Could I use a different ground meat?

Yes! Swap the ground chicken for turkey, pork, or beef, or your favorite plant-based alternative.

Can I make the tacos in advance?

Definitely. You can prep all the elements ahead of time, then cook and assemble the tacos just before serving. • The chicken can be pressed onto the tortillas up to 24 hours in advance. If you're stacking them, make sure to place a piece of parchment paper in between each so they don't stick together. • The nuoc cham and pickled veg will keep well in the fridge, so you can make them a few days in advance.

I don't like cilantro - what else could I use?

Swap the cilantro for more mint and Thai basil (or regular basil), or you could use flat-leaf parsley.

My meat isn't sticking to the tortilla - what am I doing wrong?

Make sure you really press (smash) the tacos into the pan as they cook. This helps the chicken seal to the tortilla and develop lovely crispy edges. But truly, if the meat does separate from the tortilla, it's not a big deal. The tacos will still taste delicious.

Do I have to use fish sauce?

I do recommend it if possible, as it's a key component of these flavors, but you can use a substitute if needed. You could swap it for soy sauce or tamari - it won't taste quite the same, but will still be delicious.

Not really. I'd say they're more savory and zingy than spicy. But you can easily dial up the heat if that's what you like - add extra chili, or a drizzle of chili crisp, or 30 minute chili oil to serve.

Smash Banh Mi Tacos

Name: Smash Banh Mi Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 lb (500g) ground chicken (or ground pork, beef, turkey, plant-based alternative); 3 scallions (spring onions), finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1-inch piece of ginger, grated; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 teaspoon salt; 12 mini tortillas; 1 carrot, julienned; 1 cucumber, julienned; 3 tablespoons olive oil; A handful of fresh mint leaves; A handful of fresh cilantro (coriander); A handful of Thai basil; 1/4 cup toasted cashew nuts, crushed; 1/4 cup spicy gochujang aioli; 3 tablespoons fish sauce; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar); 2 tablespoons lime juice; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 red chilli, finely diced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1-inch piece of ginger, grated

Description

This is your sign to try smash banh mi tacos. A fun twist on the smash taco trend, they combine juicy chicken, fresh herbs, tangy pickles, and a creamy sauce for all that classic banh mi flavor in speedy taco form. Fabulous for quick dinners and feeding a crowd.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the banh mi tacos -

1 lb (500g) ground chicken (or ground pork, beef, turkey, plant-based alternative)
3 scallions (spring onions), finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon salt
12 mini tortillas
1 carrot, julienned
1 cucumber, julienned
3 tablespoons olive oil
A handful of fresh mint leaves
A handful of fresh cilantro (coriander)
A handful of Thai basil
1/4 cup toasted cashew nuts, crushed
1/4 cup spicy gochujang aioli

For the Vietnamese nuoc cham dressing -

3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 red chilli, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1-inch piece of ginger, grated

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Instructions

Make the nuoc cham dressing. Add 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, 1 tablespoon of sugar, the chopped garlic, chill and grated ginger to a bowl and mix to combine so that the sugar dissolves.
Pickle the carrot and cucumber. Add the julienned carrot and cucumber to the bowl with the dressing and set aside for now, to pickle.
Mix the topping. Add the ground chicken, chopped scallions, garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a large bowl. Mix well to combine, so that the seasoning is evenly mixed throughout the ground chicken.
Top the tacos. Scoop up a heaped spoonful of the chicken mixture, and spread it into a thin, even layer all over a mini tortilla. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
Cook the tacos. Set a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat, then drizzle a little olive oil into the pan. Place a tortilla, chicken side down, into the pan. Use a spatula or fish slice to press the tortilla firmly into the pan – this will help the chicken cook quickly, giving it a lovely charred crust, and help it to stick to the tortilla. Let it cook for 4 minutes, then flip, and cook for another minute on the other side. PRO TIP: You can cook a few tacos at the same time, depending on the size of your pan.
Top the tacos. Spread each taco with a little spicy mayo, then top with the pickled carrots and cucumber. Drizzle a little nuoc cham dressing on top, then finish with the cilantro, mint, Thai basil, and a sprinkling of toasted cashews. Serve with more spicy mayo and nuoc cham on the side, and enjoy.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: Swap the ground chicken for turkey, pork, beef or your favorite plant-based alternative. Use ginger paste instead of fresh ginger if you like (but fresh will taste better!) You could swap fish sauce for a vegan alternative (they’re usually made with mushrooms). If you don’t like cilantro, use more mint and Thai basil. And if you can’t find Thai basil, regular basil is great, or just use more cilantro and mint.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Once you’ve cooked and topped the tacos, they’re best eaten then and there as the dressing can make the tortilla itself get a little soggy if it sits out for too long (but honestly, they’re still delicious, so it’s not really a problem for me!) You can prep everything in advance, though, and cook and assemble when you’re ready. The nuoc cham dressing will keep for at least 1 week in the fridge, and you can pickle the carrots and cucumber the day before serving. You can also mix the chicken topping in advance and either store it in the fridge and top the tortillas when you’re ready to cook, or top the tortillas and pop them into the fridge overnight. If you do that, you’ll want to place parchment paper in between them if you stack them. Otherwise, they may go soggy and stick together.

MEAT NOT STICKING TO YOUR TORTILLA? Make sure you really press (smash) the tacos into the pan when you’re cooking them. If you don’t, the tortilla will puff up and start to separate from the meat layer, and it won’t stick. You also want to make sure your pan is nice and hot. But at the end of the day, if your meat doesn’t stick to the taco, it really isn’t the biggest deal, so don’t worry too much! You can still enjoy them in the exact same way.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Category: fakeaways
Method: stove top
Cuisine: vietnamese

Nutrition

Serving Size: 3 tacos
Calories: 655
Sugar: 14.5g
Sodium: 4715.4mg
Fat: 29.6g
Saturated Fat: 5.5g
Unsaturated Fat: 13.4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 65.7g
Fiber: 3.8g
Protein: 34.9g
Cholesterol: 127.5mg