Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga)

Light, crunchy, and tangy, this Vietnamese Chicken Salad recipe is made with chicken, cabbage, fresh herbs, and zesty pickled vegetables. Perfect for hot days, it is a meal in itself, and an excellent way to use up leftover roast chicken.

This chilled Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga) is a zesty, meal-worthy salad that tastes a lot like a bánh mì without the bread. (A bánh mì is basically a Vietnamese sub sandwich.) Light and tangy, it is perfect for hot days when turning on the stove is out of the question.

Jump to:

• What Goes into Vietnamese Chicken Salad
• How to Make this Chicken Salad
• Substitutions
• Variations
• FAQ
• More Asian-inspired Recipes
• What to Serve with this Salad
• Vietnamese Chicken Salad Recipe (Goi Ga)

Mr B and I grew up in Northeast Portland surrounded by the flavors of southeast Asia, and we love Vietnamese food, both cooking and eating it.

One of the things we appreciate most about Vietnamese cuisine is how flavorful and refreshing it is. This Vietnamese chicken salad recipe is a long-time favorite; it's is satisfying and well-balanced, checking all the flavor boxes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. It's also one the easiest recipes ever to make!

What Goes into Vietnamese Chicken Salad

• Fish sauce: We recommend using Red Boat Fish Sauce.
  • I rarely recommend a particular brand unless I have strong feelings about it, or a similar product is so different that it could change a recipe's end result. In this case, both statements are true. I have used many different fish sauce brands over the years, and the one that works best for our tastes is Red Boat.
• Chicken: Use roast chicken. It is easier to shred the chicken into thin, small pieces when it is cold.
• Carrots: Carrots should be peeled and coarsely grated. Avoid using "baby carrots". They are usually bland, and often bitter.
• Cabbage: We recommend using napa cabbage for its mild, peppery flavor.
• Cilantro: We love the flavor of cilantro in this salad; however, to be more authentic, use Vietnamese coriander (rau ram) if you can find it.
• Mint: In this recipe, mint is an optional ingredient; however, it adds a bright, fresh pop to the salad.
• Red onion: Slice the onion from stem to root end very thinly.
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Cider vinegar: Use cider vinegar, both in the sauce, and in the pickling mix for the salad.
• Sugar: Use plain white sugar.
• Garlic
• Water

How to Make this Chicken Salad

Nuoc Mam

In a large jar, mix together all of the Nuoc Mam ingredients.

Cover and refrigerate.

Nuoc Mam is a type of Vietnamese fish sauce characterized by its sweet, sour, spicy, slightly pungent flavor. It is typically used as a dipping sauce; however, as in the case of this recipe, it can also be used as a salad dressing.

This nuoc mam recipe is adapted from one shared with me by the Vietnamese family that brought their legendary lumpia-style spring rolls to Portland Saturday Market back in the late-1970's. It does not require lime as many nuoc mam recipes do; however, if you want to add a tablespoon or so of lime juice, that works.

Salad Prep

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together ⅓ cup vinegar, ⅓ cup water, and 3 tablespoons sugar until the sugar has fully dissolved.

Add the sliced red onion and ¾ cup of grated carrots, and submerge them in the vinegar mixture. Marinate for at least 1 hour.

In a large serving bowl, toss together the shredded chicken, sliced cabbage, cilantro, and (optional) mint.

Drain the marinated vegetables, and toss them with the chicken-cabbage mixture.

Drizzle about ½ cup of the prepared nuoc mam sauce over the salad and toss to coat.

Hint: We like to strain out most of the grated carrots from the nuoc mam and save them for using on sandwiches.

If time allows, cover the salad and let it chill in the fridge for about an hour.

Garnish the salad with cilantro and mint as desire. Serve with additional nuoc mam on the side.

Substitutions

• Cider Vinegar: You can use white vinegar; however, the result will be more astringent, and lack the sweet quality imparted by the cider vinegar.
• Carrots: Use half carrots and half diakon radish.
• Chicken: Use roast turkey.
• Cabbage: Savoy cabbage, bok choy, and regular cabbage all will work.
• Cilantro: If you really don't like cilantro, try using Thai basil, or a mixture of basil and mint.
• Red onion: You can also use a sweet onion. Avoid field or yellow onions, as they can be too pungent.

Variations

Extra Veggies: For extra flavor and texture, try adding a julienned daikon radish or cucumber to the salad mix.

Peanuts: Add a sprinkling of ground peanuts to the top of the salad before serving. (Oops! Mr B is not a fan of peanuts, so I usually leave them out, and didn't even think to put them in the pictures!)

FAQ

More Asian-inspired Recipes

Craving a delicious chicken salad sandwich? Check our  warmly-spiced Curried Chicken Salad, made with rotisserie chicken, coconut, fruits, and nuts in a creamy curried dressing.

What to Serve with this Salad

We often eat this salad as a stand-alone. It's very satisfying by itself, especially in the hot summer months. (It makes a great picnic salad if you have a cooler-style picnic basket.)

For a heartier, more well-round meal, try serving it with some Vietnamese appetizers or Asian-style finger foods (i.e., egg rolls, steamed buns, fresh spring rolls, potstickers, etc.), or a bowl of pho or wonton soup.

As with most green salads, this one is best eaten the day it is made.

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