Authentic Lemongrass Beef Banh Mi

A classic authentic lemongrass beef banh mi recipe that anyone can make at home. You’ll be done in less than an hour! Learn how to sear the beef, so it looks and tastes like you used a grill, how to get the most flavor out of your beef, and how to customize the fillings to your liking!

When I need something that reminds me of home, I always turn to a banh mi sandwich. It’s a simple thing but probably one of the most genius Vietnamese recipes out there. You can take it anywhere because of how compact it is. It’s full of flavor and balance at the same time. You can make it with whatever protein you want from pork to chicken to tofu. Today, I thought I would bring it back to something more traditional with this lemongrass beef banh mi. I marinated the beef in my special Vietnamese marinade recipe for 30 minutes and then seared it over the stove for a few minutes. In less than an hour, I had the yummiest lunch.

My experience with banh mi

Banh mi is perhaps one of the most famous dishes to come out of Vietnam. While we eat banh mi mostly for lunch here in the West, people in Vietnam eat it at all times of the day including breakfast. Growing up here in LA, it was not uncommon for me to have banh mi for breakfast. Not only is it filling, but it so full of flavor.

For me, a traditional banh mi includes some sort of protein like pork or chicken, pickled carrots and daikon, Vietnamese pate, cilantro, cucumber, and mayonnaise. The best part is you can pick and choose whatever fillings you want. Don’t like cilantro? Leave it out! Pork is not your thing? Switch it up for beef! You can also choose to spice it up with seasonings like sriracha and soy sauce.

Some key ingredients

Lemongrass Beef

• Steak – Use any cut of steak you want for this recipe. Personally, I like using ribeye steak because it is the most tender and flavorful.
• Lemongrass – Lemongrass adds a unique cintrus-y flavor to the marinade. If you don’t have lemongrass, substitute with 1 tbsp of lime juice. It won’t be quite the same flavor but it will be good enough. Check out my guide on how to use lemongrass for tips on how to cut this ingredient!
• Vegetable oil – Vegetable oil can be substituted with grapeseed oil or olive oil.
• Light brown sugar – Adds sweetness to the marinade to balance out the umami flavors. Light brown sugar can be substituted with dark brown sugar, but note that this substitution will make the marinade sweeter.

Other Ingredients

• Baguettes – Use fresh Vietnamese baguettes if you can find them. Yes there is a difference between Vietnamese and French baguettes! Bakeries that sell banh mi sandwiches will also sell you baguettes most of the time. If you can’t find Vietnamese baguettes, use French baguettes.
• Mayonnaise – I personally like using Kewpie mayo for banh mi, but feel free to use whatever you can find.

How to make my homemade beef banh mi

Tips on how to make the perfect beef banh mi

The longer you marinate the beef, the better the flavor

This is just a fact when it comes to marinating meat. I would marinate the beef at minimum 30 minutes, but the longer it marinates, the tastier it will be.

Cook the beef over high heat

Cooking the beef over high heat ensures you cook the beef without the juices running out and making it mushy. If you can do this in a wok, even better!

For more flavor, grill the beef instead

Traditionally, this beef is made over a grill, but I decided to simplify it by making it in a fry pan. If you have a grill, definitely use it for this recipe because it gives the beef so much extra flavor!

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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