Smash Banh Mi Tacos

Three chicken banh mi tacos on a wooden board.

5 from 5 votes

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: vietnamese

Keyword: chicken banh mi, smash tacos

Servings: servings

Calories: 655kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

For the banh mi tacos -

1 lb ground chicken (or ground pork, beef, turkey, plant-based alternative) (500g)
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
¼ cup toasted cashew nuts crushed
¼ 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

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.

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