Shrimp Banh Mi

Shrimp Banh Mi is a classic Vietnamese street food…and it’s surprisingly easy to make at home. Seasoned shrimp, tangy vegetables and fresh herbs combine to create a delicious sandwich!

This post may contain paid links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

We absolutely love street food. In fact, whenever we travel out of the country, we make it a point to try as many types of local street food as we can find. After all, street food really speaks to the authentic cuisine of a place. And generally speaking, street food is not only delicious, but it’s pretty easy to make.

Today’s recipe for Shrimp Banh Mi comes from Vietnam. We’ve ordered banh mi on several occasions, and Laura has even tried it in Vietnam. The last time we ordered it, we commented that we should try to make homemade banh mi. After all, Shrimp Banh Mi is a pretty straightforward dish, so it should be easy to cook in the comfort of our own kitchen.

What is Shrimp Banh Mi?

In the world of Vietnamese street food, “banh mi” refers to a short baguette with a thin, crispy crust. The interior of the baguette is very soft. The bread is often split and filled with meat and other savory ingredients, similar to a sandwich. In fact, we often refer to this recipe as a “Shrimp Bánh Mì Sandwich.” Of course, this is a bit redundant as banh mi itself means a sandwich.

Banh mi can be filled with a variety of different ingredients. Shrimp is one of the more common options, but other versions include grilled sausage, sardines, pâté or barbecued pork. Most versions still include a sauce along with chopped cilantro and pickled carrots and cucumbers.

This biggest challenge that comes with making banh mi at home is the bread. The traditional Vietnamese baguettes used to make banh mi are baked with both wheat flour and rice flour. This is not exactly a common item in most bakeries. Sure, we could attempt to bake these baguettes at home…but then making Shrimp Banh Mi at home is no longer easy.

After a bit of Googling, I came across the idea of using Cuban bread to make banh mi at home. It makes perfect sense! After all, Cuban bread is very soft in the center with a light, crispy crust. It might not be truly authentic, but it’s certainly close enough for our purposes. Plus, Cuban bread is a fairly common item in grocery store bakeries. Like banh mi, Cuban bread doesn’t have a long shelf life, so I recommend grabbing the loaf on the same day that you are making these sandwiches.

If Cuban baguettes are not available in your area, a French baguette could be substituted. Just make sure the baguette is as fresh and soft as possible.

Ingredients

Once we had the bread figured out, the next step was figuring out the various condiments and toppings that create that classic street food flavor.

• Sauce. Banh mi typically include a mayonnaise-based condiment that is spread on both sides of the bread as the sandwich is constructed. The version below includes mayonnaise, sriracha, lime juice and honey. As with all condiments, this one will taste better if it’s made in advance and allowed to rest in the fridge for a few hours.
• Pickled Veggies. Much of the flavor for Shrimp Banh Mi comes from the vegetables that get piled into the sandwich. Shredded carrots and chopped cucumber rest for several hours in a combination of rice vinegar, sugar, salt and water. Daikon radishes are often used, but I could not find any daikon in the store this week. The cucumber can be left out and then added to the sandwich in raw form. We like including the cucumbers with the pickling liquid for added flavor.
• Shrimp. Of course, you can’t have Shrimp Banh Mi without shrimp. The shrimp marinates for ~30 minutes in a simple combination of soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, mayonnaise, sugar, sriracha and fish sauce. Then it just goes into a hot skillet until fully cooked. We cooked 2 pounds of shrimp for this recipe which was more than needed…but that way the sandwiches can be stuffed with shrimp. And the leftover shrimp is delicious by itself!

Each of the components of this Shrimp Banh Mi sandwich recipe is fairly straightforward and simple. But once constructed together in sandwich form, the combination of flavors is truly fantastic!

How to Store Leftovers

As with most sandwiches, leftovers will taste best if you store the various elements in individual containers. The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Similarly, the pickled veggies can be stored for 3-4 days, although I would recommend draining off the liquid after ~24 hours. The cooked shrimp can also be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. I would recommend buying fresh bread to make leftovers, though. As noted above, Cuban bread tends to stale quickly.

If you enjoy Vietnamese food, then give this classic Vietnamese street food dish a try at home. It’s surprisingly easy, and it’s a delicious way to mix up the weeknight routine. Cheers!

Did you make this Shrimp Banh Mi recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me (@Spicedblog) on Instagram – I’d love to see your version!

Shrimp Banh Mi

Shrimp Banh Mi is a classic Vietnamese street food…and it's surprisingly easy to make at home. Seasoned shrimp, tangy vegetables and fresh herbs combine to create a delicious sandwich!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Marinating Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 sandwiches

Calories: 492kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

For the Veggies

• 2 large carrots shredded
• 1 English cucumber cut into matchsticks
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ½ cup boiling water
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp kosher salt

For the Sauce

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp sriracha
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp honey

For the Shrimp

• 2 pounds raw large shrimp 32-40 per pound, peeled and tail off
• 1½ tsp minced garlic
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 1 tsp fish sauce

For the Sandwiches

• 1 large Cuban baguette can substitute 4 demi baguettes
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper thinly sliced

Instructions

For the Veggies

• Using a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients (carrots, cucumbers, rice vinegar, boiling water, sugar and salt); stir until well combined.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.

For the Sauce

• Using a small bowl, add all of the ingredients (mayo, sriracha, lime juice and honey); stir until well combined.
• Cover and refrigerate until needed.

For the Shrimp

• Using a large bowl, add all of the ingredients except for shrimp; stir until well combined.
• Add shrimp; toss until shrimp are well coated.
• Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Place a large pan over medium-high heat.
• Drain marinade from bowl and add shrimp to skillet.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and fully cooked.

For the Sandwiches

• Slice the baguette into 4 pieces and split each piece in half.
• Place the baguettes under broiler for 1-2 minutes to toast lightly.
• To assemble each sandwich, spread sauce onto both top and bottom halves.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the pickled vegetables from the liquid and place on top.
• Add cooked shrimp, chopped cilantro and sliced jalapeños.

Looking for more street food recipes? Check out these other favorites, too: