There's more room to play with flavors and textures!
I love a good banh mi sandwich. Perfectly seasoned pork, fresh ginger, pickled vegetables, spicy jalapenos, all on a crusty roll. It’s one of my favorite sandwiches! But I wanted to find a way to enjoy the flavors of this fantastic sandwich without the heaviness of the bread. This is how my pork banh mi bowl came to be!
What is Banh Mi?
“Banh mi” actually translates to “bread” or “wheat bread” in English but it specifically refers to the type of French-inspired baguette used in the traditional banh mi sandwich. However, “banh mi” is often used to refer to the entire sandwich, not just the bread itself. This is why we’re still able to use the phrase “banh mi” in our pork banh mi bowl.
Related: Shrimp Banh Mi Recipe
A Different Way to Banh Mi
Why go for a banh mi bowl instead of the classic, traditional sandwich? That’s easy! Bowls give us room to play with more flavors and textures. This also allows us to pile on more nutrients and reduce things like carbs.
Feel free to pile on crunchy veggies like quick-pickled carrots and onion, cool cucumber slices, fresh cilantro leaves, and spicy jalapenos. Add your choice of lean protein – maybe shredded chicken, beef, or tofu. Then, top it off with a little sriracha for an extra layer of heat!
With every bite, you’ll get a party of textures and nutrients. Ditch the bread – this banh mi bowl celebrates vegetables in all their glory. So grab a fork, my friend, and let’s dig into something delicious!
Ingredients Needed for this Pork Banh Mi Bowl
Below are the ingredients we chose to use in our pork banh mi bowls. But you can always modify our recipes to better suit your preferences! Feel free to omit or add whichever ingredients you wish. We’ll recommend some additional ingredients in the FAQ section!
- Olive oil
- Pork shoulder
- Asian five spice
- Ginger
- Chicken broth
- Sweet potatoes
- Garlic
- Red onion
- Carrots
- Red wine vinegar
- Baby spinach
- Cilantro
- Jalapenos
- Sriracha
If you choose to add any unique ingredients, be sure to tell us about it in the comment section! We’re always open to new ideas and suggestions!
How to Make a Banh Mi Bowl
There are several steps to this recipe however they’re all relatively simple (and the end result will be well worth it!) Begin by getting out your instant pot! Add one tablespoon of olive oil and set it to saute.
Next, season your pork shoulder with Asian five spice, salt, and pepper. Saute each piece of pork shoulder until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. When you’re finished, set it aside.
Switch the instant pot from saute to pressure cook, turn it on high, and set the timer for 45 minutes. Place the rack inside the instant pot and add your pork and ginger. Pour the chicken broth in the bottom and seal the lid. Set the pressure valve to “sealing”.
Next, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the cubed sweet potatoes, granulated garlic, salt and pepper with the remaining olive oil and place them on a rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and fork tender.
While the sweet potatoes are roasting, prepare the pickled onions and carrots. Then, combine the onions, carrots and red wine vinegar in a small bowl and allow them to marinate for 30 to 45 minutes.
When the pork shoulder is finished, allow a 15 minute natural pressure release, and then manually release the remaining pressure. Shred the pork with a fork or tongs (it should come apart fairly easily,) and set it aside.
Next, divide your spinach leaves between 4 bowls. Add the sweet potatoes, then top them with some shredded pork. Top it off with your pickled vegetables, cilantro, and jalapeno, drizzle with sriracha, and serve.
FAQs
If you’ve never made a banh mi bowl before, you probably have some questions. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions, but if you don’t see the answer you’re looking for, drop your question in the comment section below!
Are there other ingredients that I can add to my banh mi bowl?
There sure are! Many people enjoy a layer of mayonnaise on their pork banh mi sandwich. While we don’t recommend adding a dollop of mayo to your banh mi bowl, we do think that a spicy sriracha mayo would be delicious drizzled over this instead of plain sriracha. Alternatively, a drizzle of soy sauce or Maggi seasoning would add a savory depth of flavor to the bowl.
Adding freshly sliced chili peppers would also be a yummy addition if you like it hot! And of course you can also play around with different types of lettuce in place of or in conjunction with the spinach! Some other ideas would be a fried egg, freshly sliced avocado, or crispy shallots.
And if you’re not as concerned about carbohydrates, adding rice or noodles as a base for your bowl would make this a much heartier meal!
How long will leftovers last in the refrigerator?
We highly recommend storing your leftover ingredients separately, keeping the pork in its own air tight container for up to 4 days. This way everything will stay as fresh as possible! Simply layer the leftover ingredients together in a bowl when you’re ready to enjoy them.
How should I reheat my leftover banh mi ingredients?
Portion out how much pork and potatoes you want in your bowl and reheat them together in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until warmed through. Then, simply layer your bowl and enjoy!
Pork Banh Mi Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 pounds pork shoulder cut into large pieces
- 1 tablespoon Asian five spice
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon ginger fresh, grated
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 pound sweet potatoes 1" cubes
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 red onion medium size, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup cilantro fresh
- 2 jalapenos thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce as needed for garnish
Instructions
- Set instant pot to saute and add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, reserving the other Tablespoon.
- Season pork shoulder with asian five spice, salt & pepper. Saute each piece of pork shoulder until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Set aside.
- Switch instant pot to pressure cook on high, and set the timer for 45 minutes.
- Place rack inside instant pot and add pork and ginger. Pour chicken broth in the bottom and seal the lid. Set the pressure valve to "sealing".
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss cubed sweet potatoes, granulated garlic, salt and pepper with remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and place on a rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking dish.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until sweet potatoes are cooked through and fork tender. Set aside.
- While sweet potatoes are roasting, prepare the pickled onions and carrots.
- Combine onions, carrots and red wine vinegar in a small bowl and allow to sit for 30-45 minutes.
- When pork shoulder is finished, allow a 15 minute natural pressure release, and then manually release the remaining pressure.
- Shred pork with a fork or tongs, and set aside to keep warm.
- Divide spinach leaves between 4 bowls.
- Add sweet potatoes, then top with shredded pork.
- Top with pickled vegetables, cilantro and jalapeno.
- Drizzle with sriracha and serve.
Nutrition Information
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If you enjoyed this pork banh mi bowl, we think you might also like to try:
- Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce
- Ginger Honey Chicken Stir Fry
- Plant-Based Ramen with Edamame
- Crispy Peanut Noodles
- Korean BBQ Cabbage Cups
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