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This Vietnamese Chicken Salad is loaded with fresh herbs, crunchy veggies, and shredded chicken, all tossed in a sweet-tangy fish sauce dressing.
I’ve been to Vietnam twice now, and both trips completely changed the way I think about food. Every single dish is packed with fresh herbs, crunchy vegetables, and a mix of flavors and textures that all hit at once. You get sweet, salty, tangy, spicy, crispy, tender with every dish. It’s never just one note. This Vietnamese Chicken Salad is my attempt to bring that same feeling home, and honestly, it’s the closest I’ve come to recreating what I ate over there.
This salad is loaded with crisp napa cabbage, shredded chicken, carrots, red onion, and a big handful of fresh cilantro and mint. It gets topped with chopped peanuts for crunch, but the real star is the dressing.
Here’s the thing about the dressing: it’s made with fish sauce, and I know that scares some people off. I don’t even like fish, and I still love this dressing. It doesn’t taste “fishy” at all once it’s mixed with the sugar, lime juice, garlic, and serrano pepper, it just tastes like Vietnamese food is supposed to taste. Don’t skip it and don’t substitute it. The dressing is what makes this salad.
Erin’s Notes
- Big, bold flavor. Sweet, salty, tangy and a little spicy, all in one bowl.
- So many textures. Crunchy cabbage and peanuts, tender chicken, crisp veggies.
- Quick to put together, especially if you use cooked chicken you already have on hand.
- Naturally gluten-free and a great way to use up leftover chicken.
- Tastes like the food I fell in love with in Vietnam.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Napa Cabbage: finely chopped so it’s easy to eat and soaks up the dressing well.
- Cooked Chicken: shredded rotisserie chicken or any leftover cooked chicken works great here.
- Carrots: shredded for color and a little sweetness.
- Red Onion: sliced thin so it doesn’t overpower the salad.
- Fresh Cilantro and Mint: this is where a lot of the freshness comes from, don’t skip either one.
- Peanuts: chopped and sprinkled on top for crunch.
- Fish Sauce: the backbone of the dressing. It brings a savory, salty depth that you can’t get any other way.
- Lime Juice: for brightness and tang.
- Garlic and Serrano Pepper: minced small so they distribute through the dressing.
Vietnamese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 6 cups Napa Cabbage, finely chopped
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 Tablespoons warm water
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 serrano pepper, minced
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Let it set for at least 5 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until the sugar is dissolved.2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons fish sauce, 2 Tablespoons warm water, 1 1/2 Tablespoons lime juice, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 serrano pepper
- Add the shredded cabbage to a large bowl. Top with chicken, carrots. onion, cilantro and mint. Toss to combine.6 cups Napa Cabbage, 3 cups cooked chicken, 1 cup carrots, 1/2 cup red onion, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup fresh mint
- Sprinkle peanuts over the top.1/4 cup peanuts
- Serve with a little of the dressing spooned over the top of each salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How To Make Vietnamese Chicken Salad
- Make Dressing. Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing into a small bowl, stir and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. The warm water will help the sugar dissolve, but you may have to stir it a few times.
- Toss Salad. Add the shredded cabbage to a large bowl. Top with the carrots, onion, chicken, cilantro and mint. Using a tongs mix everything together until it is well combined. Sprinkle the peanuts over the top.
- Serve. When you are ready to serve, divide into bowls and spoon over a little dressing on each salad.
Recipe Tips
- Let the dressing sit for the full 5 minutes so the sugar fully dissolves, it makes a big difference in how it coats the salad.
- Chop the cabbage finely. The finer the chop, the better it holds the dressing and the easier it is to eat.
- Toss the salad with the dressing right before serving so the cabbage stays crisp.
- Taste your serrano before using the full 1/2 as heat levels can vary a lot from pepper to pepper.
Recipe Variations
- Rotisserie Chicken: swap in shredded rotisserie chicken for the cooked chicken it’s an easy shortcut and works perfectly in this recipe.
- Jalapeño instead of Serrano: if serrano peppers are hard to find or you want a little less heat, jalapeño is a great substitute in the dressing.
- Add Thai Basil: for an even more authentic flavor, add a small handful of Thai basil or Vietnamese coriander (rau răm) along with the cilantro and mint.
Storage
This salad is best served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. If you’re planning ahead, store the dressing separately and toss it with the salad right before serving so the cabbage doesn’t get soggy.
Almost certainly, yes. I don’t like fish either, and this dressing doesn’t taste like fish at all once it’s mixed with the sugar, lime juice, garlic, and serrano pepper. It just tastes like a mix of savory and sweet and well-balanced. Fish sauce is what gives Vietnamese cooking its signature flavor, so I’d encourage you to trust the process here.
Jalapeño is a great substitute if serrano peppers aren’t available or you want a bit less heat.
Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free as written. Just double check the label on your fish sauce, since some brands can vary.
