Chicken Bánh Mì Smash Burger Taco | One Pot One Portion
This is my one pot one portion chicken bánh mì smash burger taco. As you can tell from the name it draws inspiration from several different recipes and cuisines, all coming together to create a meal that satisfies me in every way. From the crispy golden flatbread, to the juicy chicken, fresh herbs, spicy chillies and pickled vegetables. This recipe is GOOD. It's essentially all my favourite fresh flavours in one mouthful.
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About this dish
This is my one pot one portion chicken bánh mì smash burger taco. As you can tell from the name it draws inspiration from several different recipes and cuisines, all coming together to create a meal that satisfies me in every way. From the crispy golden flatbread, to the juicy chicken, fresh herbs, spicy chillies and pickled vegetables. This recipe is GOOD.
When developing this recipe I started with the idea of a chicken smash burger flatbread. Smash burger tacos may seem like a viral internet fad but they're actually a really effective way to cook meat quickly and easily. Because the meat is pressed thinly onto a taco/tortilla, it cooks in just a couple of minutes, meaning it keeps its flavour and moisture. The other great thing about these type of tacos is that you can fill them with so many different things! For this one, I was inspired by the flavours and fillings of a bánh mì- aVietnamese sandwich filled with meats, pate, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs and spicy chillies. It's essentially all my favourite fresh flavours in one mouthful. I've opted for ground chicken here, but ground pork would be brilliant too.
This is the perfect quick, simple weeknight dinner that feels like you've put a lot of effort in. Exactly what you want when cooking for one.
If you like this recipe you might also like my
Why you want to make this recipe
20 minute meal
This recipe only takes about 20 minutes. The tacos cook very quickly in the pan because it's such a thin layer of ground chicken, and the carrots can either be pickled in advance or will be delicious as a quick pickle while you make everything else.
High Protein
Thanks to the lean ground chicken, this dish is high protein, plus lots of nutrients from the pickled vegetables and fresh herbs.
One Pot Recipe
As with all of my recipes, this only needs one pot or one pan so there are minimal dishes, which makes every meal time easier and more enjoyable.
Single-Serve
Again, as always, this recipe is for single-serve tacos so you can make this just for yourself! Though it would be very easy to scale up to serve multiple people if needed
Ingredients and Tools
Ground Chicken
- Ground chicken is high in protein and low in fat, so works well when cooked quickly as it won't dry out. You could also use pork mince for this- slices of pork/ham are traditional fillings for bánh mì so you know it's going to be delicious.
Soft Flour Tortillas
- I prefer a flour tortilla to a corn tortilla, though you could use either
Kewpie Mayo
- Kewpie mayo is a Japanese mayo that uses egg yolks instead of whole eggs. The result is a slightly richer, and I think slightly sweeter, mayo. It works very well here, but if you only have regular mayo then that will be perfect.
Quick Pickled Vegetables
- Pickled carrots, daikon and cucumber are quite traditional fillings for a bánh mì. I only had carrots in when I made this so only used those but you could use any combination of pickled vegetables that you like.
- The quick pickles are pickled in a mixture of a white vinegar (white wine, cyder or rice wine vinegar all work), sugar, salt and hot water (which helps them pickle quicker).
Maggi Seasoning
- Maggi seasoning is a very flavourful liquid that brings a punch of umami taste to the dish. It's traditional in a bánh mì and adds so much flavour to these bánh mì tacos
Step by step instructions
Add the carrots, vinegar and sugar to a small bowl/jar. Add boiling water until the carrots are just covered. Shake/stir and leave to pickle while you make the flatbreads.
Take one of your flatbreads and add half the chicken mince to it. Flatten it out with a fork, until it covers the tortilla in an even layer. Season well with sand pepper then add a few splashes of Maggi seasoning, which seasons the chicken further.
Add the olive oil to a small frying pan over a medium-high heat and once hot, place the tortilla in the pan chicken-side down. Fry for 4-5 minutes on this side before flipping and frying for another 2-3 minutes until the tortilla is golden. Place on your serving plate and repeat with the second tortilla.
Once cooked, spoon 2 tsp of mayo onto each one. Top with the coriander and pickled carrots then scatter over the chill. Serve with a squeeze of lime juice and enjoy.
Variations, substitutions or modifications
You could swap ground chicken for ground pork.
Gluten-Free: To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free tortillas or corn tacos. Replace the maggi seasoning for tamari for a similar umami flavour.
FAQs
What is Bánh Mì?
- Bánh Mì is a Vietnamese sandwich. It consists of a crispy french-style baguette and can have a variety of fillings but the most common are sliced pork/ham, pate, mayo, maggi seasoning, pickled carrots, pickled daikon, cucumber, fresh coriander/cilantro, fresh chillies
What is a Smashburger Taco?
- A viral internet sensation, smash burgers are very thinly pressed hamburger patties. A smash burger taco takes the same principle thinly smashed ground meat but pressed onto a taco shell/tortilla. This is then pan fried until crisp and filled with a variety of fillings.
Can I make a double portion?
- You can easily double up this single-serve recipe just by doubling the ingredients.
If you like this recipe you might also like my Pulled Chicken Salad, Peanut Noodle Salad, Peach and Burrata Orzo Salad, Crispy Potato Caesar Salad or my Prawn & Mango Noodle Salad.
Ingredients
SERVES 1- scale up as needed
For the pickled carrot
- 1/2 carrot, chopped into very thin batons
- 4 tbsp white wine/cyder vinegar
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
For the flatbread
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 flour tortillas
- 100-125g chicken mince
- Maggi seasoning
- 5g fresh coriander/cilantro
- 1 red chilli
- 4 tsp kewpie mayo
- Juice of 1/2 lime
Instructions
- To make quick pickled carrots add the carrots, vinegar and sugar to a small bowl/jar. Add boiling water until the carrots are just covered. Shake/stir and leave to pickle while you make the flatbreads.
- Take one of your flatbreads and add half the chicken mince to it. Flatten it out with a fork, until it covers the tortilla in an even layer. Season well with salt and pepper then add a few splashes of Maggi seasoning, which seasons the chicken further.
- Add the olive oil to a small frying pan over a medium-high heat and once hot, place the tortilla in the pan chicken-side down. Fry for 4-5 minutes on this side before flipping and frying for another 2-3 minutes until the tortilla is golden. Place on your serving plate and repeat with the second tortilla.
- Once cooked, spoon 2 tsp of mayo onto each one. Top with the coriander/cilantro and pickled carrots then scatter over the chill. Serve with a squeeze of lime juice and enjoy.
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Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you eating!
Great present! Bought this for my sister who cooks for one. She absolutely loved it finding it inspiring! So many great recipes to motivate and keep you cooking when it's just you
Follow Eleanor on socials and knew I NEEDED this book immediately! SO glad I paid extra and had it shipped from the UK (to US). Eleanor's voice is loud and clear in every recipe. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are perfectly clear, and I want to make EVERYTHING. I cannot recommend this book enough!
This recipe book is stunning and fulfils its role brilliantly in catering for individuals who want to eat delicious meals, but don't want to prepare family sized portions or devote their entire evening to cooking. Who'd believe you could make an entire roast for one person and only use one pan in the process! She is a genius and I couldn't recommend this book any more highly.
One of the best things about the book is that all the recipes are actually cooked in one pot - in a lot of other so-called books you still have to make your side dish in a separate pot. With these recipes, even if they include rice or pasta, it's all cooked together. No mountains of washing up!
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This book is like having all your favourite foods in one place with the added bonus of an old friend showing you the ropes. Congratulations Eleanor when can I pre-order the next one?