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Let’s take a journey to Vietnam. One of the nation’s most popular dishes is the banh mi. It’s a sandwich made on a tender baguette layered with marinated meat and pickled vegetables. 

It’s a combination of rich, fresh and a little spicy, depending on your toppings. 

Choosing the right steak for beef banh mi

Banh mis are traditionally made using pork, but I wanted to create a version using beef. I chose flat iron steak as my protein.

flat iron steak on grill

Unlike flank and skirt steaks, the flat iron cut comes from the shoulder of the cow, instead of the belly. You’re probably familiar with chuck beef. It’s most popularly used in burgers. The flat iron comes from this same area.

The flat iron that I used for this recipe is a leaner cut with gentle marbling. When combined with my banh mi marinade, it’s super tender, making it perfect for sandwiches or tacos.

flat iron steak on grill

After marinating the steak for about 6 hours, it will take less than 10 minutes to grill the steak for a perfect medium rare slice. If you prefer well done, let it ride a little longer. 

sliced flat iron steak for beef banh mi

Slice the steak into thin strips against the grain and set them aside to build your beef banh mi sandwich. You can even grill the steak in advance and build the sandwiches to order the next day. 

beef banh mi ingredients

How to top your beef banh mi sandwich

What really sets the banh mi apart from other sandwiches is the toppings: fresh cucumber slices, pickled carrots, fresh cilantro leaves and sriracha mayo.

I love my beef banh mi sandwiches with a few slices of fresh jalapeno or Fresno peppers, too. If you don’t enjoy heat, leave those out and just use plain mayo. 

beef banh mi sandwich

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5 from 2 votes

Grilled Beef Banh Mi Sandwich

Flavor has no boundaries when you combine Asian marinated tender beef with pickled carrots and sriracha mayo to create this grilled beef banh mi sandwich.
Prep Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 6 sandwiches

Ingredients 

  • 1 1/2 pounds flat iron steak

Marinade + Sauce

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
  • 2 tsps sesame oil
  • 2 tsps vegetable oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Sandwich Fixings

  • 6 baguette rolls
  • Sriracha mayo
  • Pickled carrots
  • Cucumber slices
  • Cilantro leaves
  • Jalapeno or Fresno pepper slices

Pickled Carrots

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 carrot , julienned

Sriracha Mayo

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • pinch of salt

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl, combine the water, sugar, ketchup, hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, vegetable oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Pour half of it in a zip-top bag. Save the other half for later.
  • Place the beef in the bag. Massage, seal and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Make the pickled carrots and sriracha mayo (below).
  • Just before grilling the meat, place the reserved marinade in a saucepot. Heat over medium heat until it thickens.
  • Heat the grill to medium-high. Grill steak for 5 minutes.
  • Flip. Brush with the thickened sauce. Grill 3 more minutes. Flip and coat with more sauce. Grill 2 more minutes.
  • Remove from grill. Let rest 5-10 minutes. Slice against the grain.

Pickled Carrots

  • Heat the water, vinegar, sugar and salt in small saucepot. Remove from heat. Add the carrots and let steep 30 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Sriracha Mayo

  • Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly

  • Spread sriracha mayo on the baguettes. Top with sliced beef, pickled carrots, cucumber slices, cilantro leaves and pepper slices.

Nutrition

Calories: 615kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 28gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 999mgPotassium: 446mgFiber: 1gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 1860IUVitamin C: 2.1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 13.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to rate it, leave a comment and save it so you can make it again. Show off your awesome results on social by tagging @girlscangrill
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Hey BBQ Family

I’m Christie, the head cook and award-winning competitive pitmaster for Team Girls Can Grill. I have won multiple grand championships and top 10 category finishes. I’m an expert grill reviewer for BBQ Guys, and I have appeared on the Food Network and Ninja Woodfire Grill infomercials. I established this website in 2015 to share my BBQ tips and recipes.

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1 Comment

  1. Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.