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Vietnamese Chicken Salad – Goi Ga

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Powered by Mom’s Vietnamese Chicken Salad Recipe – Goi Ga

A spring and summer favourite – Vietnamese Chicken Salad with lime, basil and mint

Spring is finally here! While the weather may not always make us feel like it’s spring I still enjoy eating some of my favourite spring and summer recipes. One of my favourites is this Vietnamese Chicken Salad or in Vietnamese Goi Ga. It’s refreshing, full of flavour, filling and best of all oh so easy to make! With ingredients like lime, Thai basil and mint this truly is the perfect spring recipe.

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Just like my mom used to make

This recipe is one my mom used to make for us growing up. This Vietnamese Chicken Salad was on the table more than once come spring and summer. I’m thrilled to share a family favourite recipe that is also a representation of my Vietnamese heritage. I continue to pass down my knowledge on Vietnamese culture to my daughter which of course includes a love of Vietnamese food. It’s not hard to do as the food is so flavourful.

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Chicken Recipe Inspiration

If you ever need some inspiration for some fabulous chicken recipes, Chicken Farms of Canada has an amazing collection of recipes. I often go there to get ideas or make one of their scrumptious recipes. We eat a lot of chicken in our family so I’m always looking for ideas. This Vietnamese Chicken Salad recipe is so incredibly easy to make. You can even use leftover chicken if you like. I’ll even share a tip that will make this one of the quickest yet still tasty meals you all can enjoy.

A glimpse of just some of the ingredients in this recipe including sriracha. If you don’t want it spicy at all skip the sriracha but it does give the salad dressing a nice little kick.

ingredients

It’s not colseslaw!

While this salad is made with cabbage it’s nothing like a coleslaw. I don’t like coleslaw, never have but I LOVE this Vietnamese Chicken Salad. There’s no comparison besides both having cabbage in them they are nothing alike.

Let’s get onto the recipe and watch for my tips on ways to change it up a bit and to cut down on prep time if you’re short on time.

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Vietnamese Chicken Salad – Goi Ga

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: Large salad for 4-6
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Scale

Ingredients

Salad

  • 3 Chicken Breasts – cooked any way you want, grilled, baked, roasted etc.
  • 1/2-whole large cabbage – can be red, green etc.. or mix them like I do
  • Tip#1 if you’re short on time you can buy a bag of mixed cabbage already shredded – no chopping for you to do
  • 2 carrots, peeled, cut into matchstick size
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1 cup fresh Thai basil or if you can’t find that regular basil or fresh coriander
  • 1/2 cup of peanuts
  • Chili Flakes optional

Vietnamese Dressing

  • 1/3 cup lime juice
  • 1/3 cup fish sauce (don’t worry the salad will not taste “fishy”) add a bit less if this is your first time trying
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Sriracha to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar (optional) some people like a bit of sweetness I don’t use the sugar but some of my guess like it with

Instructions

Vietnamese Dressing

  1. Whisk lime juice and fish sauce together. If adding sriracha do so now, then sugar (if adding) until sugar is dissolved. Add crushed garlic

Salad

  1. Shred Chicken and place it in a large salad bowl with all the cabbage, carrots, mint and Thai basil
  2. Toss salad.
  3. You can either add the dressing to the entire bowl or serve the salad and add dressing to each individual bowl. If adding to entire bowl add just before serving. Add half of the dressing and see if you like the strength the dressing. Add more as needed
  4. Top with crushed peanuts and add a bit more of the freshly chopped mint and Thai basil
  5. Add chili flakes if desired
  6. Serve

Notes

Remember you can cut your time quite a bit if you’re good with buying a bag of cut cabbage like ones used for coleslaw.
Any cabbage will do but we like the look of different coloured cabbages
If it’s the first time you’ve had this dressing, try a bit first and see if you like it a bit sweeter (add sugar) or spicier (add sriracha)

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The salad before I’ve added dressing and peanuts. If you think you’ll eat all of it add dressing to the entire bowl if not see below.

salad bowl

Easy Vietnamese Chicken Salad Recipe

So easy right? It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken or you can cook the chicken any way you want. Although my favourite chicken on this salad is either roasted chicken or grilled chicken. Between the vegetables, fresh herbs and the chicken it’s not only a healthy recipe but so delicious. The flavour combination is delectable and oh so refreshing. The salad even with the dressing on it will keep for a couple of days. If you make extras like we tend to I don’t add the dressing all the salad. I add it to our individual servings so that I can keep the rest of the salad and eat throughout the week. I know I always make too much but these are leftovers I really like especially on a hot day when I don’t want to turn an oven on.

vietnamese chicken salad 13

Don’t forget if you’re looking for some fabulous chicken recipe ideas to head on over to the Chicken Farmers of Canada website. They’ve also got helpful food safety tips, how to cook chicken and how Canadian chicken is raised. For example did you know that Canadian chicken is grain fed, free of hormones and steroids? We always look for Raised by a Canadian Farmer logo on the chicken we buy. Fortunately our local stores always carry it, if yours doesn’t have the logo talk to your store’s manager and ask for it.

vietnamese chicken salad goi ga green

If you try this recipe out make sure to let us know how you liked it. make sure to also check out some of our other yummy chicken recipes like these:

Baked Honey Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Honey Teriyaki Chicken Wings banner 3

For the latest information, news and contests make sure to go to Canadian Chicken Farmers site HERE.

Connect with the Chicken Farmers of Canada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. 

Disclosure: I am participating in the Chicken Farmers of Canada campaign managed by SJ Consulting. I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Comments

  2. Great looking salad! And the wings look amazing too. Thanks for linking up for Friday Favorites. I’m featuring you this week.

    Reply

  4. Your Chicken Salad looks awesome, thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday! Have a great week and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

  6. That sounds so delicious, especially with the lime, Thai basil and mint dressing. Can’t wait to try it

    Reply

  8. This looks so good and since I’m late learning to like cabbage, I’m always looking or recipes that use it.

    Reply

  9. like this different version of a chicken salad . The lime,mint and Thai basil should makes it taste fresh.

    Reply

  13. This looks so good! I love chicken. Its about the only meat I eat, so its great to have new recipes to try.

    Reply

  15. I have enjoyed this dish in restaurants but never thought of trying to make it myself. I love the mix of flavors and ingredients in this recipe. Light and refreshing.

    Reply

  17. That looks delicious! The only thing I would change is using a different hot sauce, because I’m not a fan of Sriracha. I know, I’m in the minority!

    Reply

  18. I have all the ingredients except fish sauce. Will get some tomorrow and will make this soon! Looks delicious!

    Reply

  19. This salad looks and sounds amazing. It would be a great salad to have on a hot summer day. It sounds so refreshing.

    Reply

  20. yummy! this salad looks so good. I would love to try this out, and even make it with a peanut sauce. Ty for sharing!

    Reply

  21. I guess the dressing is what makes it Vietnamese. I’ve never had any Vietnamese food, and that is definitely different than anything I would have come up with.

    Reply

  22. That Chicken Salad sounds amazing. It would be great on a hot summer night as it sounds filling. What and interesting and diverse group of items.

    Reply

  24. This salad looks delicious!!! I love chicken salads and Vietnamese food so I’m positive I’ll love this recipe!! I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply

  25. This sounds wonderful! It is getting the time of year for lighter dinners, and this looks perfect for a busy wam evening.

    Reply

  27. The salad sounds really good. In the mid 70s, a Vietnamese family moved in down the street from us & their Mom cooked some of the best food I’ve ever tried. That was my introduction to fish sauce!

    Reply

  28. This chicken salad sounds way better than the traditional recipe with mayo to me! I will eat chicken salad with grapes but only once in a while, it tends to be a heavy meal. This recipe sounds refreshing and just good! Also I love Sriracha sauce, i always have it in the fridge!

    Reply

  29. I’m a big fan of Vietnamese (and Thai food) and this looks like it would be a regular meal at my house. I think I’ll make it even more of a time saver and pick up a roasted chicken at the store. Thanks for the recipe, I’m saving it.

    Reply

  31. I think my mom would really like this recipe! She’s a big fan of Chinese chicken salad, so this seems like a nice alternative!

    Reply

  39. So great looking! Spring is the time for new salads, and this one looks amazing! Pinned and planned thank you!

    Reply

  47. Wow this looks really healthy and good. and quick i like the addition of peanuts i think will give some good flavor.. i’m going to print this out and try this weekend thanks for sharing

    Reply

  48. Vietnamese Chicken Salad has a lot of healthy ingredients and would be a wonderful lunch for me. I would have a bowl of soup with it also.

    Reply

  50. During the summer I keep cooking to a minimal so sandwiches and salads are a go-to. I have never tried the Vietnamese Salad but the cabbages blended with the other ingredients sound like a healthy yet filling salad.Plus it’s great to have a new salad to present to my family .I’ve never used mint in my salad at all so it definitely will be a new twist.

    Reply

  51. I’m constantly on the look-out for new recipes. I want healthy recipes (especially for my daughter and myself – my husband won’t eat most of the healthy things). My daughter and I especially love Asian food. I mostly cook Japanese, but am trying to incorporate more foods from other Asian cultures. I’m definitely going to have to try this.

    Reply

  53. I will try to make this Vietnamese Chicken Salad this month. I am not a creative cook but this looks so amazing that I will try to
    surprise my husband by making it.

    Reply

  54. I love asian dish, especially Vietnamese! Thanks for sharing, I have most ingredients except fish sauce. I got to run to asian market tomorrow!

    Reply

  55. This sounds delicious!! I love chicken salad and this version seems so light and perfect for Summertime! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  60. Chicken Salad is one of my favorite foods. Once I went to every restaurant in town trying their chicken salad sandwiches. This sounds very different but delicious and healthier.

    Reply

  61. That doesn’t sounds bad. I may try it. When I think of chicken salad, I think of it mixed with mayo, onion, celery and having it as a sandwich. This sounds much lighter and healthier.

    Reply

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