Pork Belly Banh Mi piles crispy, hoisin-glazed pork belly into a crackly roll with tart pickled daikon and carrots, sliced jalapeño, a fistful of cilantro, and a swipe of sriracha mayo. My mouth waters just thinking about them. When I worked in San Francisco’s Financial District, I used to buy barbecue pork banh mi from a little shop a few blocks from my office. People would line up for these sandwiches, which were huge and cost just $3, a rare deal for downtown San Francisco.
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Last year I had a similar sandwich in Saigon, when a friend and I went on a motorbike food tour, where the banh mi shops fill their rolls with everything from roast pork and lemongrass chicken to tofu and fried shrimp. My version uses pork belly, which goes crisp at the edges in the air fryer and stays juicy in the middle. The hoisin glaze caramelizes in the last few minutes and gives you a sweet, salty counterpoint to the sharp pickles.
Ingredient Notes
Pork belly. Buy a slab and cut it into strips yourself, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch wide, so the edges crisp and the glaze has plenty of surface to cling to. The fat keeps the meat from drying out, so it’s hard to overcook. If you’d rather skip the air fryer, smoked pork belly, Char Siu, or any roast pork shoulder works as the filling.
Rolls. This is the ingredient that makes or breaks the sandwich. You want a roll that’s soft inside and flaky-crisp outside, not chewy like a classic baguette, because a chewy crust fights you on every bite and squeezes the filling out the back. If you have a Vietnamese bakery nearby, buy your rolls there. Most people don’t, so look for light, crusty French-style rolls, or use bolillos or hoagie rolls.
Pickled daikon and carrots. These give the sandwich its sour crunch, and they matter as much as the pork. Store-bought works, or you can make my homemade pickled daikon and carrots.
Herbs and chiles. In my opinion, cilantro is not optional on a banh mi. I often add mint or basil alongside it. Fresh jalapeño slices add heat and crunch.
Sriracha mayo. Stir together equal parts mayonnaise and sriracha, or buy it premade. A splash of fish sauce or soy sauce adds depth, and any chili paste or hot sauce can stand in for the sriracha.
Pâté, Maggi, and cucumber. All three show up on a lot of banh mi, and I’ve listed them as optional. A thin layer of liver pâté on the bread adds richness, a few drops of Maggi seasoning over the filling adds a savory hit, and thin cucumber slices add cool crunch.
How To Make Pork Belly Banh Mi
The pork belly goes into the air fryer plain, as strips, and cooks until the outside is browned and crisp. The hoisin glaze goes on only at the very end. It needs just a few minutes to bubble and caramelize, and it burns easily, so keep an eye on it.
While the pork cooks, stir together the sriracha mayo, slice the jalapeños, and pick the cilantro and mint. If you’re using cucumber, cut it into thin spears now too. Once the pork comes out, slice it thin.
Toast the split rolls lightly, just enough to firm up the crust without drying out the soft middle. Spread the cut sides with sriracha mayo, and add a thin layer of pâté to the bottom half if you’re using it.
Pile on the pork first, then the pickles, jalapeños, cucumber, and herbs, with a few drops of Maggi over the top if you like. Eat it right away, before the pickle juice softens the bread. most delicious sandwich!
How to serve pork belly banh mi
You really don’t need anything alongside a pork belly banh mi. It’s a perfect meal in and of itself. But if you are so inclined, try adding a Japanese Cucumber Salad, Cucumber Kimchi, or Spicy Cucumber Salad. Or, hear me out, just add a Dirty Martini and call it a day!
You can use just about any filling you like in place of the pork belly. Try a vegetarian version with Crispy Tofu and Thai Peanut Sauce. Or use Thai Turkey Meatballs or Smoked Pork Butt for the filling. If you’re looking for other Vietnamese dishes to try, these Vietnamese Salad Rolls are vegan and totally delicious.
Another great meaty sandwich option is a Tex-Mex Cheese Steak Sandwich.
Pork Belly Banh Mi
Robin Donovan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sriracha
- 4 crusty French rolls or substitute baguette, sourdough rolls, or any sandwich rolls you like, lightly toasted
- 1 pound hoisin glazed pork belly sliced thin
- 2 jalapeno peppers
- 1 bunch cilantro large stems trimmed off
- 1 jar pickled daikon and carrots store-bought or homemade
- 1 bunch fresh mint leaves optional
Instructions
- Stir together the mayo and sriracha (unless you are using premade sriracha mayo) and spread it on the toasted buns—as much or as little as you like! I like a lot!
- Add a layer of pork belly and then top that with a few jalapeno slices, some of the pickled daikon and carrots, and the herbs.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
and sriracha here. 2. If you can’t find the perfect rolls, don’t let that stop you! You can use Mexican Bollillos, hoagie rolls, sourdough rolls, or even burger buns if you have to. Â
Nutrition
This was a great recipe for banh mi! I laid out the ingredients at a luncheon so that people could add what they liked to the sandwiches. It was a big hit!
I made this banh mi with your air fryer pork belly recipe and it was a hit! Glad I made extra because it still tastes good for lunch the next day
I made this pork belly banh mi for a friend’s birthday and she absolutely loved it (and so did I)!
So good!! It was so full of flavor and the best homemade banh mi I have ever made!
Get in my belly! Yes, this was fantastic! My entire family loved three banh mi. So much flavor!
I love this Banh Mi recipe! I am going to make it again for game night with margaritas.
YUM! I love a good Banh Mi, but never think to make it at home. The fat from the pork belly paired with the pickled veggies here is just the perfect combination. Love it
You didn’t tell us how to do anything. U basically just listed toppings for a bahn mi. No mention of how to cook the protein or glaze it.
If you read the post, the recipes for the fillings are linked. Pork Belly: https://allwaysdelicious.com/air-fryer-pork-belly/ pickles: https://allwaysdelicious.com/pickled-daikon/