Have you heard of Vietnamese pizza, also known as bánh trang nướng?
I love watching those Youtube channels where they visit street food places and night markets. I miss traveling so much and seeing vlogs of people in other countries visiting cafes and street food stalls gives me the itch. It's not the same, but I keep what I can! I recently saw a video of someone in Vietnam eating Vietnamese pizza. I asked Mike and he told me it wasn't a traditional dish, but one of those clever street foods that uses rice paper.
I LOVE rice paper. Give me something wrapped in rice paper and there I am. So when I saw that “pizza” was rice paper grilled to a crisp, I jumped right in.
What is Vietnamese pizza?
Bánh tráng nướng, or Vietnamese pizza, is a popular Vietnamese street food made with rice paper, egg, sauces, and toppings. It originated in Da Lat, in the north of Vietnam. A sheet of rice paper is toasted over hot coals until crisp, then topped with egg, green onions, pork string, dried shrimp, mayonnaise, and sweet chili or sriracha sauce. The rice paper becomes super crispy and it all comes together in one delicious salty, sweet and savory bite.
Just like regular pizza, there are many variations, each street food vendor has a plethora of toppings to suit different tastes. In Vietnam, they fold the rice paper OR serve it flat. On the internet, I've seen people serve it like a pizza, cut into wedges, but I think it tastes better when you fold it over so it's crispy on both sides.
Ingredients
- rice paper – this is the base of our pizza. When you grill it it gets crispy and crunchy. It is important that when you buy your rice paper, it is 100% rice. North American rice papers tend to contain tapioca flour because it makes them very easy to roll without tearing. Tapioca doesn't crisp up the same way rice paper does, so make sure you buy rice paper that only has rice on the ingredient list.
- egg – instead of tomato sauce, Vietnamese pizza uses egg as a sauce/binder. The egg helps the toppings stick to the rice paper and prevents the rice paper from over-browning. It also moisturizes the rice paper a bit and contributes to the crunchy, chewy texture. In Vietnamese they tend to use quail eggs, I chose just regular eggs just for ease.
- Coverages – this is where people get inventive. Classic street food offerings include green onions, dried shrimp, floss (sweet crispy dried pork chunks), sausage, corn, canned tuna, ham, crispy shallots, lemongrass,
- cheese – especially the Laughing Cow cheese.
- Sauces – sriracha, Kewpie mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, hoisin, anything your heart desires. You'll usually see sweet chili sauce or sriracha and Kewpie mayonnaise.
how to make vietnamese pizza
Ingredients for Vietnamese pizza
- egg – They use quail eggs in Vietnam because they are small and cheaper than chicken eggs. They also have more yolk than white, giving it more flavor and richness. If you have quail eggs, use those, but regular eggs work too.
- Green onions – these add crispness and a bit of an onion bite. Sometimes people like to use green onion oil, but for convenience, sliced green onions work great.
- pig floss – sweet, salty, soft and crunchy all at the same time, pork floss is a classic popular Chinese topping used on Vietnamese pizza. It's basically pork cooked with soy sauce and sugar until it's dry and shreddable. You can buy it online or in Asian supermarkets.
- Dry shrimp – sweet and full of umami flavor, small dried shrimp common throughout Asia to add an umami savory flavor and texture to a multitude of foods. To release their flavor, soak them in hot water, then simply sprinkle them on the rice paper.
- kewpie mayonnaise – Kewpie mayonnaise adds an indispensable creaminess and richness.
- Sriracha Golden Sweet Chili Sauce – If you like it spicy, go with sriracha and if you want a little sweeter with your heat, sweet chili sauce is the way to go. Spray to your heart's content.
substitutions
Vietnamese pizza is endlessly customizable, so if you don't have any pork floss or dried shrimp, don't worry. You can try bits of ham, bacon, tuna, tofu, or even skip the protein altogether. Personally, my favorite thing to do is sauté some ground pork.
I hope you try this Vietnamese pizza. I'm thinking of opening a Vietnamese pizza stand on my street corner. I can live my dreams of being a professional bánh tráng nướng maker LOL.
lol steph
Vietnamese pizza recipe
Have you heard of Vietnamese pizza, also known as bánh trang nướng?
Serves 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cook time 5 minutes
Total time 10 minutes
- 1 sheet of rice paper see notes
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon green onions sliced
- 1 tablespoon toppings see notes
- 2 teaspoons Kewpie mayonnaise or to taste
- 2 teaspoons sriracha or sweet chili sauce, to taste
On rice paper: North American rice papers tend to contain tapioca flour to make them easier to roll without tearing. Tapioca doesn't crisp up the same way rice paper does, so make sure you buy rice paper that only has rice on the ingredient list.
Main ideas: pork string, dried shrimp, cooked ground pork, thinly sliced pork belly, or crispy bacon bits
Estimated nutrition is based on 1 tablespoon of lean ground pork (0.5 oz).
Nutrition Facts
Vietnamese pizza recipe
Amount per proportion
Calories 266 Calories from Fat 173
%Daily value*
fat 19,2gPresent in several = 30%
Saturated Fat 5.6gPresent in several = 35%
Cholesterol 216 mgPresent in several = 72%
Sodium 319mgPresent in several = 14%
Potassium 220 mg6%
carbohydrates 3,8g1%
Fiber 0.1g0%
Sugar 2,4g3%
protein 16,6 gPresent in several = 33%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
