Crispy, creamy, and addicting—Vietnamese shrimp toast is the perfect appetizer for any event. This easy and delicious baked shrimp toast recipe takes less than 30 minutes to enjoy!
A perfect appetizer is bite-sized, easy to make in bulk, and packed with flavor. This Vietnamese shrimp toast, or bánh mì nướng tôm, checks off everything from that list and is ready in under 30 minutes!
My mom has spent years perfecting this recipe. Almost every month, she hosts our extended family of 30+ people, and one of her most popular appetizers is this Vietnamese shrimp toast. Everyone fights for a handful of these baked shrimp toast, and they disappear in minutes.
This popular Vietnamese appetizer, also known as bánh mì nướng Tôm or bánh mì chiên tôm, is a party staple at Vietnamese family gatherings. The crispy, thin slices of French baguette are topped with a creamy, savory shrimp mixture made with shrimp, imitation crab, celery, onion, garlic, mayonnaise, and shredded cheese.
Plus this easy appetizer recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to make for large parties!
Ingredients
You can easily find all of the ingredients for this shrimp toast recipe at your local grocery store. Full measurements and links to the ingredients I used are listed in the recipe card below.
Shrimp: Use raw, peeled shrimp that is chopped by hand or quickly in a food processor.
Imitation crab: Optional way to add more flavor in every bite.
Green onion: adds an aromatic flavor to the toast
Yellow onion: adds a subtly sweet aromatic flavor and moisture into the mixture
Garlic: adds a subtle aromatic flavor to the mixture.
Celery: adds a touch of crunch and brightens up the dense seafood flavor.
Mayonnaise adds creaminess to the shrimp mixture and acts as a binder.
Salt and pepper: to season the shrimp and crab mixture
Shredded Cheese: adds a gooey, cheesy flavor. I recommend mozzarella, a mild cheddar, or a mozzarella blend for the best flavor pairing.
Cilantro: chopped and used as an optional garnish
French baguettes: I recommend using baguettes from your local banh mi shops for the best texture!
Substitutions and Additions
Real Crab: if you have access to real crab meat, I highly recommend using this instead! I don’t recommend canned crab meat though since that will muddy the flavor. You can also alternatively, remove the crab altogether as well.
Aromatics: instead of using yellow onion and garlic, you can substitute this with minced shallots instead.
Bread: instead of a french baguette you can also use any sturdy type of bread that can hold its own such as ciabatta or sourdough. Or for a gluten-free option, you can use your preference of gluten-free bread.
How to Make Vietnamese Shrimp Toast
Here are the simple step-by-step instructions for how to make this recipe.
Preheat your oven to 350°F
In a food processor, chop the shrimp until finely ground. Stop before it fully becomes a paste. Remove and set aside. Then pulverize the imitation crab until finely minced.
In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped shrimp, minced imitation crab, finely chopped green onion, diced yellow onion, minced garlic, diced celery, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
Slice the french bread diagonally into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices. Add about 1 tablespoon of the shrimp mixture on top of each slice and spread the mixture evenly to the edges.
Place a single layer of the toast on a baking tray about 1 inch apart from each other and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through and the top is lightly golden brown.
Expert Tips
Cool on a wire rack. If you don’t want a soggy bottom and crispier shrimp toast, I recommend cooling the slices on a wire rack immediately after removing them from the oven.
Double or triple the recipe for hosting. This recipe yields about 30 pieces of toast. For larger gatherings, I recommend doubling or tripling the recipe!
Taste the shrimp mixture. If you’d like to taste the shrimp mixture before committing to the toast, simply scoop a small tablespoon onto a plate and microwave it for 15 seconds, and taste. You can adjust the seasoning after.
Generously apply the shrimp mixture to each toast. You want a heaping portion of the shrimp mixture on top of each toast. Don’t be afraid to add a large dollop to each slice.
Storage Instructions
You can prep the raw shrimp mixture up to a day in advance, then assemble and bake the following day. You can also store this baked shrimp toast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days after cooking. To reheat, pop them back in the oven or toaster oven at 350°F for 5 minutes or until warm. Don’t use a standard microwave unless you want soggy bread.
Pairing Suggestions
This shrimp toast is best served as an appetizer or savory snack, or paired with the following suggestions.
Each Asian culture has its own form of shrimp toast. It originated in Guangzhou, China over 100 years ago. It then proliferated across Asia and became a staple dish in Hong Kong restaurants and dim sum carts. Shrimp toast originally is made with small triangles of bread covered in a minced shrimp paste and cooked by deep-frying.
What goes well with shrimp toast?
Shrimp toast tastes delicious on its own, but it also pairs deliciously with Vietnamese nuoc cham sauce or a Thai sweet chili sauce.
Can I make shrimp toast in advance?
You can make this shrimp toast mixture a maximum of 1 day in advance because you are using raw shrimp. I do not recommend freezing the raw mixture in advance since it contains mayonnaise. This dish is best served immediately.
Can I use cooked Shrimp?
I would avoid cooked shrimp, as baking would dry it out. If you only have cooked shrimp, toast the bread separately, add the shrimp mixture, then lightly broil to melt the cheese.
Crispy and creamy Vietnamese shrimp toast is the ideal appetizer to make for your next hosting event! This easy under 30-minute baked shrimp toast recipe is the perfect crowd pleaser.
Prepare the shrimp and crab. In a food processor, chop the shrimp until finely ground. Stop before it fully becomes a paste. Remove and set aside. Then pulverize the imitation crab until finely minced. Set aside.
Mix together. In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped shrimp, minced imitation crab, finely chopped green onion, diced yellow onion, minced garlic, diced celery, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.
Assemble. Slice the french bread diagonally into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices. Add about 1 tablespoon of the shrimp mixture on top of each slice and spread the mixture evenly to the edges.
Bake. Place a single layer of the toast on a baking tray about 1 inch apart from each other and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through and the top is lightly golden brown. Cool the baked shrimp toast on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.
Hi Tracy! I have not tried baking this in an air fryer, but you can try cooking it in an air fryer for about 18-20 minutes. I recommend baking this recipe since the air fryer might dry out the shrimp filling on top if you overcook it.
Hi Steph,
Raw shrimp should only be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of 1-2 days. If you want to make the mixture ahead of time, I recommend freezing it in the freezer to keep the shrimp fresh and thaw it out in the fridge before you bake.
Can I use an air fryer and if so for how long?
Hi Tracy! I have not tried baking this in an air fryer, but you can try cooking it in an air fryer for about 18-20 minutes. I recommend baking this recipe since the air fryer might dry out the shrimp filling on top if you overcook it.
Can you make the mixture ahead of time?
Hi Steph,
Raw shrimp should only be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of 1-2 days. If you want to make the mixture ahead of time, I recommend freezing it in the freezer to keep the shrimp fresh and thaw it out in the fridge before you bake.