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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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.