I love finding new ways to use rotisserie chicken, and this pulled chicken banh mi sandwich is one of my favorites! It’s easy to make, with bold flavors and deliciously crunchy veggies.
Gotta love a super quick lunch recipe that doesn’t require any cooking!
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Shredded Chicken Banh Mi
This isn’t just any old sandwich: it features pickled jalapeños, fresh cilantro (optional if you’re not a cilantro fan), crunchy veggies, and spicy sriracha sauce to kick things up a notch.
If you’re not into spicy food, that’s okay too – I’ll share a way to dial back the spice later in this post.
Banh mi sandwiches are a staple of Vietnamese street food/cuisine (with a bit of French influence), often filled with pickled vegetables and marinated meat.
They’re traditionally eaten on short baguette-style bread (hence the name ‘banh mi’), but any type of bread you have will work just fine.
Check out my mix & match sandwich ideas post for more inspiration!
Banh Mi Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to assemble this tasty sandwich:
- bread (A french roll/baguette is more traditional, but you can definitely do a seedy sandwich bread, too.)
- pulled chicken (Store-bought rotisserie chicken saves time, or you can make your own pulled chicken. Here’s how to carve a whole chicken and shred it. You can even cook frozen chicken breasts in an Instant Pot – it’s super easy!)
- cucumbers (Sliced cucumbers add a refreshing, crunchy bite to the sandwich.)
- shredded carrots (You can peel and shred them yourself, or buy pre-shredded carrots at the store to save time.)
- broccoli slaw (I love adding broccoli slaw to sandwiches for even more crunch, but it’s ok if you leave this out.)
- pickled jalapeños (This is another ingredient that you can buy pre-made, but I promise making these yourself isn’t difficult! Here’s a guide to making lacto-fermented vegetables at home – including jalapeños.)
- cilantro (This adds a more traditional flavor to the banh mi, but if you dislike cilantro, you can leave it out!)
- sriracha (Lastly, sriracha sauce brings all the flavors together and adds a spicy kick. If you prefer less spicy sauces, you can mix a small amount of sriracha with plain Greek yogurt to make a less-spicy sriracha “mayo” sauce.)
For another tasty sandwich idea with chicken, try these shredded chicken salad sandwiches!
How to Make Pulled Chicken
If you don’t have a rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked chicken on hand, there are a few simple ways to make your own shredded chicken at home.
First off, you can let your crockpot do the work! Slow cooking chicken is super hands-off – just make sure it’s fully covered in liquid (such as chicken broth).
You can follow this honey lemon crockpot chicken recipe (just leave out the honey and lemon, and add more chicken broth.)
Another great option is to cook your chicken in an Instant Pot. These Instant Pot frozen chicken breasts are super easy!
Recipe Variations
This recipe is easily customizable. Here are some variations to try:
- If you’re not feeling a sandwich (or you’re out of bread), you can make this into a wrap with a whole wheat or spinach tortilla.
- Or, toss everything into a bowl instead for a salad. Add some quinoa, noodles, or bulgur for extra staying power!
- Swap out the veggies, or add more. Pickled carrots or radishes would be delicious.
- Feel free to use a different sauce, such as peanut sauce or hoisin.
I hope you love this flavorful sandwich!
If you have leftover pulled chicken to use up afterward, check out this post: Things to do with Rotisserie Chicken.
What’s a go-to quick (yet delicious) lunch you love? Let me know in the comments!
Looking for more tasty lunch recipes? Check these out:
- Open Faced Prosciutto Sandwich with Cherries
- Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
- No Mayo Tuna Salad with Avocado
- No Mayo Egg Salad with Avocado
- Quinoa Taco Salad
- Harvest Bowls with Sweet Potato
Pulled Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich
This pulled chicken banh mi sandwich is a quick lunch recipe that's easy to make, with bold flavors, spicy sriracha, and crunchy veggies!
Ingredients:
- 2 slices bread (or 1 tortilla)
- pulled chicken (pre-cooked)*
- 4-6 cucumber slices
- 1/8 cup shredded carrots
- 1/8 cup broccoli slaw
- 4-6 pickled jalapeño slices**
- fresh cilantro
- sriracha (to taste)
- 1-2 Tbsp Greek yogurt (optional)***
Instructions:
- Spread sriracha (or sriracha "mayo") on one slice of bread.
- Assemble pulled chicken on top. Add vegetables, place second bread slice on top, then enjoy!
Notes:
*Store-bought rotisserie chicken saves time, or you can easily make your own pulled chicken! Follow these instructions for honey lemon crockpot chicken recipe (just leave out the honey and lemon, and add more chicken broth until the chicken is fully submerged), or these instructions for Instant Pot frozen chicken breasts.
**You can find pickled jalapeños at most grocery stores, or make your own! Here's how to ferment vegetables at home (including jalapeños).
***If you prefer a less spicy sauce, you can mix a small amount of the sriracha with plain Greek yogurt to make a less-spicy sriracha "mayo" sauce.
