Vietnamese Chicken Salad

This Vietnamese chicken salad is based on Gỏi Gà, which literally means “chicken salad” in Vietnamese. (Another name is Gỏi Gà Bắp Cải.) It’s an incredibly simple recipe that doesn’t take long to make, with the marinating time for the chicken being the longest segment. That’s only 30 minutes, during which you can prepare the dressing too. This is an economical make-ahead meal full of crunchy carrots and cabbage, and the peanuts and chicken both make this salad a good source of protein. With a lot of flavor and a filling meal guaranteed, this Vietnamese chicken salad recipe should become a regular part of your week if you like menu planning.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad Ingredients

• Olive oil: While olive oil isn’t a traditional ingredient, it helps make the marinade stick to the chicken in this recipe.
• Lime juice and lime zest: Both lime juice and zest give the marinade and chicken a bright but not overly tangy or sour flavor.
• Cilantro: The slightly peppery taste of fresh cilantro is one of the more well-known flavors in recipes based on Vietnamese cuisine.
• Cayenne pepper: This gives the marinade a bit of a kick. Just be careful if you’re not used to using cayenne pepper, because a little goes a long way.
• Chicken: Cut the boneless, skinless chicken breasts into thin strips before marinating them.

Dressing:

• Olive oil: As with the marinade, the oil here helps the dressing stick to the ingredients of the salad.
• Lime juice and lime zest: As with the marinade, these will give the dressing a bright flavor.
• Rice vinegar: This works with the lime juice to add a tangy note to the dressing.
• Sugar: This helps make the dressing just a little mellow and not too tangy.
• Crushed red pepper flakes: While not as hot as the cayenne in the marinade, crushed red pepper flakes make the dressing nice and spicy. Overall, the dressing ingredients all balance each other out.

Salad:

• Cabbage: You’ll need about 1 pound of thinly sliced cabbage.
• Cilantro: Vietnamese recipes often use a lot of herbs, and fresh cilantro is a good substitute if you can’t find herbs specific to Vietnamese cuisine in your area.
• Carrots: These are the crunchy-and-sweet portion of the salad.
• Peanuts: Chop salted peanuts to add to the salad; you can also sprinkle a few bits over the top as a garnish.

Directions

Step 1: Marinate the chicken

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, lime zest, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Add the chicken to the marinade, and toss to coat the pieces thoroughly. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Make the dressing

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, sugar, lime zest, salt, crushed red pepper flakes and pepper.

Step 3: Cook the chicken

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, stir-fry half the chicken mixture for four to five minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink. The interior of the chicken should be 165°F. Remove the chicken and repeat the cooking process with the next batch. Once all the chicken is cooked, set it aside to cool slightly.

Step 4: Assemble the salad

In a large bowl, add the cabbage, cilantro, carrots and chicken, then toss to combine. Add the peanuts and the dressing, tossing till everything is coated. Serve the salad immediately.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad Variations

• Top with fried shallots: You can fry up your own sliced shallots or buy them. Adding these crunchy morsels takes the taste of the salad to a whole new level.
• Serve over rice vermicelli or noodles: You can eat this salad by itself or use it to top a bowl of rice vermicelli or rice noodles.
• Try to find Vietnamese coriander: Use this in place of the cilantro; you don’t have to mince it for the salad. Vietnamese coriander isn’t the same as what you normally see as coriander in grocery stores. “Coriander” and “cilantro,” as seen in many U.S. markets, are from the Coriandrum sativum plant. Cilantro leaves look a lot like flat-leaf parsely leaves. Vietnamese coriander is from the Persicaria odorata plant, and the leaves are elongated with pointed ends. Vietnamese coriander is also called rau răm and is available in Vietnamese and many other Asian or Southeast Asian grocery stores.
• Garnish the salad with mint leaves: Mint leaves are a very common garnish in many Vietnamese recipes, so they would be totally appropriate here.

How to Store Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Place any leftover salad in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. If you cooked the chicken when you made the salad, you can store the leftovers for three to four days (though the sooner you eat them, the better). If you used leftover chicken, however, you’ll have to subtract the number of days the chicken has already been in storage. For example, if you used leftover chicken that was cooked two days ago, you can store the leftover salad for only about one more day, maybe two. If you’re using leftover chicken that’s on its third or fourth day, don’t store the leftovers; go ahead and discard them, because the chicken really can’t be stored for any longer.

Can you make this Vietnamese chicken salad ahead of time?

You can make this salad up to three days in advance if you’re using freshly cooked chicken. Store the chicken, salad and dressing separately in their own airtight containers, then mix them when you’re ready to serve the salad. If you’re using leftover chicken, however, ensure that you’re not storing that chicken for more than a total of three days. Here’s a look at how long leftovers last.

Vietnamese Chicken Salad Tips

Can you use fish sauce in the dressing?

Many recipes for Vietnamese chicken salad, or Gỏi Gà, include a little fish sauce in the dressing. This one doesn’t, which makes it a good choice for anyone who’s allergic to shellfish. If you’re not dealing with allergies and want to try adding some, start by adding a tablespoon or so to the dressing. Taste and see if the dressing is to your liking. Add another tablespoon of fish sauce if needed, but don’t exceed 3 tablespoons in total. Fish sauce is salty and will quickly increase the sodium amount (not to mention the salty taste) in the salad if you add too much. Check out these essential Vietnamese recipes to learn more about the cuisine.

Can you use leftover cooked chicken?

Yes! This recipe is great for using up leftover cooked chicken (as long as the chicken was cooked and stored safely and has not been sitting out for too long). You can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken too. Skip the marinade step, shred or chop the leftover chicken, and make the salad with the dressing. If you’re cooking a lot of chicken in advance to use it in recipes like this, make sure you know how long cooked chicken lasts in the fridge and how to reheat chicken without drying it out.

Can you use bagged coleslaw mix?

If you really want to make this recipe quickly, using bagged and pre-cut or pre-shredded vegetables can help. The one issue is the size of the shreds; bagged coleslaw mix can have rather long pieces of cabbage that can be awkward to eat. Try chopping the coleslaw mix into smaller pieces.