If you love the bold, tangy, and slightly spicy flavors of a classic bánh mì sandwich, you’ll love this easy Banh Mi Bowl. It’s a fresh, deconstructed take on the Vietnamese favorite! No bread needed, just a base of fluffy rice, ground meat of choice, crisp veggies, and a punchy, umami-packed sauce.

This bowl makes an my ideal summer staple: light yet satisfying, loaded with texture, and perfect for hot days when you want something flavorful without turning on the oven. You can easily switch up the protein based on what you have: ground chicken, turkey, pork, or beef all work great here. It’s quick to throw together and makes the best leftovers for lunch the next day!

Let’s get into the recipe…

Banh Mi Bowl

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• 1 lb ground chicken, turkey, pork or beef
• 1 tbsp olive oil or sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 2 large carrots, cut into thin strips
• 1 large jalapeno
• Picked onion
• Optional: sesame seeds or furikake for topping

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 3 tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add your ground meat of choice and cook 5-7 minutes until browned, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks.
3. While the meat is cooking, mix together the sauce ingredients.
4. Once the meat is cooked through (after 5-7 minutes), add the garlic, ginger and sauce. Mix well and cook another ~3 minutes. Sauce should thicken.
5. To serve: add a serving of rice to a bowl. Top with a scoop of the meat mixture, some cucumber, carrots, jalapeno, pickled onion and sesame seeds (or furikake).
6. Enjoy!

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Looking for more asian-inspired summer recipes?! Here are some of my favorites…

• Chicken Satay Bowl
• Crispy Rice Vietnamese Salad
• Dumpling Pasta Salad