Smash Banh Mi Tacos

Easy, speedy smash banh mi tacos are a WONDERFUL twist on the smashed taco trend. All that bright, zesty banh mi flavor, in a very fun new form. They use everyday ingredients so they’re ready to slot into your weekly menu rotation and are also FAB for dinner parties.

My smash dumpling tacos went a little bit crazy on Instagram, and I’ve lost count of your messages telling me how much you and your families loved them (they seem to be particularly popular with picky kids which is always a win!) So I figured, you might enjoy this twist on that recipe.

This version, inspired by the flavors of Vietnamese banh mi, feels fresh, light and very summery to me. Banh mi is a Vietnamese sandwich - usually filled with some kind of meat (juicy pork or chicken are common), lots of fresh herbs, pickles and creamy mayo (it also usually includes paté which I’m skipping here). They’re a DELICIOUS sandwich and work perfectly in taco form. All you have to do is combine some cupboard staples with ground chicken, press onto mini tortillas, then pan-fry for a couple of minutes and go to town on the fresh toppings.

I’m leveling things up by adding another Vietnamese element that’s used in two ways here - nuoc cham. This is a VERY punchy sauce synonymous with Vietnamese cooking and makes the perfect little drizzle for the tacos. It’s salty, sour, sweet and ultra savory. Because it’s not dissimilar to a pickling liquid, instead of pickling the carrots and cucumber separately - I’m using the nuoc cham itself as the pickling liquid. So not only does that mean less work, but it also gives you MORE of that lovely flavor in the tacos themselves.

While these are fabulous as a quick and easy weeknight meal, they’re wonderful for summer entertaining. Cook them on the grill in bulk, then either let everyone help themselves to the toppings or serve them assembled.

Ingredients

• Ground chicken. You could swap the chicken for turkey, pork, beef, or a plant-based alternative.
• Fish sauce. An absolute STAPLE in Vietnamese cooking, this is a non-negotiable here. I know it can be divisive as it has a strong smell, but I promise it won’t make your tacos taste fishy. It just brings a gorgeously deep savory flavor you can’t achieve with salt alone.
• Herbs. I’m using fresh mint, cilantro (coriander), and Thai basil - but you could play around here. I know not everyone is a fan of cilantro, so you could use more mint or Thai basil if you don’t like it. Thai basil can be tricky to find (it has a slight aniseed flavor) so if you can’t find it, regular basil works well too.
• Spicy mayo. I’m using my favorite speedy gochujang aioli here, but you can use any spicy mayo you like, regular mayo, or sweet chili jam.
• For the nuoc cham dressing. You’ll again need fish sauce along with lime juice, rice vinegar (or use white wine vinegar/apple cider vinegar), red chili, garlic, ginger and a little sugar (or use maple syrup/honey/agave syrup if you prefer).

How to make them

Mix your ground chicken, scallions, ginger, garlic and fish sauce, making sure everything is combined well. Then scoop up a heaped spoonful of the mixture and press it into a thin layer on each mini tortilla.

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan or skillet, then cook the tacos, meat side down, until golden. Then flip and crisp up the other side. Spoon some spicy mayo onto the taco, then top with the pickled carrots and cucumber, a big pile of fresh herbs, a good drizzle of the nuoc cham dressing and then I like to sprinkle over some toasted cashews or peanuts to finish. Serve with more spicy mayo on the side.

Got a question?

Watch how to make them

Like this recipe? Here are more easy taco ideas for you

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave me a comment below.