. Serve.
for the pickles
for the chicken
for the banh mi
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