Vietnamese Pizza

Vietnamese pizza is a popular dish sold by street vendors throughout the country. This vegan version features crispy rice paper sheets layered with Just Egg, green onions, and pulled jackfruit. Drizzle on some Sriracha aioli and sweet chili sauce for an incredibly flavorful recipe! 

What is Vietnamese pizza?

Vietnamese pizza, or bánh tráng nướng, is a Southeast Asian take on traditional Italian pizza.

Instead of wheat-based dough, gluten-free rice paper is used for the base. Similarly, there is no tomato sauce involved here! Instead, an egg mixture is brushed over the top of the rice paper.

Toppings typically include green onions, shallots, pork or other meats, kewpie mayo, and hot sauce.

The rice paper is then grilled over charcoal, turning it into a crispy, smoky, and melty masterpiece. If you don’t have a grill at home, don’t worry! This recipe works great on the stovetop, too.

Is it vegan?

Since two of the main ingredients are eggs and meat, Vietnamese pizza is not a vegan-friendly dish. However, this recipe couldn’t be easier to make plant-based!

Swap out the eggs for Just Egg, and use jackfruit in place of the meat for an equally flavorful recipe. I promise you won’t miss the eggs and meat one bit!

History

As you can imagine, Vietnamese pizza isn’t a very traditional recipe. It’s more popular amongst the younger generation of Vietnamese people, and it has more recently made its way into Western countries like the United States.

If you’ve been on TikTok or other social media platforms in recent years, you’ve likely already seen many renditions of this viral dish.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Rice paper: This will act as the pizza base, crisping up perfectly as it cooks. Make sure to double-check the ingredient list as many rice paper brands contain tapioca. This prevents tears when rolling rice paper, but it doesn’t cook as well as 100% rice paper.
• Just Egg: To brush the rice paper sheet with and hold the toppings in place (instead of tomato sauce on Italian pizza).
• Chili Oil (crunchy): Mixed with Just Egg for a spicy kick! If you are sensitive to spice, half or omit the chili oil.
• Green onions: Also combined with the Just Egg mixture. No green onions? Replace them with chives, fried shallots, or chopped cilantro. 
• Vegan pulled pork: For the meat replacement, I prefer my pulled jackfruit recipe. However, you can replace it with other vegan meat alternatives like tofu, smoked tempeh, shiitake mushrooms, seitan, etc.
• Sauces: Use plain vegan mayo, vegan Sriracha aioli, sweet chili sauce, plain hot sauce, or hoisin to drizzle on at the end.

Instructions

• Step 1: Heat a non-stick pan on low-medium heat, then whisk Just Egg liquid, chili oil, and a tablespoon of green onions together.

• Step 2: Place a rice sheet in the heated pan, and brush the Just Egg mixture over it immediately. Make sure to evenly spread the egg mix to all edges, and rotate the pizza using tongs to prevent it from sticking.

• Step 3: Sprinkle on the vegan pulled jackfruit and another tablespoon of green onions. Rotate the pizza again to ensure it’s not sticking to the pan.

• Step 4: Drizzle Sriracha aioli (or vegan mayo) and sweet chili sauce over the pizza. Rotate the pizza, letting it cook for another minute.

• Step 5: Once the pizza is lightly browned on the bottom, remove it from the pan. Cut the pizza slices using a pair of kitchen scissors, or fold the pizza and serve it like a wrap.

What to serve with Vietnamese pizza

Once your Vietnamese pizza is hot and crispy, serve it alongside a refreshing drink like Vietnamese plum soda. For a fresh and vibrant flavor, add lemongrass paste to the Just Egg mixture.

If you’re making an entire spread, try serving your pizza alongside vegan Banh Mi, vegan ramen bowls, or pulled jackfruit lettuce wraps. Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy this flavor-packed recipe as much as my family does!

Storage & Reheating

If you have leftover Vietnamese pizza, follow these simple storage instructions:

• Fridge: Once completely cooled, store Vietnamese pizza in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this recipe after it’s been cooked.
• Reheating: To reheat, add the pizza to a frying pan over medium-low heat, and cook it until warm. You can use a lid to ensure the toppings are properly heated. 
• Prep ahead: It's best to prepare your vegan pulled pork in advance or use the leftovers from a previous batch. If you do this, your Vietnamese pizza recipe should only take about 5 minutes from start to finish!

Variations

• Protein: Instead of pulled jackfruit, try vegan ground beef, vegan bacon bits, crumbled or sliced tofu, smoked tempeh slices, or shredded seitan “meat.”
• Sauce: If you don’t have Sriracha aioli, replace it with plain vegan mayo, cashew cream, hoisin mayo, or even barbecue sauce. 
• Vegetables: Bulk your pizza up with vegetables like shredded carrots, shiitake mushrooms, corn, fresh chilis, microgreens, etc.

Top tips

• Don’t add oil: When grilling the rice paper, don’t add any oil! This allows for a better crisp.
• Low heat: Cook over low heat in order to achieve the perfect rice paper texture.
• Use a cooling rack: If you’re making a large Vietnamese pizza recipe, store the cooked pizzas on a cooling rack to keep the bottoms crispy.
• Don’t overcrowd: Don’t add too many toppings or your pizza will crumble under the weight.
• Keep the rice paper moving: Continually rotate the rice paper to prevent sticking and ensure an even cook.
• Fold or cut: Fold the pizza into half or thirds. Alternatively, you can cut it into slices.

FAQ

More main dishes

If you enjoyed this Vietnamese pizza recipe, be sure to check out some more of my favorite dinners like these:

• Chow fun noodles: A Chinese-inspired recipe made with rice noodles, tofu, and vegetables.
• Vegan pizza: A simple-yet-gourmet pizza made completely plant-based.
• Vegan baked pasta: Another viral TikTok recipe featuring vegan ricotta and tomatoes.
• Thai red curry with vegetables: A vegan curry with the perfect blend of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty flavors.