Tastenexa
All recipes
Vietnamese
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Salad
25 min total15 prep10 cook2 servings340 cal
ClassicFlexitarianLow-CarbContains fishContains peanut
Charred lemongrass chicken sliced over a crunchy cabbage and carrot slaw, tossed in a tangy-sweet fish sauce dressing and finished with peanuts, mint, and cilantro. A light, vibrant lunch bowl-salad.
Ingredients
meat
- 300 gchicken thighs
produce
- 2 stalkslemongrass
- 2 clovesgarlic
- 2lime
- 2 cupgreen cabbage
- 1carrot
- 0.25 cupfresh mint
- 0.25 cupfresh cilantro
- 1red chili
pantry
- 3 tbspfish sauce
- 2 tbspsugar
- 0.25 cuproasted peanuts
- 1 tbspvegetable oil
Steps
- Mince the lemongrass (tender inner part only) and garlic; combine with 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, and a little oil to make a marinade.
- Slice the chicken thighs into thin strips, toss with the marinade, and let sit 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, shred the cabbage and julienne the carrot; toss with a pinch of salt and set aside for 5 minutes, then squeeze out excess liquid.
- Whisk together the remaining fish sauce, lime juice, remaining sugar, and minced chili for the dressing.
- Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and cook the marinated chicken 3–4 minutes per side until charred at the edges and cooked through.
- Rest the chicken 3 minutes, then slice into bite-sized strips.
- Toss the cabbage and carrot slaw with about two-thirds of the dressing.
- Pile the dressed slaw onto plates and top with the sliced chicken.
- Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top and scatter with mint, cilantro, and peanuts.
- Serve immediately while the chicken is still warm.
Tips
- Slice the chicken thin before marinating so the lemongrass flavor penetrates quickly.
- Salt the shredded cabbage lightly and let it sit 5 minutes, then squeeze out excess water for a crisper slaw.
- Make the dressing ahead of time — the flavor deepens as the sugar and fish sauce meld with the lime.
- Toast the peanuts briefly in a dry pan for extra crunch and aroma.
