The first time I made a tofu banh mi at home, I was skeptical it could stand up to the pork or chicken versions I grew up ordering from the cart down the street. Then I bit into a piece of tofu that had gone dark gold and shatter-crisp in the pan, wrapped in a crackly baguette with pickles that snapped between my teeth, and I stopped comparing it to anything else — it just worked.
This tofu banh mi leans into contrast the same way the original does: hot and cold, soft and crunchy, rich and bright. Pressing and pan-frying the tofu gives it a crust sturdy enough to hold its own against the quick pickles, cool cucumber, and a mayo with real heat in it, so every bite still has that layered, complicated thing banh mi does so well.
Ingredients
- 1 block (14 oz) extra-firm tofu, pressed
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp neutral oil (such as avocado or grapeseed), for frying
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1 small daikon radish, julienned (or 4 red radishes, thinly sliced)
- 3/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp sriracha, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 small baguettes (or 1 long baguette, halved crosswise)
- 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
- soy sauce or Maggi seasoning, for drizzling (optional)
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Press the tofu between paper towels or clean kitchen towels with something heavy on top for at least 15 minutes, then slice into planks about 1/2 inch thick.
- While the tofu presses, whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and warm water in a jar until the sugar dissolves. Add the carrot and daikon, pushing them down so they’re submerged, and set aside to pickle for at least 20 minutes.
- Lay the tofu slices in a shallow dish and pour the soy sauce over them, turning gently so both sides get coated. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Dust the tofu slices all over with cornstarch, patting it in so it sticks and shaking off any excess.
- Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry the tofu in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden and crisp at the edges, then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Stir together the mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime juice in a small bowl until smooth.
- Split the baguettes and toast them cut-side up under the broiler or in a dry skillet for a minute or two, just until warm and a little crisp.
- Spread the chile mayo generously on both cut sides of the bread. Layer in the crispy tofu, a good handful of the drained pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber slices, jalapeño, and cilantro.
- Drizzle a little soy sauce or Maggi seasoning over the filling if you like extra savoriness, then close the sandwiches and press down gently before serving right away.
Tips
- Press the tofu properly — the drier it is going in, the crisper and more shatter-crunchy the crust comes out after frying.
- Make the pickles ahead: they keep in the fridge for up to a week and actually taste better after a day or two, so double the batch if you’re making banh mi often.
- No daikon? Thinly sliced radishes or even shredded green papaya work fine in the pickle — the point is crunch and acidity, not a specific vegetable.
- If your tofu cools down and loses its crispness before you’re ready to assemble, a quick 2-minute pass in a dry hot skillet brings most of the crunch right back.
- For less heat, cut the sriracha in the mayo to 1 teaspoon, or leave the jalapeño out of the sandwich and serve slices on the side instead.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
- Calories: 460 kcal
- Protein: 17 g
- Carbs: 52 g
- Fat: 21 g
Prep: 25 min · Cook: 15 min · Serves: 2