Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga) From Rotisserie Chicken

Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga) from rotisserie chicken is an easily prepared cabbage salad, made with lots of fresh herbs, topped with peanuts and fried shallots, and dressed  with a sweet, spicy, tart dressing. I’ve been addicted to this for about 30 years.

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Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga) from rotesserie chicken is one of the best salads ever.

There is hardly a better summer salad than Goi Ga, also known as Vietnamese Chicken Salad.

 If I were to choose my favorite ethnic food, Vietnamese would be it, without a doubt!

For as long as I’ve been devouring Vietnamese food, I’ve been craving this authentic Goi Ga recipe.

I order it winter or summer, but I always order it. Unless of course, I make my own.

 It’s a super quick and simple salad to make and is easily made with store-bought rotisserie chicken, which is what I used last night.

Ordinarily poached chicken breasts are used, but not heating the kitchen has its rewards; especially when one has a home with just a swamp cooler and no AC.

Why I Love Goi Ga

I love Goi Ga not because it is so easy to make, but because it tastes great.

Of course, easy to make is an added benefit!

One bite leads to the next and with the contrast of flavors this salad becomes addicting.

Quick and easy to throw together, and with a spicy sweet lime nuoc cham sauce; I know the whole family will love it.

Ingredients in Vietnamese Chicken Salad or Goi Ga

Vietnamese Chicken Salad is loaded with the flavor of fresh herbs.

Mint, basil and cilantro to be exact.

No lettuce greens in this, but crunchy cabbage, that I also buy at the grocery in bags labeled angel hair cabbage. 

I said this salad was easy and I wasn’t joking!

Throw in some shredded carrots which I guess I could have bought too, but didn’t. I actually shred them myself because they taste better.

Using my easy mandoline, I sliced some red onion, chopped some peanuts, and got out my container of crispy fried shallots.

I buy these for a few bucks at Great Wall Supermarket. They give great flavor and crunch to this salad.

If you don’t have them, substitute fried onion rings in a can. Just make sure they are in tiny pieces!

Ingredients in Nuoc Cham Sauce

Nuoc Cham is traditionally used, as  common dipping sauce in Vietnam.

This sweet, sour, and spicy sauce is the one that Vietnamese egg rolls are dipped into, as well as soft shell crab or anything fried.

It is the dressing for this salad and many others. You will love it.

Tasting tart from fresh lime juice and sweet from sugar and sweet chili sauce, lots of fresh garlic, and a touch of chili flakes, I think it was this sauce that made me fall in love with Vietnamese cuisine.

• Freshly squeezed lime juice: Fresh lime juice is essential for flavor and to balance the spice with the sweet.
• Minced garlic cloves
• Fish sauce: The main ingredient of Nuoc Cham and the salty element of the sauce. Kind of like soy sauce is to Japanese or Chinese cuisine; fish sauce is to Vietnamese. There are many varieties of fish sauce and just like any food, some are better than others. ​If you are new to fish sauce make sure to buy fish sauce from the country your recipe hails from. In other words, I find Thai fish sauce tastes different than Vietnamese fish sauce. ​Every country seems to have its own nuance and that applies to all products I buy. I prefer 3 Crabs or Red Boat. There is a huge taste difference from one brand to another.
• Water: Adds volume 
• Sugar
• Red chili flakes: For that spicy kick!
• Sweet chili sauce: Mae Ploy is preferred

Key Ingredients for Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga) from Rotisserie Chicken

•  Angel Hair Cole Slaw or shredded cabbage:  Use green cabbage, Savoy or Napa cabbage.
• Shredded Carrots:  I prefer to grate my own rather than using bagged. Fresh grated carrots are sweeter and more moist.
• Bermuda onion
• Chopped cilantro: Rau ram (Vietnamese coriander) also works and is a very popular herb in Southeast Asia.
• Mint leaves: Yes, they are needed in the salad. Lucky I have a lot in my garden!
• Fresh basil leaves: If you have Thai basil, so much the better!
• Whole Rotisserie Chicken: I used both breasts and tore them into shreds. (No chopping!)
• Coarsely chopped peanuts: Used to garnish the salad
• Fried Shallots 

​Other Ingredients 

• Shrimp Chips: To serve with the salad. I prefer 3 Ladies or Sa Giang.

How To Make Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga) from Rotisserie Chicken

• Make the Nuoc Cham dressing. Combine all ingredients and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, onion, and half of the cilantro, mint, and basil. Top with torn chicken breast and sprinkle with the rest of the ingredients – herbs, peanuts, and shallots. 
• ​I serve the Nuoc Cham separately so that each diner can dress the salad the way they prefer. I also serve this with fried shrimp chips as they do in the restaurant we visit. Pile a big bite of salad on each shrimp chip, add a spoonful of Nuoc Cham, and enjoy! (See above)
• I prefer to serve Vietnamese chicken salad while it is fresh. If it sits too long the flavors blend together and you can’t pick up the nuances of each.

How To Cook Shrimp Chips

I love serving this traditional Vietnamese chicken salad with shrimp chips, just as they do in the restaurants we visit. 

For some reason, I had a hard time finding them in the Asian market.

Finally, Alex picked up 5 boxes in Vietnam and brought them home to me. Turns out they are sold in small boxes, and are not fried. It is you who does the frying!

However, I figured out a way to avoid deep frying. Just spray the chips with cooking spray, place them on a paper plate, cover them with another paper plate, and heat for 45 seconds. 

I did try weighting them to see if they would come out flat, but they still formed a cute little cup. 

These made wonderful, airy, crispy chips. No muss, no fuss!

He came home with cuttlefish, shrimp, and fish chips-you name it! 

 Shrimp chips don’t really taste like shrimp. Well, I didn’t notice. 

But the crisp texture with a touch of salt really adds to the dish. 

And after they soak up the sauce, they taste so good!

​Perfect to place a few bites of chicken salad on! 

If you can find them, try them. Kind of like a Vietnamese tortilla chip!

I also recently discovered shrimp chips in a bag, sold just like potato chips. They are good!

FAQ’s

Gỏi Gá or Vietnamese Chicken Salad is one of the most popular recipes here at TIHIC.

One bite of this Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga) from rotisserie chicken and you will know why.

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Vietnamese Grilled Chicken

Vietnamese Grilled Pork Noodle Bowl

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