Vietnamese Chicken Salad
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Top pick: This Vietnamese chicken salad is fresh, crunchy, and bursting with flavor, with tender chicken, crisp veggies, fresh herbs, and peanuts tossed in a bright, tangy dressing.
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 guy. However, this Vietnamese chicken salad recipe, inspired by the classic Vietnamese dish gỏi gà, is one I can get away with serving for dinner. It’s satisfying and packed with bright, spicy Southeast Asian flavors. Plus, it’s a breeze to make. Just shred a rotisserie chicken, chop some veggies, whisk the dressing, and dinner is done.
The recipe makes enough for two generous main course salads, and if you want to round out the meal, just add some crispy spring rolls or summer rolls on the side.
“Delicious and the perfect light meal for a warm summer night!”
What You’ll Need To Make Vietnamese Chicken Salad
- Cooked Shredded Chicken: Turns the salad into a satisfying main dish. A store-bought rotisserie chicken makes this especially quick and easy to pull together.
- Napa Cabbage, Scallions, Carrots & Red Bell Pepper: Makes up the crisp, colorful base of the salad, with a mix of crunch, mild oniony bite, and natural sweetness.
- Fresh Mint & Cilantro: Bring plenty of freshness and the distinctive herbal notes that give the salad its Vietnamese character.
- Peanuts: Add salty crunch and a nutty finish; sprinkle them on just before serving so they stay crisp.
- Fresh Lime Juice & Sugar: Give the dressing its sweet-tart balance, with plenty of brightness from the fresh lime.
- Fish Sauce: Brings the salty, savory depth that gives the dressing its distinctly Vietnamese character. Look for a brand imported from Thailand or Vietnam if possible. Fish sauce smells quite assertive on its own, but mellows considerably once combined with the other dressing ingredients
- Sriracha, Garlic & Vegetable Oil: Sriracha adds gentle heat, garlic gives the dressing a fresh punch, and the neutral oil rounds everything out and helps it coat the chicken and vegetables evenly.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Vietnamese Chicken Salad
Combine the salad ingredients: Toss together the vegetables, herbs, and chicken, leaving the peanuts out for now. They’ll go on at the end so they stay crunchy.
Make the dressing: Whisk or shake the dressing until well combined and the sugar is completely dissolved. Give it a quick stir or shake again before using, as some of the ingredients may settle as it sits.
Dress the salad: Add the dressing right before serving and toss until everything is evenly coated, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Waiting until the last minute to incorporate it keeps the veggies crisp and prevents the herbs from wilting.
Serve: Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and scatter the peanuts over the top. Serve cold. If you’d like to get ahead, the vegetables, chicken, and dressing can be prepped in advance and refrigerated separately; toss everything together with the herbs and peanuts just before serving.
More Asian Salad Recipes You’ll Love
Vietnamese Chicken Salad
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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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We’ve made this a couple times now and it’s delicious. It’s such a fresh tasting salad – with the crunch of the vegetables, the heavy amount of lime, and the peanut topping. It’s perfect for a summer lunch. The only thing we’ve tweaked is taking out the mint and easing up a bit on the fish sauce. I would imagine a better fish sauce might change the experience but I’ve had a tough time finding the good imported stuff. All in all, this is one we’ll keep in the arsenal when summer rolls around again. Very good.
I doubled the recipe and made this for my work colleagues today and it was a big hit. I usually find the lime is too much for me in Vietnamese sauces, so I put in 1/8 cup of plain white vinegar and then splashed in the lime juice until I was happy with the taste. I will definitely make again. Great for sharing with a crowd as it makes a lot.
Outstanding! As my husband was eating this salad he couldn’t get over the taste and kept commenting on it. He voluntarily said, “Out of 10, this salad is a 10!”. Thanks for another great recipe!
This was absolutely wonderful and just as authentic tasting as our local Vietnamese restaurant. I loved how fresh and bright tasting it was and the leftovers were still delicious the next day. My husband wants some hot peppers next time but I thought it was perfect without.
My family is addicted to this salad. It’s a great summer salad that can be a full meal.
Love this recipe. Have prepared it several times for friends and they love it as well. Yummy, so refreshing and light.
I love this salad but instead of peanuts I use unsalted sunflower seeds. Yummy!
This salad was absolutely amazing, but I shouldn’t be surprised – every dish I’ve tried from onceuponachef.com has been terrific. In fact, I’m so confident of Jenn’s recipes, that I have tried something new when I’ve had guests over for dinner and was not disappointed. Thanks for making me look good Jenn!!!!
This salad is so yummy. My roommate is Vietnamese and she said this is similar to a salad her mother makes. Very authentic! I’ve tried several other recipes on this site: coconut macaroons, roasted brussel sprouts, chocolate chip blondies and they all have been fantastic! Thanks, Jen!
Chicken and salad perfection!! Didn’t have a rotisserie chicken, instead marinated boneless skinless chicken breasts overnight in 1/2 cup nuoc mam cham (recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/nuoc-mam-cham-dipping-fish-sauce-103760) “enriched” with a few tablespoons of teriyaki glaze, then grilled. Split the breasts in half lengthwise and followed your instruction to pound each piece to 1/2″ thickness. Thank you for a most excellent recipe!