Vietnamese Recipes
115 recipes found
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Savory, Tangy, and Tender—These Vietnamese Stuffed Tomatoes Hit Every Note
Cà chua nhồi thịt is a beloved Vietnamese comfort food featuring a flavorful pork filling stuffed into softened tomato halves and drenched in a sweet and tangy sauce.
Beef Pho Recipe
A soothing, restorative bowl of beef phở, the national dish of Vietnam, is defined by the quality of the broth, according to Thuy Diem Pham, chef and owner of The Little Viet Kitchen in London. Regionality and geography distinguishes various styles of phở. According to Ms. Pham, in the cooler climate of northern Vietnam, phở is saltier, and to keep the broth hot, it is mainly topped with just sliced onion. In the south, “the broth is sweeter and because of the hotter climate, tons of herbs are thrown in to cool down the broth.” This recipe, adapted from Ms. Pham’s cookbook, “The Little Viet Kitchen” (Absolute Press, 2019), is in the southern style which is where her family is from. Ideally, the broth should be light and clear like chicken broth, not murky and dark. To achieve the telltale golden broth, beef bones, oxtail and ribs are first soaked, then parboiled, and finally gently simmered along with brisket, spices and aromatics for many hours. This is a slow, luxurious project, best taken up over a couple of days. Most of the work is hands off, as the broth very slowly simmers away. This recipe makes a big batch which will set you up with bowls of phở at your disposal. You can also use the leftover broth as a base for other soups, and the meat for stir-fries, tacos or over rice. All ingredients can be found at Asian markets.
Bún Chả
Tender and flavorful pork patties packed with lemongrass, garlic, and oyster and fish sauces are the centerpiece of bún chả, a traditional Vietnamese street food. The flattened meatballs are served in a warm citrusy broth with pickled vegetables, while cooked rice noodles and herbs are added to the bowl throughout the meal. (A photo of President Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain eating bún chả in Hanoi in 2016 further popularized the dish in the west.) Here, the patties are caramelized in a grill pan or skillet. Using ground pork with a high fat content (at least 20-percent) is optimal.
Bánh Bò Nướng (Honeycomb Cake)
Known in English as honeycomb cake for its interior pattern of holes stretched long like yawns, bánh bò nướng is tinted jade from pandan paste, which flavors the coconut milk batter. Glossy green pandan leaves, from which the paste is extracted, impart a scent that hovers like jasmine and vanilla with a grounding of soft herbs and toasted rice. The mix of tapioca starch and rice flour yields a texture that’s stretchy, sticky and soft. Hannah Pham’s take on this Vietnamese classic includes a crisp outer crust. She uses a Bundt pan so there’s more of the browned shell in each bite and, to make the exterior even more caramelized, cut down on the amount of butter brushed over the heated pan. For a foolproof cake, she calls for double-acting baking powder, avoids over whisking the eggs and passes the batter through a sieve.
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Vietnamese Coffee
Start your day with bittersweet iced Vietnamese coffee, which gets its rich flavor from dark roast beans and satisfying creaminess from sweetened condensed milk.
Spicy Caramelized Shrimp With Lemongrass
For those who love all things salty and sweet, Vietnamese tôm rim is an ideal dish, wedding fish sauce with caramel. Variations abound, but traditionally, tôm rim is made by marinating whole, unpeeled shrimp in fish sauce, palm sugar, pepper, garlic and shallot, then sautéing until the shrimp cooks through and the sauce becomes glossy and caramelized. This version, which is adapted from “Vietnamese Home Cooking” (Ten Speed Press, 2012) by chef Charles Phan, calls for weeknight-friendly peeled shrimp, and builds upon the dish’s classic flavor profile by introducing chile, lemongrass and ginger. Mr. Phan uses a homemade roasted chile paste that is heady with Sichuan peppercorns, ground bean paste and soy sauce, but he suggests store-bought roasted chile paste or chile-bean sauce for ease. You could swap in Sriracha, increase the garlic, apply these flavors to different proteins or even vegetables. Once you’ve understood the foundation of a dish, its potential is infinite.
Lemongrass Chicken
Defined by the bright, citrusy flavor of fresh lemongrass, this 30-minute Vietnamese chicken dish is further complemented by punchy black pepper, spicy red chile, salty fish sauce and a dash of sugar for sweetness. The recipe builds intense flavor in minimal time, so using boneless chicken thighs is ideal because they’ll stay moist throughout cooking. This recipe is adapted from a dish by Vicky Pham, a blogger who writes about Vietnamese home-cooking dishes that aren’t typically found in Vietnamese restaurants in the United States. “I wanted to replicate those recipes with precise measurements instead of relying on the traditional ‘pinch of this’ and ‘just add enough until it tastes right’ so that one day my kids wouldn’t have too much trouble replicating their favorite childhood dishes,” Ms. Pham said. She whittled this dish down to three simple steps: Sear the chicken until golden, push it aside to make room to bloom the lemongrass, garlic, shallot and chile, then toss with fish sauce and sugar until caramelized. Spicy, salty and sweet, this dish is deeply satisfying served simply with a bowl of rice.
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Bún Chả Hanoi
This quintessential northern Vietnamese dish features charred pork patties and pork belly slices bathed in a steaming dipping sauce served alongside tender rice noodles, fresh herbs, and crunchy pickles for a satisfying meal.
Fresh Spring Rolls
Vietnamese-style spring rolls (also known as gỏi cuốn, rice paper rolls, salad rolls and summer rolls) are refreshing, light and the ideal vehicle for crunchy vegetables, fragrant herbs and simple proteins. Made by moistening, filling and rolling rice paper wrappers, they do take some time and finesse, but they’re also quite adaptable. Switch out the shrimp for tofu, chicken, pork, fish or mushrooms, and use any soft, thin, bite-sized vegetables, such as bean sprouts, jicama and avocado, but keep the herbs for their freshness. These fresh spring rolls are best eaten right away as a meal or cut in half for an appetizer. Serve with a creamy peanut sauce or spicy nước chấm for dipping.
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Nem Nướng Cuốn (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Paste Rice Paper Rolls)
These regional Nha Trang version of rice paper rolls feature springy grilled pork paste, fried egg roll skins, and fresh herbs rolled up and served with a vibrant pork peanut dipping sauce.
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Egg and Pâté Bánh Mì
This bánh mì with homemade chicken pâté, garlicky aioli, a savory omelette, and topped with fresh and pickled vegetables is great anytime of day.
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Gỏi Gà Bắp Cải (Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad)
A classic Vietnamese salad of tender chicken, crunchy cabbage, sweet carrot, pickled onion, fresh herbs, and crispy toppings, served with a gingery dipping sauce.
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Vermicelli Noodle Bowl With Imperial Rolls
Topped with fresh herbs, vegetables, savory imperial rolls, and a sweet and sour sauce, this vermicelli noodle bowl is satisfying, yet light enough to savor on a hot day.
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Bánh Mì Khong (Bánh Mì Bread)
Bánh Mì Khong's (Bánh Mì Bread's) tender crumb and shatteringly crisp exterior is perfect for making bánh mì sandwiches.
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Bún Bò Huê (Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup)
Bun bo hue is a spicy, flavorful noodle soup from Hue, a city in the central region of Vietnam. This recipe simmers meat and bones in broth to tenderize the meat and deepen the broth's flavor.
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Chả Giò (Vietnamese Imperial Rolls)
Vietnamese imperial rolls’ unique crispy fried exterior and sumptuous filling make for a great appetizer and topping for a rice noodle bowl.
Bánh Mì
Bánh mì are, frankly, perfect sandwiches. From the baguettes (“bánh mì” literally translates to bread) to the fillings, they leave room for endless variation while remaining entirely distinct as a complete, complex Vietnamese dish. For this recipe, pork is the star: Following a brief marinade, the meat is broiled, then stuffed in a warm baguette alongside pickles, mayo, butter and a sprinkling of herbs. Ideally, it’s worth picking up the baguettes and butter from your local Vietnamese bakery or bánh mì shop (just ask; they’ll likely sell some to you). Both the pork and the pickles can be made ahead of time. Any extra cooked pork shoulder would serve as delicious leftovers when reheated alongside rice and eggs, or tossed between noodles, or folded into yet another bánh mì. Any extra pickles will hold in the fridge for several weeks — and are endlessly adaptable for later meals.
Bò Né (Steak and Eggs)
Bò né (which translates from Vietnamese to “dodging beef”) is often served for breakfast, but is delicious any time of day: The meal consists of sizzled beef (bò) and fried eggs, with a smattering of pâté and butter dashed across a crisp baguette. Bò né is generally served alongside a salad plate, and offered on roadsides throughout Vietnam, and in Vietnamese restaurants all over the globe. You can partake in each component individually, or fill your baguette to make a sandwich, or figure out a third way that works best for you; there are as many routes to eat bò né as there are diners, and each of them is flawless. Purchasing the pâté and butter from your local Vietnamese market or diner would be ideal (just ask if they sell it by the pound), but whatever you can find will be solid. And if you’re short on time, simply seasoning the beef with salt and black pepper also works.
Crudités With Lemongrass-Fermented Tofu Dip
For rau củ sống chấm chao, a Vietnamese take on crudités, serve raw, seasonal veggies with a tangy, spicy, umami-rich sauce featuring chao (fermented tofu), a wondrous ingredient that’s akin to creamy, winy cheese. Fermented tofu typically punches up stir-fried greens or a bowl of porridge, but Vietnamese cooks love to let it shine as a sauce. The dynamite nước chấm chao (fermented tofu dipping sauce) could be paired with grilled goat or lamb, but it’s fantastic as a dip. For this recipe, from my cookbook “Ever-Green Vietnamese” (Ten Speed Press, 2023), choose at least three vegetables from the crudité options. The sesame seed addition isn’t standard, but adds body and richness to the sauce, uniting the ingredients. Make a double batch of sauce, if you like, so you have extra to dress grilled romaine; top it with fried shallots for a summertime salad.
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Phở Saigon (Southern Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
Phở Saigon delivers a satisfying and hearty bowl of soup featuring five different cuts of beef and rice noodles in a delicate, flavorful broth.
Phở Gà (Chicken Pho)
The broth is the thing here: Simmering wings and drumsticks draws out the very essence of chicken, while toasted spices and charred onions, jalapeño and ginger bring bittersweetness and heat. Bone-in chicken not only results in more flavorful meat to eat with rice noodles, but also lends body and depth to the soup. You also can use chicken backs, feet and necks, if you have them. Cooks prepare phở gà in countless ways, creating a savory soup fragrant with alliums, spices and herbs. Here, cilantro stems add their aroma to the broth, and the leaves freshen the whole dish, along with bean sprouts and basil. The broth and chicken can be prepared and refrigerated for up to five days ahead. Any leftover broth can be frozen for up to three months.
Grilled Lemongrass Pork
This recipe was inspired by thịt heo nướng xả, the sweet, salty and aromatic grilled pork dish that is popular in many Vietnamese restaurants in the United States. Lean pork steaks cooked over high heat can dry out quickly, but a quick 15-minute soak in a mixture of baking soda and water ensures a moist and juicy steak. Baking soda causes a chemical reaction on the surface of the meat, which makes it more difficult for the proteins to bond during cooking or grilling. This means you end up with tender, not tough, meat. Shoulder steaks work well here because they have more flavor than lean pork chops and can take high heat and a strong marinade better than other thin cuts. Your butcher can cut the steaks for you or you can use thin cut pork chops.
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Cơm Tấm (Vietnamese Broken Rice)
Broken rice is an iconic Southern Vietnamese dish piled high with delicious grilled and shredded pork, pork-and-egg meatloaf, fresh and pickled veggies, and a tangy-sweet drizzling sauce.
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Tôm Rim (Vietnamese Braised Shrimp)
This plump shrimp braised in a bold caramel-and–coconut water sauce is so good, you'll want extra rice to eat it all up.