Vietnamese Shrimp Toast

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Servings:

Calories: 37kcal

Ingredients

1 pound raw shrimp peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic minced
2 spring onions thinly sliced (plus more to garnish)
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup freshly shredded parmesan
2 Vietnamese baguettes bahn mi, sliced into rounds
2 Tbsp. butter
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Chop the shrimp into pieces and add them to a bowl. Add garlic, spring onions, fish sauce, sugar, mayonnaise, shredded parmesan cheese, cayenne, and black pepper, and mix until combined.
Spread butter on both sides of the slices of bread and bake for 3 minutes.
Spread the shrimp mixture evenly over the slices of bread.
Transfer the shrimp toast to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and spring onions. Serve hot and enjoy!

Nutrition

This simple Vietnamese shrimp toast recipe is soon to become your new favorite finger food. Bahn mi nuong tom combines traditional Vietnamese flavors with western staples like parmesan cheese and mayo to create a mouthwatering delight.

Banh mi nuong tom (also called bahn mi chien tom) is made with a mixture of ground shrimp, garlic, spring onions, cheese, condiments, and spices, which is then spread on a slice of bread and baked until crispy. Yum!

Why You’ll Love This Bahn Mi Nuong Tom Recipe

Banh mi nuong tom is an authentic and easy-to-make appetizer that’s sure to impress your guests. Instead of the more classic bruschetta or crostini, surprise their taste buds with something out of the ordinary.

The shrimp mixture is packed with flavor and has a nice chewy and creamy texture that pairs perfectly with the crispy bread. You may want to make a double recipe if you have a lot of guests, these bad boys disappear quickly!

Making Vietnamese shrimp toast is a great way to introduce new flavors and ingredients into your cooking. I especially recommend this easy shrimp toast recipe for anyone new to Vietnamese cuisine. Trust me, you’ll love the umami that the fish sauce brings.

What Do I Need For Making Vietnamese Shrimp Toast At Home?

For this bahn mi nuong tom recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 spring onions, thinly sliced (plus more to garnish)
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup freshly shredded parmesan
2 Vietnamese baguettes (bahn mi), sliced into rounds
2 Tbsp. butter
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

How To Make The Best Vietnamese Shrimp Toast

Step 1: Prepare the shrimp mixture

Before we begin, preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Chop the shrimp into pieces and add them to a bowl. I like to keep them big so that you can appreciate a good bite of shrimp, but chop them up finer if you prefer a more uniform texture.
To the bowl of shrimp, add garlic, spring onions, fish sauce, sugar, mayonnaise, shredded parmesan cheese, cayenne, and black pepper, and mix until combined.

Step 2: Pre-toast the bread

Spread butter on both sides of the slices of bread and bake for 3 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Step 3: Bake the shrimp toast

Spread the shrimp mixture evenly over the slices of bread.
Transfer the shrimp toast to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the shrimp mixture is cooked through and melted.

Step 4: Enjoy your Simple Vietnamese Shrimp Toast

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and spring onions. Serve hot or warm. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips

You can prepare the shrimp mixture ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
This recipe works well with stale bread too. In this case, you don’t need to prebake the slices of bread, simply slather them with butter, spread the shrimp mixture, and bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Use freshly grated parmesan cheese for the best texture and nice gooey meltiness. Pre-grated store-bought cheese has additives that prevent it from melting properly and alter the taste.
Instead of finely chopping the shrimp, garlic, and spring onions, you can use a food processor. I prefer to have bigger chunks of shrimp, but the food processor can save time and make these shrimp toasts more kid-friendly.
Make sure you devein, wash, and pat the shrimp dry. Patting them dry with paper towels before chopping them up helps remove excess moisture.
Cut the bread about 1/2 inch thick. This amount of shrimp filling is enough for roughly 25-30 slices of bread. But put as much as you like!
Banh mi nuong tom is typically served as an appetizer or snack. You can serve it on its own or with a dipping sauce like sweet chili sauce or Sha Cha sauce. It also pairs well with a cold beer or a glass of white wine.

Variations & Substitutions

You can use any type of bread for this recipe, but white bread works best. If you can’t find Vietnamese bahn mi, a French baguette is your next best choice.

You can substitute the shrimp with ground pork or chicken, or use imitation crab or canned crab to make bahn mi nuong tom va cua.

For a vegetarian option, substitute tofu for the shrimp and soy sauce for the fish sauce. You can also try this recipe with vegan shrimp or other plant-based meat.

To make vegan shrimp toast, try one of these vegan shrimp brands. Then, substitute the fish sauce with soy sauce, and use vegan mayo, vegan butter, and vegan parmesan cheese or another vegan cheese that melts well.

Add some chopped water chestnuts or bamboo shoots to the shrimp mixture for extra crunch. Some shredded jicama also works well.

Instead of parmesan cheese, try a mild cheddar or go for a combination of shredded mozzarella and sharp cheddar. There’s no such thing as too much cheese.

You can also add some chopped cilantro or Thai basil for a fresh herb flavor. Or garnish with herbs before serving to make them fancy.

Feel free to up the spice with more cayenne pepper or reduce the amount if you can’t take the heat. I find that 1 teaspoon is very mild.

Storing & Freezing

First of all, I don’t recommend freezing these cheesy shrimp toasts because of the mayo and cheese. They’ll be all soggy and weird when reheated.

But, how long does shrimp toast last in the fridge? Good news – up to 5 days in an airtight container! Although, I doubt there’ll even be any leftovers.

You can reheat these easy shrimp toasts by toasting, baking, or air frying them. Just set the temperature to about 300°F and let them warm and toast for a few minutes.

Who Invented Shrimp Toast?

The history is a bit fuzzy, but shrimp toast is thought to have originated in Guangzhou, China sometime after bread was introduced by the western world in the mid-19^th century. Chinese shrimp toast can be pan-fried, deep-fried, or baked, and it’s typically made with square pieces of bread.

Vietnamese shrimp toast uses different spices and condiments than Chinese shrimp toast, and it’s typically made with Vietnamese baguette or bahn mi.

It is believed that a version of the dish was first created in Vietnam during the French colonial era when the French introduced bread to the country. Over time, the Vietnamese added their twist to the recipe by incorporating shrimp and other local ingredients.

Other varieties of shrimp toast can be found in Japan, Korea, and Thailand. But it’s mostly known as a staple in Hong Kong and of Cantonese cuisine. This just goes to show how much people appreciate shrimp toast. If you haven’t tried it before, you’re in for a real treat.