Put an American hot dog into a Vietnamese banh mi framework. Is that legit? My family ate hot dogs after coming to the United States – oftentimes adding them to instant ramen for lunch. I’ve put them into fried rice and I’ve made sandwiches with hot dogs, with a conventional squishy bun or between toasted sliced bread. But I never ventured to make a hot dog banh mi until this past week.
My brother texted a hot dog banh mi photo in which the hot dog was set into a bun with a mash up of banh mi and hot dog accouterments. He thought it was a disgrace to banh mi, our beloved sandwich. I responded that ubiquitous Vietnamese giò lụa (chả lụa), which I refer to as Viet bologna or silky sausage in my books and recipes, has a hot dog-like smooth texture and snap. I joked that a hot dog bun is not quite right for a hot dog banh mi. (I meant that as a pun and hope you laughed.)
I then recalled seeing grilled hot dog banh mi in Vietnam and looked in my iPhone 2017 photo archive. The vendor in Hanoi identified her creation as bánh mỳ xúc xích – sausage banh mi. (The other term on their banner is for grilled meat (likely pork) skewers. In Vietnam, banh mi may be spelled with an “i” or “y”.) If you check online, most bánh mỳ xúc xích in Vietnam are more like big pigs in blankets – crafted like Chinese bakery style hot dog pastries encased in soft, slightly sweet dough.
But this vendor inspired me to make a hot dog banh mi recipe. I’ve also been experimenting with baking skinny baguettes, which needed to find a purpose. Their size -- about 2 ¾ inches wide and 12 inches long, turned out to be perfect for a foot-long hot dog banh mi! I made some tweaks to give American hot dogs the Viet banh mi treatment. Here are my notes for you to keep in mind as you make the recipe that follows.
Pickled Onion and Jalapeno
The salty, spicy quality of hot dogs calls for something pungent to cut some of its richness and brighten flavors. Viet daikon and carrot pickle does wonders for a hot dog but I also enjoy raw onion with hot dogs. I’ve pickled onion and shallot for banh mi (there’s a recipe in The Banh Mi Handbook) but needed a quickie so I sliced red onion up, rinsed it briefly to remove harshness and then let the onion soak in daikon and carrot pickle brine. I threw in some sliced jalapenos too. Why waste the pickle brine when you can use it to invite more vegetables to the banh mi party?
Sweet Pickle Relish vs Cucumber
Because hot dog banh mi is tucked into a skinny baguette, fitting sliced cucumber into the sandwich would likely prove to be unwieldy. Instead, I reached for my jar of homemade sweet pickle relish. The finely diced bits of spicy, tangy cucumber and onion were perfect for a refreshing crunch. You could chop up bread and butter pickles, too. Homemade sweet pickles aren't as sweet as their store-bought counterparts so use less if you’re using the purchased variety.
Condiment Options
On our first run of hot dog banh mi, my husband added mustard to his sandwich and it just didn’t work with all the pickled veggies. We left it out of the second version of hot dog banh mi, sticking with umami mayonnaise, Maggi Seasoning sauce, and a touch of Cholimex chile sauce. What is Cholimex? Made in Vietnam, Cholimex is a leading brand of condiments. It is sold at Little Saigon markets; if you don't have a Viet enclave nearby, the sauce is sold via Amazon, albeit at a much higher price. Cholimex tuong ot hot sauce is not as hot as Sriracha. Cholimex is friendly hot. Blend a bit of ketchup with Sriracha for a substitute. That said, raw chile slices are a banh mi friend that lends bright, fresh heat! You can also do both.
Whole vs Sliced Hot Dogs
Keeping the hot dog whole doesn’t allow it to commingle with other ingredients well. And, if you thinly slice the hot dog and then pan-fry it, it becomes tasty morsels for tucking into the bread. And I pan-seared the hot dog but you could certainly grill then slice it afterward. Vegetarian hot dogs would work too. They tend to be smaller so you may need more.
Hot Dog Banh Mi Video Tips
Building the hot dog banh mi required some slight tweaks because the bread was so skinny and I had to cram a lot of stuff into it. I baked the bread earlier that day so I didn't need to re-crisp it in the oven. (As usual, if you have an ad blocker on, you may need to remove the blocker to see the video. A modest amount of ad revenue keeps this website going.)
Hot Dog Banh Mi Verdict
Funnily, as my husband ate the hot dog banh mi, he shared that he preferred the sliced up hot dog and the crisp bread over the traditional whole dog in a soft bun. The bread lent the hot dog a bit more character, he said. Because of the shape of the long skinny sandwich, we held our banh mi hot horizontally like a regular hot dog. So, it’s a fun marriage of cultures and ideas in a sandwich. There are countless hot dogs out there so maybe this Viet-American rendition will figure into your repertoire. It has entered our rotation.
Hot Dog Banh Mi
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Do Chua Daikon and Carrot Pickle plus brine (see Note)
- ¼ cup sliced red onion
- 1 small jalapeno, sliced
- 4 to 6 hot dogs (vegetarian, if you like)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as canola
- 1 skinny baguette, or 2 6-inch crusty rolls
- 3 to 4 tablespoons full-fat mayonnaise (umami or regular; see Note)
- Maggi Seasoning sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos
- ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro sprigs
- ¼ to ⅓ cup Sweet Pickle Relish (see Note)
- Hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Drain the daikon and carrot pickle, reserving the brine in a small bowl. Rinse the red onion under water for about 10 seconds, drain well, and add to the brine along with the jalapeno. Stir to combine. If there isn’t enough brine to just cover, add more. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the hot dogs on a steep diagonal. Set a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the oil. When barely shimmering, add the hot dog slices. Cook, stirring and flipping, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until heated through and a few pieces brown a bit. Take off the heat.
- If needed, recrisp the rolls in a 350F toaster oven for a few minutes. Let briefly cool, then slice open, leaving a hinge on one side, if possible. Spread mayonnaise on the inside. Drizzle in the Maggi. Then layer on the hot dog, pickle, onion, chile, and cilantro. Spoon on the pickle relish at the end. Close and cut in half, if you like, before eating or sharing.
