What Makes Vietnamese Chicken Salad Better Than Any Other Salad

This Vietnamese Chicken Salad stands out amongst all the other salads because not only does this one fill you up, but it also uses the natural flavors of the herbs, vegetables, and protein to build the salad’s flavors instead of the dressing itself. The poached chicken is simple, but juicy and pairs with the rest of the salad beautifully. While recipe testing, I found that grilled chicken overwhelmed a lot of the flavors of the herbs and vegetables, while poached chicken complimented them. Additionally, these flavors are enhanced by the sweet and sour dressing, which fully completes the dish.

How You Can Use Veggies As The Real Star Of A Salad

The way you can make a salad even better is adding herbs. They are one of the most underrated additions to salads that I don’t see enough! The mint, even though it may cost a little extra, adds such an amazing depth and refreshing bite to the salad that seriously turns this Vietnamese Chicken Salad from something that already tastes amazing into something unforgettable. Additionally, adding some crunchy onions on top not only enhances the texture of the salad, but adds another layer of flavor that will keep you coming back for more.

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What You’ll Need To Make Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Chicken

• 1 lb chicken breast
• Salt, for cooking water

Dressing

• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tbsp Thai chilies, finely sliced
• 2 tsp sugar

Salad

• Lettuce, thinly sliced
• Carrots, julienned
• Cucumbers, sliced
• Rice noodles (optional)

Optional Garnish

• Fresh mint
• Crispy onions or shallots

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How To Make Vietnamese Chicken Salad

In a bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, garlic, Thai chilies, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and season it well with salt. Add the chicken breast and poach for about 12 minutes or until fully cooked.

Remove chicken and shred into thin strips.

Layer veggies over rice noodles if using, top with shredded chicken, and spoon the dressing over everything.

Garnish with fresh mint and crispy onions or shallots.

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Tips & Variations

If you don’t have time, feel free to not even use chicken breast and use a premade rotisserie chicken instead. I love to use Costco’s rotisserie chicken as a topping for this salad instead of going through the process of cooking chicken from scratch.

Use any other herbs you have for this salad if you have extra. Thai basil and cilantro are also great additions to this salad.

If your spice tolerance isn’t great (like mine), use Sriracha instead of Thai chilies to reduce the amount of spice.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! You can prep all the components in advance. Just store the dressing separately and toss everything right before serving to keep it fresh!

How do I poach chicken perfectly?

Use a gentle simmer rather than a rapid boil. Salt the water generously, and try to keep the chicken in a single layer so it cooks evenly. Let it rest and cool completely before shredding (be careful, the inside is hot and will let out steam if you don’t let it cool enough).

What kind of vinegar should I use?

Rice vinegar is the most traditional and adds an additional layer of sweet flavor, but white vinegar or even apple cider vinegar works too!

Can I use a different protein?

Absolutely. This works well with shrimp or tofu! I also recommend poaching both of these proteins as well.

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What to Make Next

If you loved this salad, you should try my Somen Salad!

Want a grilled meat instead? Try my Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken!

Craving beef? You’ll love my Shaking Beef!