Beef Banh Mi Bowls with Sriracha MayoBeef Banh Mi Bowls with Sriracha Mayo, Carrot & Pickled Cucumber

Some of the best meals in life are happy accidents, aren't they? This recipe was born on a busy Tuesday evening when I was craving the vibrant, crunchy, spicy flavors of a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich but didn't have a baguette in the house. I looked at the ingredients on my counter and thought, "Why not make a bowl?" The result was so good, it's now a regular in our dinner rotation. It’s got all the magic of a banh mi—the savory meat, the quick-pickled veggies, the creamy, spicy sauce—but it all comes together in one comforting, satisfying bowl. It feels fancy but is honestly so simple to whip up.

Ingredients

• White rice
• Ground beef
• 1 onion
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1 lime
• 1 cucumber
• 1-2 carrots
• Soy sauce
• Sugar
• Butter
• Oil
• Our Two Secret Weapons: Mayonnaise and Sriracha

Cooking Process

First, get your rice going. Rinsing it until the water runs clear is a little tip my mom taught me—it makes the finished rice so much fluffier and less sticky. While that's cooking away, the real fun begins: prepping the toppings. There's something so therapeutic about grating a carrot into a pile of bright orange confetti and thinly slicing the cool, crisp cucumber.

The key to getting that authentic "banh mi" taste in under 30 minutes is the quick-pickle. Just toss the cucumber with a big squeeze of lime juice, a pinch of sugar, and salt. In those few minutes while you cook the beef, they transform into something tangy and incredible. And please, don't skip making the sriracha mayo! Just mix mayo, a tiny bit of minced garlic, lime juice, and a good squeeze of sriracha. Taste it and adjust—that spicy, creamy kick is what ties the whole bowl together.

For the beef, I cook the onion until it's soft and sweet, then add the garlic until the whole kitchen smells amazing. Browning the beef with a little extra sugar helps it get a gorgeous, caramelized crust. A good glug of soy sauce at the end adds that deep, savory umami flavor.

Serving Tips

Right before serving, fluff the rested rice and stir in a little butter and some lime zest—this tiny step adds a wonderful fragrance. Now, for the best part: building your bowl! Start with a generous bed of that buttery lime rice. Pile the savory beef high, then artfully (or just haphazardly, that's fine too!) arrange the grated carrot and a big spoonful of those tangy pickled cucumbers right on top.

The final flourish is a generous drizzle of