Description
Slow Cooker Banh Mi Bowls offer a delicious and easy twist on the classic Vietnamese sandwich. Tender pork tenderloin cooked to fall-apart perfection in a flavorful marinade is served over brown rice with tangy pickled carrots and radishes, fresh cucumber slices, cilantro, jalapeños, and a spicy mayo drizzle for a vibrant, balanced meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pork:
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 – 1 ¼ lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 3 pieces
- 1-2 small jalapeños, thinly sliced, divided
For the Pickled Vegetables:
- 1 cup shredded carrots (about 3 ounces)
- 3 radishes, cut into matchsticks
- 2/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1 tablespoon cane sugar
For Serving:
- 3 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 medium English cucumber, thinly sliced (1 heaping cup)
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems removed
- Optional: Hot sauce (such as sriracha) and lime wedges
For the Spicy Mayo:
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1–2 teaspoons sriracha or chile-garlic sauce (more or less to taste)
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, plus more as needed to get a drizzly consistency
Instructions
- Prepare Slow Cooker Mixture: In the slow cooker, combine coconut aminos, water, rice vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, fish sauce, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to blend all the flavors together.
- Add Pork: Place the three pieces of pork tenderloin into the slow cooker, turning each piece to fully coat them in the marinade liquid.
- Add Jalapeños: Scatter half of the thinly sliced jalapeños evenly on top of the pork to infuse a hint of heat during cooking.
- Cook Pork: Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on the low heat setting for 6 hours, or until the pork is cooked through and easily shreds with a fork.
- Make Pickled Veggies: While pork cooks, combine shredded carrots and matchstick radishes in a small bowl or jar. Add rice vinegar, hot water, and cane sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Drain excess liquid just before plating.
- Mix Spicy Mayo: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sriracha or chile-garlic sauce, and rice vinegar. Adjust vinegar to achieve a drizzly texture.
- Shred Pork: Once cooked, shred the pork directly in the slow cooker using two forks. Toss the shredded pork thoroughly in the cooking liquid for maximum flavor.
- Assemble Bowls: Divide cooked brown rice equally among 4 shallow bowls, placing about 3/4 cup per bowl. Top each with 1/4 of the shredded pork (approx. 3 ounces), pickled carrots and radishes, cucumber slices, cilantro leaves, and the remaining jalapeño slices.
- Add Spicy Mayo and Optional Garnishes: Drizzle about 2 teaspoons of the spicy mayo over each bowl. Optionally, serve with hot sauce and lime wedges to customize heat and acidity.
Notes
- This bowl-style take on the traditional Banh Mi sandwich combines savory, sweet, and tangy flavors with fresh and crispy textures.
- Slow cooking the pork tenderloin makes the preparation easy and guarantees tender, shreddable meat.
- You can adjust the amount of jalapeños and sriracha to match your preferred spice level.
- Using coconut aminos provides a gluten-free and lower-sodium alternative to soy sauce.
- For a low-carb version, substitute brown rice with cauliflower rice.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approximately 1/4 of the recipe)
- Calories: 443
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 987 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
