Chicken Bánh Mì Bowls take everything I love about a banh mi sandwich, the savory pork or chicken, the tangy quick pickles, the cool cucumber, and the creamy spicy mayo, and pile it over a bowl of quinoa or rice instead of a baguette. It is high protein, comes together in 30 minutes, and the parts keep well for meal prep.
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High Protein Chicken Bánh Mì Bowls Recipe
Ground chicken cooks fast and soaks up the sauce of sweet chili, soy, fish sauce, and sesame oil, finished off the heat with a handful of fresh basil. While it cooks, the carrots sit in a quick sweet and sour brine and the spicy mayo comes together in one bowl with a whisk.
Nothing here is complicated, and most of it can be made ahead. If you have cooked grains in the fridge already, this is a 20 minute dinner.
Ingredients
- Ground chicken - a pound. Thigh meat stays juicier than breast. Ground pork is the classic banh mi choice and swaps in directly.
- Thai sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil - the sauce for the chicken. Sweet, salty, savory, and a little funky in the best way.
- Fresh ginger and garlic - two tablespoons of each, minced. This is a garlic forward bowl.
- Fresh basil - stirred in at the end. Thai basil is ideal if you can find it, regular basil is fine.
- Carrot, rice vinegar, sugar, salt - the quick pickle. Matchstick the carrot so it softens in 15 minutes.
- Cooked quinoa or rice - three cups. Quinoa keeps it higher in protein, jasmine or white rice is more traditional.
- Cucumber, green onions, sesame seeds - the fresh toppings that make it feel like a banh mi.
- Mayonnaise, sesame oil, sriracha - the spicy mayo. Adjust the sriracha to your heat level.
Add ingredients photo here before publishing.
Julia's Tip
Work backwards from the pickles. They are the one part with a timer, so mix them first, then cook the chicken and whisk the mayo while they sit. Everything lands ready at the same time.
If you want a shortcut on the sauce, my spicy Korean mayo works here too and keeps for a week in the fridge.
How To Make High Protein Chicken Bánh Mì Bowls - Step By Step Photos
- Mix the carrot matchsticks with the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and let them sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
- Add the ginger and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, and soy sauce and cook 1 minute more. Off the heat, stir in the basil.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, sesame oil, and sriracha together until smooth.
- Drain the carrots, saving a little brine to stir through the warm grains. Divide the quinoa, chicken, carrots, and cucumber among four bowls. Drizzle with spicy mayo and top with green onions and sesame seeds.
These are part of my regular bowl rotation alongside my gochujang chicken bowls, which use a similar formula with a Korean sauce.
What To Serve With High Protein Chicken Bánh Mì Bowls
- Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Coconut Chicken
- Crispy Stir Fry Green Beans
- A simple bowl of edamame with flaky salt
- Iced jasmine or green tea
Tips
- Matchstick the carrot thin. Thin pieces pickle in 15 minutes. A box grater or julienne peeler makes quick work of it.
- Do not skip the fish sauce. It is what makes this taste like banh mi and not just a stir fry. The smell cooks off.
- Add the basil off the heat. It wilts from the residual warmth and keeps its fresh flavor.
- Taste the chicken before serving. Soy and fish sauce brands vary in salt, so adjust at the end.
- Cook the grains ahead. With quinoa or rice already made, this drops to a 20 minute dinner.
Variations
- Swap the protein. Ground pork, turkey, or crumbled extra firm tofu all work.
- Add more pickles. Pickle thinly sliced daikon or radish with the carrot for the full banh mi effect.
- Make it low carb. Serve over shredded lettuce or cauliflower rice instead of grains.
- Add crunch. Crushed roasted peanuts or fried shallots on top.
- Go gluten free. Use tamari in place of soy sauce and check your sweet chili sauce.
Can I Make These Ahead For Meal Prep?
Yes, this is built for it. Cook the chicken and grains, pickle the carrots, and whisk the mayo, then store everything separately in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the cucumber and mayo apart from the rest and assemble each bowl when you are ready to eat.
What Is A Bánh Mì Bowl?
It is a deconstructed banh mi sandwich. Instead of stuffing the seasoned meat, pickled vegetables, cucumber, herbs, and spicy mayo into a baguette, you serve them over rice or quinoa. Same flavors, more protein, and no bread to go stale.
How To Store High Protein Chicken Bánh Mì Bowls
- To Store. Keep the components in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Warm the chicken and grains in the microwave or a skillet. Add the cold toppings and mayo after.
- To Freeze. The cooked chicken freezes well for up to 2 months. Freeze it on its own and make the pickles and mayo fresh.
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Recipe Card
Chicken Banh Mi Bowls
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink, about 8 minutes, breaking it up as it goes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, and soy sauce and cook for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped basil.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, salt, 1 pound ground chicken, 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons garlic, 2 teaspoons fish sauce, ¼ cup fresh basil, 3 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce, 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- Pickle the carrots: In a small bowl, stir together the carrot matchsticks, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Drain, then pour a little of the pickling liquid over the cooked quinoa and stir to lightly season it.
- Make the spicy mayo: Whisk together the mayonnaise, sesame oil, and sriracha until smooth. Add more sriracha if you want it hotter.1 cucumber, green onions, sesame seeds, ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon sriracha
- Assemble the bowls: Divide the quinoa, chicken, pickled carrots, and cucumber among four bowls. Drizzle with the spicy mayo and top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve right away.2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cucumber, 3 cups quinoa
- If you like this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating, thank you!
Notes
- Start the carrots first: They need 15 to 30 minutes in the vinegar, so get them going before you cook the chicken and they will be ready at assembly.
- Season the grains: Do not toss all the pickling liquid. A spoonful stirred through the warm quinoa or rice keeps the base from tasting plain.
- Use ground chicken thigh if you can: It stays juicier than ground breast. Ground pork is the traditional choice and works exactly the same way.
- Storage: Keep the components in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days, with the spicy mayo and pickled carrots on their own. Build bowls to order. This is a great meal prep lunch.
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Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
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