Bánh mì is a Vietnamese street food sandwich, kind of like a sub, traditionally served on a baguette with pork, pickled veggies, fresh herbs and condiments. These smash tacos have all that same goodness, just with ground chicken and tortillas!

Can I make these ahead of time? How do I store and reheat leftovers?

You can make the pickled veggies 1-2 days ahead and store them in the fridge. For leftovers, keep the cooked tacos and toppings separate in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat the tacos in a skillet or griddle pan over medium heat until warmed through and crispy, then add your toppings just before serving.

Can I use a different protein?

Ground turkey or ground pork are the best subs here.

I can't find daikon radish, what should I use instead?

I'd probably use cucumber or finely shredded cabbage. It won't have the same flavor, but will still be yummy! You could use regular radish, but 1) those are harder to julienne and 2) they have a stronger, more peppery flavor than daikon radish, so you'll probably want to use less.

Really Freaking Incredible Banh Mi Smash Tacos Recipe

Name: Incredible Banh Mi Smash Tacos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: PT-497778H24M47S
Total time: PT-497778H24M47S
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 daikon radish (8oz), julienned; 1 cup shredded carrots; ¼ red onion, thinly sliced; ½ cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar; ½ cup water; 2 tablespoons sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 1lb ground chicken (can sub ground pork or turkey); pinches of salt and black pepper; 1 tablespoon garlic paste or 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste; 1 tablespoon ginger paste or 1-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 1 tablespoon mayo; 2 green onions, white parts only, reserve the green for topping; 10-12 street-taco-sized flour tortillas; avocado oil, for searing; avocados, sliced; For topping: crushed peanuts, green onions and/or cilantro, sriracha mayo, sesame seeds, lime wedges

Description

One ridiculously flavorful dinner! Savory ground chicken gets smashed onto tortillas until golden and crispy, then topped with tangy pickled veggies, avocado, peanuts and sriracha mayo.

Ingredients

Quick-Pickled Veggies

1 daikon radish (8oz), julienned
1 cup shredded carrots
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Chicken

1lb ground chicken (can sub ground pork or turkey)
pinches of salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic paste or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemongrass paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste or 1-inch knob ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon mayo
2 green onions, white parts only, reserve the green for topping

Assembly

10-12 street-taco-sized flour tortillas
avocado oil, for searing
avocados, sliced
For topping: crushed peanuts, green onions and/or cilantro, sriracha mayo, sesame seeds, lime wedges

Instructions

Julienne the daikon radish. I do this with a julienne peeler, but you can also use a chef’s knife to cut the radish into thin planks and then into very thin strips. Thinly slice the red onion, I use my mandoline for extra thin, uniform slices.
Combine the radish, carrots and red onion in a large mason jar or bowl. In a liquid measuring cup, combine ½ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup water, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Place in the microwave for 45-60 seconds and whisk until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over the veggies, pressing them down so they are fully submerged in the vinegar mixture. Set aside to let the veggies pickle while you make the tacos.
In a large bowl, combine 1lb ground chicken, pinches of salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon EACH garlic paste, lemongrass paste, ginger paste, fish sauce and mayo and the white parts of 2 green onions. Stir or use your hands to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the tortillas, about 3 tablespoons each for street-sized tortillas, and use your fingers to spread it evenly to the edges.
Heat a nonstick griddle pan over medium heat and add a swish of avocado oil. Add the tacos chicken-side-down and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the chicken has a nice golden brown crust. Flip and cook tortilla-side down for another minute. You’ll need to work in a few batches until all of the tacos are cooked, or you can use two pans to cook more at once.
Fill the smash tacos with pickled veggies, avocado slices, crushed peanuts, sriracha mayo and sesame seeds.Wowowow. Like literally, just wow.

Notes

Refer to the above blog post for ingredient information, step-by-step instructions and answers to frequently asked questions.

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Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 street-taco sized smash tacos with toppings
Calories: 470
Sugar: 8.4 g
Sodium: 1040.7 mg
Fat: 27.7 g
Carbohydrates: 34.5 g
Fiber: 7 g
Protein: 23.6 g
Cholesterol: 7.2 mg