Rare earth elements (REEsRare earth elements (REEs)) areLeaching essentialMicrowave pretreatment componentsRare Earth inBastnaesite modern technologies, including electric vehicles, wind turbines, and consumer electronics. As global demand for REEsRare earth elements (REEs) continues to grow, there is an urgent need for efficient and diversified extractionExtraction methods that minimize reliance on harsh chemicals and high energy input. To this end, this study compares two approaches for REE recoveryREE recovery from Vietnamese bastnaesiteBastnaesite concentrate: (1) direct HCl leachingLeaching, and (2) microwave-assisted NaOH roasting followed by HCl leachingLeaching. These methods were systematically evaluated in terms of leachingLeaching efficiency and reagent consumption. Direct HCl leachingLeaching was carried out at 25–90 ℃, 2–12 M acid concentration, a liquid-to-solid ratio of 10 mL/g, and 500 rpm. We obtained a maximum REE recoveryREE recovery of 72.41% under 12 M HCl at 90 ℃ for 8 h. In contrast, the microwave-assisted roasting was conducted at 700 W and a NaOH-to-concentrate ratio of 0.1–1:1 (w/w) for 90 s, followed by HCl leachingLeaching under the conditions of 2–12 M HCl, 90 ℃, a liquid-to-solid ratio of 10 mL/g, and 500 rpm. Using this method, we achieved 91.86% leachingLeaching efficiency with 3 M HCl and 99.38% with 4 M HCl at a 0.2:1 (w/w) NaOH-to-concentrate ratio. These results support ongoing efforts to develop more robust and environmentally responsible REERare earth elements (REEs) extractionExtraction strategies, contributing to a secure and regionally diversified supply chain.