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Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi

Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi reads umami 7.3, sweetness 6.0 and salinity 5.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Vietnamese main, about 1 hr 35 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.8 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 6.3 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 4.1 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.1 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.3 · Sweetness 6.0 · Salinity 5.9 · Funk & Ferment 5.1 · Richness 4.2 · Marine & Briny 3.9 · Heat 3.7 · Floral 3.3 · Sourness 3.3 · Nutty 2.8 · Citrus 2.7 · Allium 2.7 · Herbaceous 2.6 · Warm Spice 1.5 · Earthy 1.4 · Fruity 1.0 · Bitterness 0.7

What's in it (25)

• 6 boneless chicken thighs, cut each thigh in half
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• Pickled Cucumber and Carrot
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 cucumber, shredded
• 1 thai bird's eye chili, chopped
• Sauce
• 3 stalks lemongrass, tender stalks bottoms minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 green chilies, minced
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• The Rest
• 6 (6 inch) vietnamese-style baguette or (6 inch) crusty submarine buns
• assorted herbs (cilantro, Thai basil, mint)
• green chili, sliced (serrano or jalapeno)
• pickled carrot & cucumber (recipe included)

Time & effort: about 1 hr 35 min (50 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 121.8 kcal, 6.7 g protein, 3.3 g fat, 17.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (5 steps)

1. Pickled Cucumber and Carrot: Mix the rice vinegar, sugar and sea salt in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to the boil until the sugar dissolved and let cool to room temperature. Place the carrot, cucumber and chilies in a mixing bowl and add in the sugar and vinegar mixture. Chill for about 20 minutes before serving.
2. Sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients to mix. Set aside.
3. Spicy Lemongrass Chicken: Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and black pepper. Heat a large cast-iron pan over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil.
4. Add the chicken and fry both side until golden brown. Turn the heat to medium and mix in the sauce, press down the chicken meat with a spatula and continue to cook until the sauce thickens and becomes caramelized. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly before slicing.
5. Sandwich: Lightly toast the baguettes and fill with chicken slices with its sauce, pickled vegetables, green chili and assorted herbs. Serve immediately.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Thai Green Shrimp Curry — Thai
• Dale Taldes Slippery Lemongrass Pork Noodles — Thai
• Bun Bo Nam Bo (Southern Beef Noodle Salad) — Vietnamese
• Banh Mi Meatball Bowls — Vietnamese
• Drunken Noodles with Chicken (Pad Kee Mao) — Thai

Keep reading: what umami, sweetness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.