Vietnamese-Inspired Chicken Herb Salad (with Chili Lime Dressing)
This Vietnamese-inspired chicken salad swaps out lettuce for whole leaves of mint and basil, tossed with shredded rotisserie chicken, crunchy red bell pepper, cucumber, and peppery arugula (all my favorite things). A spicy lime dressing brings it all together, and chopped peanuts and crispy fried shallots take it over the top. It's gluten-free, it's on the table in 25 minutes, and the only thing you actually have to cook is the shallots.
Why This Salad Works
Few aromas wake up my senses faster than a big handful of fresh mint and basil. Instead of using the herbs as a garnish, this salad uses whole leaves as part of the greens, providing a fresh flavor in every bite.
The prep is refreshingly simple. There's no cabbage to shred or carrots to julienne. All you need to slice is a bell pepper and half a cucumber, and shredded rotisserie chicken makes the salad satisfying enough for dinner.
Nicki's Tip: If you've never fried shallots before, they take only minutes to make, and the result is like a mini onion ring with a savory crunch. Store-bought crispy shallots work in a pinch, but the homemade version is worth it if you have the time!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Rotisserie chicken: shred it while it's still hot from the store and it practically falls apart in your hands (discard the skin and bones). Discard the skin and bones, and save any extra meat for sandwiches or quesadillas.
- Baby arugula or watercress: the peppery counterweight to all those herbs. Watercress is sharper, arugula is easier to find.
- Fresh mint: Leave the small leaves whole and gently tear any especially large leaves.
- Fresh basil: Its subtly sweet flavor balances the sharper mint.
- Red bell pepper: sliced as thinly as you can manage, for crunch and a touch of sweetness.
- English cucumber: juicy and cooling, and it keeps the bowl from feeling heavy. No peeling, no seeding.
- Roasted salted peanuts or cashews: chopped coarsely, so you get actual texture and not peanut dust.
- Shallots: two large ones, fried until golden. They're delicious on their own or as a garnish to fried rice, stir fries, salads and roasted veggies (try them on these roasted Brussels sprouts with mushrooms).
- Neutral oil: grapeseed or safflower for frying, plus a bit more for the dressing.
- Lime juice, garlic, honey, fish sauce and fresh chile: these come together into my Vietnamese-inspired chili lime dressing, which is a bright, savory dressing with a touch of sweetness and heat.
Recipe Variations
- Go for shrimp. Cooked shrimp is fantastic here in place of the chicken. Leftover grilled steak or pork works too.
- Change up the crunchy bits. Sugar snap peas, julienned carrots or thinly sliced radishes can stand in for the pepper and cucumber (or pile in alongside them).
- Adjust the heat. Use jalapeño instead of serrano for something gentler, or a pinch of red pepper flakes if that's what's in the cupboard. I usually go with half a chile, which is mild enough for my kids.
- Skip the frying. Store-bought crispy fried shallots are a great weeknight shortcut.
- Make it a slaw. If you're after the cabbage version, swap the arugula for finely shredded napa cabbage and add a handful of snap peas.
How to Make Vietnamese-Inspired Chicken Salad
Step 1: Make the dressing. Combine the lime juice and grated garlic in a small bowl, and if you've got the time, let it sit for 5 minutes to mellow out the garlic. Whisk in the oil, honey, fish sauce and sliced chile, adding the fish sauce gradually and tasting as you go (some brands are much more pungent than others).
Step 2: Set yourself up before you turn on the heat. Place a strainer over a bowl and line a plate with paper towels. Frying moves quickly, so you'll want to have everything ready before you begin.
Step 3: Fry the shallots. Heat about ¼ inch of oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium until it shimmers, then drop in a single shallot slice. If it bubbles immediately, you're good to go. Add the rest and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. A few darker bits are totally fine. And if your instincts are telling you the heat is too high, turn it down-trust yourself!
Step 4: Drain and salt. Pour the shallots through the strainer, then get them onto the paper towels right away and season with salt. They'll seem a little soft at first, but they'll crisp up as they cool, so don't panic. Hang onto that oil in the bowl (more on this below).
Step 5: Assemble. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, bell pepper, cucumber, arugula, mint, basil and peanuts, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over top and toss gently (hands work great here).
Step 6: Sprinkle the crispy shallots over the salad and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Slice the shallots thin. A mandoline makes quick work of it, but a sharp knife and a little patience will get you there. Thick slices go soft in the middle instead of crisp.
- Taste the dressing on a leaf, not off a spoon. Fish sauce is way saltier on its own than it is once it's coating something.
- Leave the smaller herb leaves whole and gently tear any especially large leaves. Chopping can bruise the herbs and cause the edges to darken more quickly.
- Save the shallot oil! Let the oil cool, then strain it through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean, dry jar. Refrigerate it for up to 4 days, or freeze it for longer storage. It's delicious in scrambled eggs, fried rice, or vinaigrettes.
- If you're sensitive to raw garlic (like me!), infuse the lime juice instead. Let 2 smashed garlic cloves sit in the juice for 10 minutes, then remove them before making the dressing. You'll get the garlic flavor without the sharper bite.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- This salad is best right after it's dressed, when the herbs are at their brightest. That said, leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. The herbs will darken, and things will soften, but it will still taste freaking delicious.
- If you want to get ahead, the components hold up much better on their own than the finished salad does:
- The dressing keeps for up to 1 week in the fridge. There's no emulsifier in it, so give the jar a shake before using.
- The crispy shallots hold at room temperature for up to 1 day. Don't refrigerate them or they'll soften too much.
- The chicken and vegetables can be shredded and sliced a day ahead and stashed in the fridge.
- Toss everything together with the herbs, dressing and crispy shallots just before serving for the freshest flavor and texture.
Recipe FAQs
It is! Every component is naturally gluten free. The one thing worth a quick label check is your fish sauce-most brands are nothing but anchovies and salt, but a few sneak in wheat. Red Boat is my go-to and it's gluten free.
Absolutely. You can replace the fish sauce with gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos. The dressing won't have quite the same savory depth, but it will still be delicious.
Yes! You can find crispy shallots at Asian markets and many well-stocked grocery stores. Homemade shallots have a fresher flavor and especially light crunch, but store-bought work beautifully in a pinch.
Watercress is the closest swap and gives you that same peppery kick. Baby spinach works in a pinch, though it's much milder, so you might want a little extra chile in the dressing to make up for it.
This fresh, crunchy salad is one I'll be making all summer long. If you give it a try, I'd love to hear how it turns out in the comments below!
P.S. More Vietnamese-Inspired Recipes:
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Vietnamese-Inspired Chicken Herb Salad
Ingredients
Spicy Lime Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 3 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce or to taste (I use Red Boat Brand)
- ½-1 serrano chile or Fresno chile depending on how spicy you like it, thinly sliced
Fried Shallots
- Neutral vegetable oil (such as grapeseed or safflower)
- 2 large shallots, very thinly sliced
Salad
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie (or leftover) chicken
- 1 small red bell pepper, very thinly sliced
- ½ medium English cucumber, halved and very thinly sliced
- 2 cups baby arugula or watercress
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup coarsely chopped roasted peanuts or cashews
Instructions
Make the dressing
- In a small bowl, combine the lime juice and garlic. If you have the time, let this sit for 5 minutes to mellow out the garlic. Whisk in the oil, honey, fish sauce (to taste-some brands are more pungent than others) and chiles to taste (this will depend on how spicy you like it; I usually do half a chile, which is mild enough for my kids).
Make the crispy shallots
- Set a strainer over a bowl (this will be to drain the shallots later) and line a plate with paper towels.
- Heat ¼-inch of oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add a single shallot to the hot oil-if it starts bubbling immediately, you're good to go. Add all of the shallots and cook, stirring constantly-if your instincts are telling you that the heat is too high, then turn it down (trust yourself!). Cook until golden brown (it's okay if there are some darker bits), about 4-6 minutes. Drain the shallots in the strainer over the bowl; immediately transfer them to paper towels to drain; and season with salt. The shallots will crisp up as they cool. Do Ahead: The crispy shallots can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.
Assemble the salad
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, red pepper, cucumber, arugula or watercress, mint, basil and chopped peanuts. Season the salad with salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over top and toss to combine. Garnish the salad with the fried shallots, and serve.
Notes
- It's much easier to shred a rotisserie chicken when it's still hot from the store (discard the skin and bones). You likely won't need the whole chicken, so use leftovers in salads, quesadillas, sandwiches, etc.
- The salad would also be delicious with cooked shrimp in place of the chicken.
- If you're sensitive to raw garlic (like me!), then combine the lime juice with 2 smashed garlic cloves and let sit for 10 minutes (this will infuse the lime juice with garlic flavor but will remain gentle on the stomach). Remove the garlic cloves and continue with the recipe as directed.
- Feel free to swap out the bell pepper and cucumber for any other crunchy veggies you like, such as sugar snap peas, julienned carrots and/or radishes.
- You can use jalapeño or red pepper flakes in place of the serrano chiles.
- If you're tight on time, you can swap out the homemade crispy fried shallots for store-bought fried shallots.
