GLOBAL STREET FOOD: Ground Pork Banh Mi Sliders are a fun new twist on the classic Vietnamese street food by sandwichin’ it between King’s Hawaiian Jalapeno Rolls – giving it a sweet and tangy kick!
Do I love quick and easy weeknight meals? You betcha! But what’s even better than easy weeknight meals? That’s Right! Quick and easy entertaining recipes especially when the flavors are complex and robust.
These Ground Pork Banh Mi Sliders may be small but they are flavorful, and each bite is even more delicious than the last
The aromatic herbs and spices together with the quick pickled Asian slaw come together to create the perfect sandwich.
Baguette Vs. King’s Hawaiian Jalapeño Rolls
In traditional Vietnamese cooking, Banh Mi refers to the bread used, a French Baguette. However, as Banh Mi style sandwiches have gained popularity in the Western world, particularly the US, Banh Mi has come to represent more of the style of sandwich — one topped with Asian pickled vegetables rather than the bread used.
For these Ground Pork Banh Mi sliders, I chose the new King’s Hawaiian Jalapeño Sweet Rolls. Have you tried them yet? They’re pretty amazing.
French baguettes are one of my favorite crusty bread but for entertaining, it’s not always practical or portable. The idea with the slider is that guests can be mobile, mingle and carry a drink in one hand and nibble on yummy food with the other.
The new King’s Hawaiian Jalapeño rolls are the perfect vehicle for this — they are soft and fluffy with a hint of sweetness and a touch of spiciness from the jalapeños. They’re also the perfect size for entertaining and allow my guests to move around freely and mingle while they snack. SCORE!
To Pickle or Not to Pickle
Have you ever had fresh-packed, sweet pickles or pickled vegetables like Italian Giardiniera? Quick pickled Asian slaw is along those lines, too.
In a traditional Asian quick pickle mix, daikon radishes are used. These can usually be found at the local Asian market, and I have occasionally seen them in my local grocery store as they become more popular. That being said, they can still be hard to find so I’ve substituted red radishes – or pink and white radishes — whatever you have available.
If radishes just aren’t your thing, you could opt to use thinly sliced cucumbers instead. I’ve made this substitution before, and they are a wonderful addition to the slaw. The fresh pickled Asian slaw does wonders for elevating the flavors and textures of this sandwich and shouldn’t be omitted.
The pickling takes less than an hour and can easily be prepared along with the Sriracha Mayo at the beginning of the recipe preparation. By the time you are ready to plate the sandwiches, the pickled vegetables, and sriracha mayo will be ready to rock n’ roll.
Some Assembly Required
Just put these things together however you prefer. I assembled mine by slathering the sriracha mayo on the buns and added the jalapeños, which were stemmed and seeded and then added my caramelized pork patty on top.
Next came a heaping helping of quick pickled vegetables, some torn cilantro, and the bun lid. I secured it with a fancy skewer. This is a party after all and I like it to feel special. If you don’t care for cilantro, feel free to leave it off — it’s your sandwich after all!
If you want to substitute something you could go with some Thai basil or flat-leaf parsley for a little herb flavor.
I dare say this is quite a delicious sandwich. The ground pork patty is tender, juicy and full of flavor. We combined green onions and cilantro from our garden along with traditional Vietnamese flavors like fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger and garlic and the patties were so flavorful.
They may not seem important, but I really can’t praise the pickled veggies enough either, they bring the whole sandwich together. Yummy!
Serve this delicious Vietnamese sandwich with a side of Noodle Salad. It’s amazing.
LOOKING FOR MORE GLOBAL STREET FOODS?
Ground Pork Banh Mi Sliders
Ingredients
For the Sandwiches
- 2 packages (12-ct) King’s Hawaiian Jalapeno Rolls
- 1/2 bunch cilantro leaves
- 5 Jalapeno chilies , seeded and thinly sliced
- Pickled carrots and radishes (store bought or homemade recipe below)
- Sriracha Mayonnaise (store bought or homemade recipe below)
For the Ground Pork Mixture
- 2 lbs Ground Pork
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil (see notes for substitution)
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 6 -8 whole green onions , sliced thinly
For Homemade Pickled Asian Slaw
- 1 cup matchstick (or shredded carrots)
- 6 oz bag red radishes , shredded
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
For the Sriracha Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha Sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix mayonnaise and sriracha sauce until well combined. Refrigerate until ready for use.
- In a medium bowl or quart-sized, wide-mouth, mason jar, add all the ingredients for the pickled Asian slaw. Stir until the sugar dissolved. Set aside for later.
- In a bowl, mix the ground pork, lemon juice, lemon zest, fish sauce, ground black pepper, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce and green onions until combined. Form into 3 inch patties.
- In a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, cook the patties until done and the juices run clear, about 3 minutes per side.
- Build Sliders by spreading the sriracha mayo on the buns, then top with 2 -3 jalapeno slices, add the caramelized pork patty on top. Then add the quick pickled Asian slaw, some torn cilantro, and top with the bun lid. Secure with a fancy skewer, if desired.
Wow these are absolutely horrible. Do not use that much ginger!
Hi Clayton,
Can you tell me, did you use freshly grated ginger or dried ground ginger? We love the flavor of ginger so these were not at all overpowering to us. I’m sorry you did not enjoy them.
Very tasty little party sandwiches, I especially liked the jalapeno and cilantro.
I have read a few of the blog on your website now, and I really like your style of blogging. I added it to my favorite’s web page list and will be checking back soon.
The perfect homemade snack, I just love it!
So good. Thanks for commenting.
These do look tasty!
They are even TASTIER than they look! ;)
I am on team pickle for these sandwiches!
The quick pickled cukes are good, too!
Such a wonderful dish for parties! Looks yummy!
Thanks, Lori.
These tasty little pork sliders would be great for summer entertaining. But I’d have to make a different version for The Hubby. That “spicier than you think” part wouldn’t fly. But I’d love them.
Hi KC, I’m a bit of a spice wimp and I did NOT think these were too hot or “spicier that you think.” We seeded the jalapenos and you can make the sriracha mayo with a smaller amount of sriracha in the mayo. The jalapeno rolls have a good flavor, too.
Can you believe I have never made sliders before??? I want to start with these! YUM!
I love sliders. You’ve got to try them sometime.
Delish! I never turn down a slider!
Exactly!
Those Haeaiian buns are my favorite! Love how you paired them with pork and all the additional flavors in the Asian slaw! Sliders are the perfect size for me!
Thank you!
There are many layers of flavors in your banh mi sliders that I can imagine a burst of deliciousness for every bite!
Even great as leftovers.
Great banh mi sliders for summer gatherings. I love the minis and they are great for entertaining.
This looks wonderful. I’ve never actually tried a banh mi, but your recipe makes me want one right now! Thanks for the great work!
Banh mi sliders is such a great idea for a party!
One of my favorites, too.
These sliders look and sound amazing! I haven’t seen the Jalapeno Kings Hawaiian Rolls around me yet. Can’t wait until I do!
They are just now making it into stores in my area. I hope they make it your way soon!
Sliders are a party fave. This puts me in the mood for a picnic!
Me, too!
This is the second time I’ve seen these rolls on blogs but haven’t seen them in the stores yet. They sound amazing and I love the Banh Mi sandwich, it’s one of my favorites to order at our local Vietnamese place!
They are new and are rolling out now to store throughout the US. I saw them this week in my neighborhood market. I love Vietnamese food.
These sliders make a perfect picnic food, now that the weather is gorgeous. Also great as a snack if you are on the go. Tasty!
These were tasty even as leftovers the following day. Heated for 30 seconds in the microwave.
My BF loooves sliders so am always on the lookout for different ones. These look so good
He can adjust the flavors to his tastes which is great.
Oh wow these look amazing! they would be a hit at a party for sure
We made these for card night and my place and there was barely a crumb left. People scoffed them up!
I think that Banh Mi might be my favourite sandwich!
And these look great!!!
Especially with that slaw. Love the idea of using radish!!! YUM!
I love that they are so versatile and who doesn’t love miniature sandwiches.
These sliders look so good! What wonderful flavors…great summer dish! xo, Catherine
Hi Catherine! Thank you. I love mini sandwiches for summer, too.
I love sliders. You can get away with eating several at once.
I know! Two, three, four – I mean who’s counting? Not me!
I love love love these!!we have a Vietnamese joint here called The Fatty Bao.. they make such amazing Bahn Mi with pulled pork.My whole mouth just watered at the pics. Want!!
Sounds amazing! I made a Pork Belly Bao — so delicious, too!
Yum! These sandwiches look delicious. I need to try out a banh mi sandwich! Love the pickled slaw too.
There’s so many ways to personalize this sandwich to fit your tastes or your guests’ tastes, too. Very easy entertaining.
These look delicious. I had my first banh mi last summer and loved it!!
Awesome! And then you wonder – “Why did I wait so long?” We have a Vietnamese food truck in my area that we love to see it at every festival so we can try whatever they have that’s new.
Ohhhh, this looks so delicious. :)
Thanks, Silvia. I do hope you’ll try them out. Thanks for stopping in today.
Sliders are just the best bite to serve! So fun and make it banh mi? Amazing!
Sliders are the best for tapas with just a few bites and you’re onto try something else amazing.