Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Nuoc Cham Dressing

Name: Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Nuoc Cham Dressing
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 2 cup (480 ml) water; 4 cup (120 g) green leaf lettuce or mixed salad greens, washed, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces; 1 cup (120 g) carrots, shredded or julienned; 1 cup (100 g) cucumber, shredded or julienned; ½ cup (25 g) fresh mint, roughly chopped or torn; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped or torn; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh Thai basil or regular basil, roughly chopped or torn; 1 to 2 whole (50 g) fresh red chilies, seeded and thinly sliced (optional); ¼ cup (30 g) roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed or roughly chopped; 3 tablespoon (45 ml) fish sauce; 3 tablespoon (45 ml) fresh lime juice, fresh-squeezed; 1 tablespoon (12 g) palm sugar or brown sugar; 1 whole (30 g) fresh red chili, seeded and minced; 1 whole garlic clove, minced; ¼ cup (60 ml) water

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A vibrant, refreshing Vietnamese chicken salad with tender shredded poached chicken, crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and a tangy-sweet nuoc cham sauce made with fish sauce, lime, sugar, chili, and garlic. The balance of salty, sour, sweet, and spicy is the hallmark of Vietnamese cuisine. This dish is light, healthy, and comes together quickly once the chicken has cooled.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 45 min
Makes: Serves 4 as a light main course or 6 as a side

Save to My Kitchen Jump to recipe

Ingredients

4 servings

For the Salad
1 lb (450 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cup (480 ml) water
4 cup (120 g) green leaf lettuce or mixed salad greens, washed, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup (120 g) carrots, shredded or julienned
1 cup (100 g) cucumber, shredded or julienned
½ cup (25 g) fresh mint, roughly chopped or torn
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped or torn
¼ cup (10 g) fresh Thai basil or regular basil, roughly chopped or torn
1 to 2 whole (50 g) fresh red chilies, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
¼ cup (30 g) roasted unsalted peanuts, crushed or roughly chopped
For the Nuoc Cham Dressing
3 tablespoon (45 ml) fish sauce
3 tablespoon (45 ml) fresh lime juice, fresh-squeezed
1 tablespoon (12 g) palm sugar or brown sugar
1 whole (30 g) fresh red chili, seeded and minced
1 whole garlic clove, minced
¼ cup (60 ml) water

Equipment (7)

Medium saucepan (3-quart / 3-liter capacity)
Cutting board
Chef's knife
Small mixing bowl
Large salad bowl (8-quart / 8-liter capacity)
Whisk or fork
Meat thermometer (optional but recommended)

Steps

Before you start

Read through the entire recipe to understand the timing
Gather all ingredients and equipment before starting
Use fresh-squeezed lime juice for the best dressing flavor
If your chicken breasts are very thick (over 1 inch), pound them gently to an even thickness for even cooking
Have a small bowl and whisk ready for the dressing

1
Poach the chicken breastsOven 165°F / 75°C
- Pour 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over high heat.
- Gently place the chicken breasts into the water—they should be mostly submerged.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water barely bubbles (not a rolling boil).
- Poach for 12–15 minutes, until the thickest part of the thickest breast reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the juices run clear when pierced with a knife.
- This gentle approach keeps the meat tender and moist.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Internal temperature of 165°F (74°C); juices run clear when thickest part is pierced
Tip: Keep the heat gentle to prevent the chicken from becoming tough; a rolling boil will cook it unevenly
2
Cool and shred the chicken
- Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid (you can discard the liquid or save it for stock) and place on a cutting board.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes until cool enough to handle comfortably.
- Using two forks or your hands, pull and shred the chicken into bite-sized strands, breaking it apart along the natural grain.
- Discard any cartilage or bone fragments.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Chicken is completely shredded into strands
Tip: Shredding while still slightly warm is much easier than shredding cold chicken; it pulls apart more naturally along the grain
3
Whisk together the dressing
- In a small bowl, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, minced chili, and minced garlic.
- Stir in the water.
- Whisk or stir vigorously for 30 seconds to ensure the sugar dissolves completely.
- Taste the dressing and adjust the balance: add more lime juice for brightness and tang, more fish sauce for umami depth, a bit more sugar if it's too salty, or more chili for heat.
- The dressing should taste balanced with all four flavors present—salty, sour, sweet, and spicy.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Sugar is fully dissolved and dressing tastes balanced with all four flavors
Tip: Taste the dressing on its own before adding to the salad; it should be bold and flavorful, as it will dress the entire salad
4
Chop vegetables and tear herbs
- Rinse the lettuce and tear or cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Using a knife or julienne peeler, shred the carrots and cucumber into thin strands.
- Roughly chop or tear the mint, cilantro, and Thai basil leaves by hand.
- Keep the herbs separate from the other vegetables so they stay fresh and fragrant until assembly.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: All vegetables are prepped and torn; herbs are roughly chopped
Tip: Prep the fresh herbs as close to serving time as possible so they don't wilt or lose their fragrance
5
Combine and dress the salad
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, lettuce, carrots, cucumber, mint, cilantro, Thai basil, and fresh red chili slices (if using).
- Pour about three-quarters of the nuoc cham dressing over the salad.
- Using two forks or salad tongs, gently toss everything together until all the ingredients are evenly coated with dressing and well combined.
- Be gentle to avoid bruising the delicate lettuce and herbs.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: All ingredients are evenly coated with dressing and well combined
Tip: Don't dress the salad too far in advance or the lettuce will become soggy; dress right before serving
6
Plate and serve
- Transfer the dressed salad to a serving platter or divide among individual bowls.
- Scatter the crushed peanuts evenly over the top.
- Drizzle the reserved dressing around the salad or pass it separately.
- Serve immediately while the salad is still crisp and cold.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Salad is plated and garnished with peanuts
Tip: If you must wait before serving, keep the peanuts and reserved dressing separate and add them just before eating to keep everything fresh and crunchy

Good to know

Tips

Use fresh-squeezed lime juice, not bottled, for the best brightness and balance in the dressing
Shredding the chicken while it's still warm is much easier than when completely cold, and it doesn't affect the salad's freshness
If you can't find Thai basil, any fresh basil variety works; the anise note will be missing but the salad will still be aromatic and delicious
For a lighter or vegetable-forward version, increase the lettuce and vegetables by 25% and reduce the chicken proportionally
The nuoc cham dressing is the star of this dish—balance the flavors carefully by tasting as you adjust, adding each component gradually

Make ahead

The nuoc cham dressing can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The chicken can be poached and shredded up to 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container. The vegetables can be prepped up to 8 hours ahead and stored separately (lettuce in a sealed container; herbs wrapped in a damp paper towel inside a sealed bag; carrots and cucumber in a container with a damp paper towel to keep them crisp). Assemble the salad just before serving for best results.

Storage & reheating

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, though the lettuce will soften over time. Store any leftover dressing in a separate airtight container. To serve leftovers, add a fresh squeeze of lime juice and a splash of dressing to refresh the flavors and revive the greens. The salad is not suitable for freezing due to the delicate vegetables and greens.

Substitutions

fish sauce → Soy sauce or tamari. Use 1:1 ratio; the flavor will be less funky and more savory, but the dressing will still be balanced and delicious
palm sugar or brown sugar → Brown sugar, cane sugar, or honey. Use 1:1 ratio by weight; honey will add a floral note and change the texture slightly
fresh Thai basil or regular basil → Regular basil or additional cilantro. The flavor will be slightly different—regular basil is sweeter and less anise-forward—but the salad will still be delicious
fresh red chilies → Jalapeño, serrano, or red chili flakes. Adjust the amount to taste; fresh peppers will be less spicy than Thai chilies, while flakes will add more uniform heat without the fresh flavor