30 Minute Basil Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich.

Switching things up with this 30 Minute Basil Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich. For those days when you’re craving a fresh Banh Mi Sandwich, but don’t want to head to your favorite Vietnamese place to get it. Salty Vietnamese caramelized chicken with fresh basil, sweet and spicy mangos, pickled vegetables, and fried eggs. All piled onto a toasted baguette with tahini “special sauce”. This quick and healthy take on the Banh Mi Sandwich can be made and ready in just about 30 minutes. Not only is this sandwich healthier, but the flavor is actually better than the take-out version. The perfect lunch or dinner sandwich throughout these spring and summer months.

I have to admit, it can be really hard to balance the overly fun recipes with the overly simple recipes. The fun and different recipes can sometimes require more ingredients and longer cooking times. While the super simple recipes are well, super simple. The simple recipes are obviously the more popular recipes, and trust me, I get it. Life is so busy and hectic (…Monday, majorly kicked my butt). On busy nights we just need a simpler dinner that’s healthy and delicious too.

It’s always my goal to create recipes that are achievable for you at home.

Now, with that all said, I will also say that at times it can be a seriously tough job. Sometimes a new color, travel destination, or ingredient will inspire me to create something completely new and different. But then I hesitate because I want you guys to be just as excited about the recipe as I am. And I know that recipes requiring more than an hour’s worth of time just aren’t practical for most weeknights.

So, this leaves us with a lot of sheet pan dinners, vegetables on the grill, yummy tacos, pizzas, and pasta. All delicious, all fun, and all easy. I somehow figured those dishes out. But what I’ve really been wanting to make lately is a good Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich. Which usually take a good chunk of time to prepare. BUT, I managed to cut it down to 30 minutes…and you guys?

It’s so good.

If you’re new to the Banh Mi sandwich, they’re traditionally made with pork and tossed with a salty, sweet sauce. And honestly, while they are delicious, I find them to be fairly sugary, and kind of a heavier sandwich.

So I simplified things. I used chicken, added so many pickled vegetables, sweet mangos, and herbs. I also used my go-to tahini “special sauce” in place of mayo (mostly because I’m just not the biggest mayo person).

The chicken is cooked in a salty chili garlic sauce, that’s traditional flavor wise, but way less sugary. Since the chicken is cut into strips, it also takes only minutes to cook. So simple and easy, but with all the same flavors.

As the chicken is cooking, I like to mix up some fresh mango, jalapeños, lime, and toasted sesame seeds. It’s a bit of a sweet salsa topping that’s super fresh and adds a whole lot of color and flavor.

For the special sauce, I used a little garlic chili sauce, maple and tahini. It’s becoming one of my go-to sauces. It’s spicy, creamy, and perfect on so many things. Of course, if you’d prefer a mayo based sauce, that’s no problem. Simply swap in mayo for the tahini in equal amounts.

Once you have the sauce made, and the chicken cooked, all that’s left to do is assemble. Now, if you’ve ever had a Banh Mi, you know that a big part of the sandwich is the toppings.

This is one of those times where you either go big, or go home. So pile on those spicy mangos, plenty of pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, and then go for the fried egg. The egg is optional, but then, it’s a must in my book. Pretty much everything is better with a fried egg on top.

Sandwich everything together and you’ll have yourself the most colorful and seriously delicious sandwich. Way better than your local Vietnamese spot, and so much fresher too.

And trust me, while this recipe does require a few ingredients, this sandwich is really pretty easy to prepare. It will be great during these late spring and summer days when the weather is warm. Already cannot wait to be eating and enjoying these on a warm summer night. Oh wait, we don’t have warm summer nights here, ok warm summer afternoons. Just please…

Bring on summer! And all the Banh Mi sandwiches too!

Lastly, if you make this 30 Minute Basil Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!