Vietnamese Shredded Chicken Salad
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Made with a rotisserie chicken, this salad is easy to whip up and full of bright, spicy Southeast Asian flavor.
As much as I love salad as a meal, it’s not usually enough for my husband, who is more of a protein and two sides kind of a guy. But this is one salad that I can get away with serving for dinner—it’s satisfying and full of bright, spicy Southeast Asian flavor. It’s easy, too! You simply shred a rotisserie chicken, chop some veggies, whisk the dressing, and voila—dinner is served! The recipe makes enough for 2 to 3 main course salads; if you want to stretch it, serve some store-bought crispy spring rolls on the side.
“Delicious and the perfect light meal for a warm summer night!”
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Vietnamese Shredded Chicken Salad
Made with a rotisserie chicken, this salad is easy to whip up and full of bright, spicy Southeast Asian flavor.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 heaping cups cooked shredded chicken, from one store-bought rotisserie chicken
- 4 cups shredded napa cabbage
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup grated or matchstick carrots
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh mint
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup chopped peanuts
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice, from about 3 limes
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce (preferably a brand imported from Thailand or Vietnam)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients except for the peanuts. In a separate bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the dressing; whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Right before serving, toss the dressing with the salad. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the peanuts. Serve cold.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 417
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Sugar: 12g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 20g
- Sodium: 1169mg
- Cholesterol: 50mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Jenn – I made this salad for myself thinking I would have enough leftovers for a couple of meals. I will be likely if I can stop eating it before it’s all gone.
I absolutely love the flavors – very “Thai” to me. When I go to Thai restaurants I don’t tend to order salads so it is GREAT to have the Thai taste with such healthy raw vegetables and herbs.
Thank you so much.
Enjoying your recipes. The grocery store was out of cabbage, so I used a cabbage/kale blend. Super easy, flavours are incredible. Thank you!
💖 Angie from Alberta, Canada
Loved it! Half recipe was enough for two seniors (with egg rolls). Will make again!
Absolutely awesome. No cooking required and super flavorful
I served this yesterday at a mini-luncheon for three friends. They devoured it! I had doubled the recipe so I would have some left for dinner. That so didn’t happen! They ate it all! I printed out and gave the the recipe per their request. They were shocked when I told them I hadn’t made it before suggesting I was more than brave serving it to company. It wasn’t bravery, at all. I have learned to trust your recipes. THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN GREAT! Thank you.
So glad it was a hit, Judie. 💕
Ridiculously good flavours and texture. My changes: I used lime juice that comes in the little green squeezie thing and just squirted some fresh lime over salad before serving; used almonds instead of peanuts; only 2 garlic cloves, and added fresh papaya because I had some in the fridge. I was going to use a prepared slaw mix, but none of them looked very good. Turns out that napa cabbage is very easy to clean and shred. I’m cooking for one, so I dressed half the salad for dinner, and just had some of the rest for lunch (dressing it just before) – think the dressing got tastier after sitting in the fridge overnight. Two thumbs up on this salad!
Hi. I don’t have sriracha sauce but I have dried sriracha spice powder. Can I use this instead and if so how much should I use.?
Hi Lesley, To be honest, I have never cooked with sriracha spice powder. I think it’d be fine to use; I’d just add it little by little to taste since I’m not sure how hot it is.
Delicious and fresh! I only used 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce, and I just realized right now that I forgot to use the garlic in the dressing. But my family really enjoyed it. This would be a great spring or summer dinner.
Delicious! I did add rice vinegar to dressing and some fresh mango to salad.
This was superb. An incredibly tasty way to clean out my vegetable drawer and achieve a nutritionally dense meal at the same time.
For these reasons, I added: baby spinach, arugula, fresh basil, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumber, and avocado. I sautéed the red pepper, then added a scoop of freshly cooked basmati rice.
I realize this caused the salad to stray a bit outside of its Vietnamese origins, but the result was outstanding! The dressing is divine and can be used on any salad.
Hi Jenn
Every single recipe of yours is amazing, I cannot wait to make this, how long will it keep in fridge if I need to have lunches prepared up for an easy grab and go.
Hi Melissa, So glad you like the recipes! 🙂 Once you toss this salad with the dressing, it needs to be served right away. If you keep the dressing separate, it will keep a day or two in the fridge.
I just made this for the first time, my husband and I loved it! I realized after we were done eating that I forgot the peanuts so that’s a bummer. My husband doesn’t like peppers so I added some cucumber to his salad instead and it was great. So easy and fast to throw together for a weeknight dinner, with two lunch sized salads for tomorrow.
I think I would love this salad except for the cilantro. I don’t mind a little bit of that flavor but not too much. Can I use parsley instead of cilantro? or would that ruin the salad? Thanks for your help and your great recipes!
Hi Char, I would just omit it – it will still be delish. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I LOVE this salad and am making this for a vegetarian friend – I’d like to add some tofu to it. Any suggestions how I might prep it? I could throw it in right from the package but seems like it would need something. Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth, I’ve never worked with tofu, but I do know that marinating it will help to infuse it with flavor. Perhaps you could marinate it in the dressing, remove it to add to the salad, and then pour the dressing over the salad as the recipe suggests. Hope that helps!
Excellent lunch for 2. Delicious. I add a little more hot sauce. Also made it once with roast duck instead of chicken, also tastes great!
I have enjoyed many recipes on this site, including this one. Most recently I made this salad but substituted the dressing with the dressing from the Thai Crunch Salad, also on this site. My husband loved it and I will admit that I loved the peanut flavoring, too. I did double the sauce recipe and I used broccoli slaw in place of the cabbage. It was really tasty (and I hope no one minds that I’m mixing and matching!) I look forward to making more of the recipes here.
I’ve made this multiple times as it’s so good! Perfect for a warm summer night dinner or lunch anytime. Sometimes I’ll add or sub different veggies depending on what I have on hand. Add a baguette if you want a little heartier meal.
Oh my gosh. My good friend Liz served this for a small, casual dinner party (as a main course), and everyone loved it. The next day I ran to the store to get the exact ingredients listed, and made for myself. It is so delicious! There’s something very special and irresistible about this dressing, and it definitely turns a healthy, fresh salad into a delectable main course. So far, I have stuck to the recipe simply because I just love it as is.
I love Asian food, so when I spotted this recipe I knew I had to try it. The flavors combined and complimented each other wonderfully, and it was a perfect salad for a warm summer evening. I substituted cashews for the peanuts; other than that I made the recipe as written.
It was 90 degrees, I had a gluten free quest coming for dinner. I wanted something healthy, cool and delicious. This salad was exactly what I was looking for, just bursting with fresh flavor. I cheated a little by buying the cabbage and carrot coleslaw mix in the produce department. With the rotisserie chicken, it was so quick to put together and so impressive. Thank you Jenn!
Not only is this salad delicious but quick and easy. It’s become one of my go-to weekday dinners. I love salads for dinner, but my husband isn’t as keen — until I tried this recipe. I always buy extra ingredients, so we can have it the next night as well. I have yet to find one of your recipes that isn’t great. Cookbook is awesome as well. Thanks. Sue
This was not our fav. Not sure if too much lime or fish sauce in dressing. Flavor just a little off putting. Salad was good with all fresh ingredients
This salad is so fresh and flavorful! Perfect when you don’t want to turn on the stove or oven. The dressing is the star in this salad!!
Drizzled over plain iceberg lettuce and it would still be great.
Made this for dinner and did not dress the whole salad as I am only cooking for one. Used the rest two days later for dinner with a friend and it was just as fresh. Used savoy cabbage which I have never had before and loved it. Nervous that I might be short on dressing, I added a little of Trader Joe’s Asian style Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette dressing and it was perfect. My friend sid please invite her any time. With white wine and a French baguette, it was great
Want to try this one – thoughts on reducing sugar to lower carbs? Or would that throw dressing too far out of balance?
Hi Kara, the sugar does help to balance out the other flavors in the dressing. You could try cutting it back a bit, but I definitely wouldn’t omit it. Hope you enjoy!
Use Lakanto sugar instead of regular sugar? That is what I did and it worked out great!
Super yum! Made this last night for dinner and it was a crowd pleaser! Love the combination of flavors of this dish. Super easy to assemble with the help of the prepared rotisserie chicken. I added some diced tomatoes and diced celery since I had them on hand. Thanks for another fabulous recipe!
Hi Jenn,
I have loved your recipes…every single one I’ve tried! Thank you!
Could I make this salad ahead? I’m thinking about bringing it this weekend but don’t want to ruin the crispness nor make it soggy!
Thanks again!
So happy you’re enjoying the recipes, Monica! I think you could make the salad ahead as long as you wait to add the dressing until the last minute. I’d put all the salad ingredients in a bowl sort of separate (like in the photo above) and refrigerate. Then toss everything together at the last minute with the dressing. Hope that helps!
This salad is perfect for summer potluck BBQ. It is a crowd-pleaser and gets rave reviews. It is easy, delicious and refreshing. And it makes me feel like I am eating healthy. I don’t usually eat or like salad, but this one and the Thai Crunchy Salad with Peanut Dressing from this site are my favorites.
Simply amazing and delicious!
You know a recipe is a winner when you’re eleven year old boy requests it regularly! I prepare it exactly as written and it’s delicious. Thank you Jenn for another fabulous recipe!
*your
This is so bright tasting and delicious! It is just what we needed after the holiday hoarking! I did add Thai peppers from my garden.
Are all fish sauces made from anchovies? The kind I purchased did not taste good in the dressing. I use fish sauce a lot in cooked dishes. Thanks for making cooking so fun for me. I have loved everything I have made from your site
Hi Chris, As far as I know, all fish sauce is made with anchovies. What brand did you use? That can make a big difference.
The brand was KAME.
Hmmm… that’s a head scratcher because KAME is a good brand (I use it too). Maybe you just don’t love the taste of the salad!?
Jenn, my grocer only had savoy cabbage, not napa. I’ve never used it before. Is it okay to use instead?
Yes, Erin, savoy cabbage will work nicely here too.
A salad for heat-advisory days! Today has been the hottest day of the year where I live (high nineties, “feels like 106”,) so I was craving something cool and crunchy for dinner. This salad was perfection! The crispness of the greens, the cooling of the mint, the tang of the limes, the crunch of the peanuts, the sweet-and-slightly spicy dressing…Uber-Yummy! I couldn’t find Napa cabbage on my way home, so I subbed with half coleslaw mix and half “crunchy greens” (both prepackaged stuff as I was in a rush), grated a few carrots, chopped the mint and scallions, and shredded some leftover chicken I had. Then, I mixed the dressing, tossed everything together, and had dinner ready in about 30 minutes. Best of all: I did not have to turn in the stove, grill, or oven–what a blessing on a day like this! I saved half of the greens (un-dressed) and dressing and plan this salad again tomorrow, but topped with shrimp.
Amazing! As usual your recipe does not disappoint.
This is amazing. I want to drink this dressing. Just made a triple batch so I can pour it on everything. First time I made it had to sub romaine which I cut in chiffonade since the store had no napa or savoy, but the romaine did have a nice crunch and with the other veggies it was scrumptious.I did use harissa in -place of sriracha. Perfect summer meal. That! Dressing!
This is a fantastic recipe and hearty enough for my BIG man. Thanks again Jenn.
The sodium seems very high, is this because you used salted peanuts or is it from the fish sauce and chicken?
Hi Peter, I think it’s the fish sauce — it’s very high in sodium.
I don’t have fish sauce and wonder if I can skip it or substitute it with something else as I’d hate to buy a bottle for a small amount for the recipe?
Hi Marina, Unfortunately, there is no good substitute for fish sauce and you really need it for this recipe. The good news is that it lasts forever, and I have lots of recipes on the site that call for it :). I think Thai Kitchen makes a fairly small bottle.
This salad is awesome! The flavor is incredible. It’s easy to put together and keeps really well. My husband and I had it for dinner two nights in a row and it was still crunchy and fresh as could be the second night as it was the first.
I Changed this Recipe A LOT! It was awesome anyway.
I don’t eat poultry so I made your recipe using 5 oz. of canned tuna instead of chicken. The rest of the salad stayed the same – but half quantity.
The dressing… I cut back to 1 tsp. sugar, 1/2 Tbsp. fish sauce, 1 Tbsp. oil. I used harissa (not Sriracha) because that was the closest thing I had in the house.
I knew that I was taking a lot of risks by changing your recipe around so much but it was really delicious!
Another yummy meal! It is incredibly flavourful and easy to make.
I’ve loved every recipe of yours I’ve tried, but this is hands down my favorite. It’s my go-to meal when the weather gets warmer. The crispness of vegetables and the tang of the dressing, that only fish sauce can give, wakes up all of your senses (which my family really needs when we’re all slugs from temperatures in the 80s/90s and humidity at 90%). We LOVE this salad!
Excellent! To feed our family of six I doubled the recipe and it was barely enough. I’m not complaining. I will happily triple the recipe! I made the vinaigrette ahead of time and it was delicious! Husband complained not filling, next time I might serve with a chicken breast sliced.
I’d just written a review for your Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta when I realized really should pop over here and write a review on this salad. I’ve made this salad multiple times, always with excellent results. A dish has to be real special for me to make it more than once. You’re rapidly becoming my “go to” when doing my weekly menu planning.
This recipe has become a staple at my house. I love that the ingredients are simple and easy to find. I buy the rotisserie chicken breast meat at Costco (in a package on its own), divvy it up and freeze it in bags, then I can pretty much make this recipe on the fly with no special trips to the store. I got my low-carb parents on it, too. Delicious!
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious! Loved all of the different flavors and textures. 5 star!
This is one of my favorites! Have made it several times and will sometimes add or swap veggies such as radishes or pea pods or swap the chicken for shrimp, depending on what is in the refrigerator.
I just found your site today! I am LOVING everything I am seeing. I quickly subscribed, and I’m looking forward to all that you have in store. All the Best!
Glad you like what you see– looking forward to having you as part of the Once Upon a Chef community!!
Best salad ever….No changes required.
I ate as a meal, nothing else required…
Just a glass of ice tea!~ Perfection!