Name: Bánh mì heo quay Sài Gòn (Saigon roast pork bánh mì)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 630 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 1 kg boneless pork belly with skin, in one even slab; 8 g fine salt for the meat; 5 g Chinese five-spice powder; 10 g granulated sugar; 2 g ground black pepper; 6 g garlic, finely grated; 15 ml hoisin sauce; 15 ml white or rice vinegar; 4 g fine salt; 180 g carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks; 180 g daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks; 120 ml rice vinegar; 120 ml cool water; 30 g granulated sugar; 5 g fine salt; 6 Vietnamese baguettes, about 80 g each; 90 g pork liver pâté; 90 g mayonnaise; 180 g cucumber, cut into thin batons; 30 g fresh coriander leaves and tender stems; 30 g spring onions, cut into short batons; 10 g fresh red chile, thinly sliced; 30 ml Maggi seasoning sauce or light soy sauce

Wide view of a bánh mì heo quay on a wooden board, filled with blistered roast pork belly, carrot-daikon pickle, cucumber, coriander and spring onion.

Yield 6 sandwiches

Cook time About 90 minutes

Passive time About 8 hours 20 minutes for drying and resting

Total time About 10 hours 30 minutes

Calories About 1,150 kcal per sandwich

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bánh mì heo quay Sài Gòn (Saigon roast pork bánh mì)

Bánh mì heo quay is a roast-pork version of Vietnam’s beloved baguette sandwich, enjoyed in Saigon and elsewhere. The filling changes from stall to stall: some sandwiches lean on pâté and mayonnaise, while others highlight roast pork, crisp pickles, fresh herbs or a savory sauce. This home version brings those elements together without claiming one fixed traditional build.

The pork needs an uncovered rest in the refrigerator so its skin can dry before roasting. While it dries, make a quick carrot-daikon pickle. Roast the pork until the rind blisters and the center reaches a safe temperature, then rest and slice it. Assemble the sandwiches just before serving to keep the baguettes crisp and the fresh vegetables cool.

Crisp pork skin and juicy belly are balanced by cool cucumber, bright herbs and a tangy carrot-daikon pickle. Pâté and mayonnaise add a creamy layer, while a small amount of seasoning sauce brings savory depth without soaking the bread.

The pork is seasoned on the meat side, while the skin is kept clean, salted and dry. This separation helps the rind blister instead of steaming. The sandwich build stays flexible: add the chile to taste, and assemble only as many baguettes as you plan to eat right away.

Practical

Tips for successChoose a flat, even slab of skin-on pork belly so it cooks at a similar rate from edge to edge. Pat the rind thoroughly dry and refrigerate the pork uncovered for at least 8 hours; keep it on a rack above a tray. Keep the five-spice marinade on the meat, not the skin, so the rind can dry and crisp. Use a food thermometer in the thickest part of the meat; color and crackling alone cannot confirm safe doneness. If the pork reaches its safe temperature before the skin blisters, use the oven’s upper heat briefly and watch it continuously. Drain the pickle before filling the baguettes so the bread does not turn soggy. Warm the baguettes only briefly; serve soon after filling for the best contrast of crisp bread and tender pork. Keep pâté, mayonnaise, cut vegetables and leftover pork refrigerated until needed.

Ingredients

For the roast pork

1 kg boneless pork belly with skin, in one even slab
8 g fine salt for the meat
5 g Chinese five-spice powder
10 g granulated sugar
2 g ground black pepper
6 g garlic, finely grated
15 ml hoisin sauce

For the skin

15 ml white or rice vinegar
4 g fine salt

For the quick pickle

180 g carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
180 g daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks
120 ml rice vinegar
120 ml cool water
30 g granulated sugar
5 g fine salt

For the sandwiches

6 Vietnamese baguettes, about 80 g each
90 g pork liver pâté
90 g mayonnaise
180 g cucumber, cut into thin batons
30 g fresh coriander leaves and tender stems
30 g spring onions, cut into short batons
10 g fresh red chile, thinly sliced
30 ml Maggi seasoning sauce or light soy sauce

Method

Season the pork. Pat the pork belly completely dry. Pierce the skin all over with a clean skewer, without cutting deeply into the meat. Mix the 8 g salt, five-spice, sugar, black pepper, garlic and hoisin. Rub the mixture over the meat sides only; keep the skin free of marinade.
Dry the skin in the refrigerator. Set the pork skin-side up on a rack over a tray. Brush the skin lightly with vinegar and rub on the 4 g salt. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours so the skin dries. Keep the raw pork refrigerated throughout.
Make the pickle. Stir the sugar and 5 g salt into the rice vinegar and water until dissolved. Add the carrot and daikon, press them under the liquid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Drain before assembly and keep chilled.
Begin roasting. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Line a rimmed roasting tray with foil and set a rack above it. Put the pork skin-side down and roast for 20 minutes. Turn it skin-side up, pat the rind dry, brush with a little vinegar-salt mixture and roast for 20 minutes.
Crisp the rind and check doneness. If fat has collected on the rind, pat it dry. Brush with the remaining vinegar-salt mixture as needed and roast skin-side up for about 20 minutes more. Insert an instant-read thermometer from the side into the thickest meat, without touching the rack or a large fat seam. Continue roasting in 5–10 minute increments until the center reaches at least 62.8°C / 145°F. If the meat is ready but the skin needs more blistering, use the oven’s upper heat briefly and watch continuously.
Rest and slice the pork. Transfer the roast to a clean board and rest for at least 3 minutes; allow about 20 minutes in total for easier slicing and crisp skin. Cut across the meat into bite-size pieces with a serrated knife.
Prepare the baguettes. If needed, warm the baguettes briefly in the oven to refresh their crust. Split each lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Spread 15 g pâté and 15 g mayonnaise inside each baguette.
Fill and serve. Divide the pork among the six baguettes. Add drained pickle, cucumber, coriander, spring onion and chile. Drizzle each sandwich with 5 ml seasoning sauce. Close gently and serve while the bread is crisp and the pork is warm.

Practical

Practical guidance

Drying the rind: The uncovered refrigerator rest is important for crisp skin. If the rind still feels damp before roasting, blot it dry; do not put the raw pork on the counter to dry. Roasting setup: Keep the pork on a rack above the foil-lined tray so rendered fat can drain away. The foil should catch drips without covering the skin. Doneness: Pork roasts should reach at least 62.8°C / 145°F in the thickest part and rest for at least 3 minutes. Oven timing varies with the slab’s shape and thickness, so follow the thermometer rather than the clock alone. Pickle texture: Matchstick-cut vegetables pickle quickly and stay crunchy. Drain them well before adding them to the bread. Sauce balance: The pork, pâté and seasoning sauce are savory. Start with the measured drizzle; add more at the table if desired. Make ahead: Roast and chill the pork, make the pickle and cut the vegetables ahead. Re-crisp the skin separately in a hot oven shortly before serving, then assemble. Serving: Chile is included in the ingredient list; use less or omit it if you prefer a milder sandwich. Keep the remaining ingredients and portions aligned with the recipe if using the nutrition estimate.

Troubleshooting

The skin is chewy rather than crisp: The rind may have been damp or the oven not hot enough. Dry it uncovered in the refrigerator, blot before roasting and finish under upper heat while watching closely. The skin blisters unevenly: The slab may be uneven or the rind not level. Choose a flat piece and adjust its position so the skin sits as level as possible. The pork is not at temperature when the skin looks done: Lower the heat and continue roasting until the thickest part reaches 62.8°C / 145°F, then rest at least 3 minutes. The bread gets soggy: Drain the pickle thoroughly, use a light hand with sauce and fill the baguettes just before serving. The pickle tastes too sharp: Drain it after the stated minimum and let it sit briefly; avoid adding extra vinegar to the sandwich. The filling tastes too rich: Add more of the measured cucumber, pickle and coriander to each bite rather than adding more mayonnaise or pâté. Leftover pork sat out too long: Discard it if it has been at room temperature beyond the safe time limit; reheating does not reliably undo unsafe holding.

Frequently asked questions

Can I dry the pork skin overnight? Yes. Keep the pork uncovered on a rack over a tray in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Do not leave raw pork at room temperature to dry. Can I use store-bought roast pork? Yes. Choose freshly cooked roast pork with crisp skin and reheat it safely if needed. The recipe’s nutrition estimate is based on the specified 1 kg raw pork belly, so a different product will change it. Can I make the pickle ahead? Yes. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and drain it well before filling the baguettes. For the crispest bread, assemble the sandwiches just before serving.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1 filled baguette
CaloriesAbout 1,150 kcal
CarbohydrateAbout 65 g
ProteinAbout 36 g
FatAbout 82 g
FibreAbout 4 g
SodiumAbout 1,650 mg

Allergens and food safety

The baguette contains wheat/gluten and mayonnaise usually contains egg. Seasoning sauce contains soy; check pâté and packaged condiments for soy, milk or other allergens. Keep raw pork separate from ready-to-eat vegetables and wash hands, knives, boards and work surfaces after handling it. Refrigerate the pork on its rack during the uncovered drying period. Cook the pork to at least 62.8°C / 145°F in the thickest part and rest it for at least 3 minutes before slicing. Keep pâté, mayonnaise, pickle, cut vegetables and cooked pork refrigerated at 4°C / 40°F or colder until needed. Assemble the sandwiches just before serving. Refrigerate cooked pork and other perishable leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F. Use cooked pork within 3–4 days and reheat leftovers until steaming hot throughout.

Closing notes

Dry the pork skin uncovered in the refrigerator and use a thermometer to check the meat.
Drain the pickle and assemble the baguettes just before serving.

Bánh mì heo quay Sài Gòn (Saigon roast pork bánh mì)

Practical

Ingredients

For the roast pork

For the skin

For the quick pickle

For the sandwiches

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Closing notes

Vietnamese National Dishes

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