Goi Ga Recipe - Vietnamese Chicken Salad

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When spring rolls around and the weather starts to heat up here in San Diego, my cravings shift from warm hearty soups to refreshing summer salads.  One of the first dishes we make in our household is Goi Ga.

What is Goi Ga?

Gỏi Gà Bắp Cải, or Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad, is a slaw-type salad topped with shredded chicken and a mix of brightly flavored herbs.

The salad is tossed with Nuoc Mam Cham, a salty, tangy, sweet and spicy dressing that is the heartbeat of Vietnamese cuisine.  It's then finished off with a sprinkling of crushed peanuts and crispy fried shallots.

Goi Ga makes the perfect side salad or a light meal. It has a wonderful array of textures and refreshing flavors, not to mention, it's also healthy and easy on the waistline. I can indulge on Vietnamese Chicken Salad without feeling guilty.

Prepping the Ingredients for Vietnamese Chicken Salad

The beauty of this Goi Ga recipe is that you can prepare all the ingredients in advance. When it’s time to eat, it's just a matter of assembling it to your taste.

Finely shred the cabbage and carrots by hand or in a food processor. Cut the onion in half through the root then thinly slice into half circles. Pluck the cilantro and mint leaves off the stem and roughly chop. Last but not least, crush or chop the peanuts.

For the shallots, if I have time, I'll fry them myself but I typically buy them already fried. Fried shallots are used in a lot of recipes so I always have a container in my pantry.

For the shredded chicken, I cheat a little but in a good way.  You can thank me for this later! When I buy a whole rotisserie chicken from Costco, I always plan on making Vietnamese Chicken Salad the next day and use leftover breast meat in the salad.

Shred up the chicken breast by hand into bite-sized pieces, toss it in the Goi Ga and no one will know.  This is the perfect way to use leftover rotisserie chicken.

Of course, you could always poach fresh chicken breast yourself. Just be careful not to overcook it as chicken breast tends to get dry very quickly. Allow it to cool then shred into small pieces.

In our home, we always have to find clever ways to use leftover white meat. Putting it in Vietnamese Chicken Salad always gets gobbled up. Another way we use leftover white meat is in Taiwanese Cold Noodles (Liang Mian), also a warm weather delight.

Toppings for Goi Ga

The toppings I use in this Vietnamese Chicken Salad recipe are quite standard - white onions, mint, cilantro, peanuts and fried shallots. However, some other popular toppings include Vietnamese Coriander (rau răm), red onions and scallions.  

My only suggestion is - don’t be shy with the toppings. Be generous with the herbs (mint/coriander/rau răm), peanuts and shallots. They're the ingredients that really elevate this Goi Ga recipe. The herbs add a refreshing element and the peanuts and fried shallots add an aromatic boost.

Putting Together Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Once the ingredients are prepped, it's super easy to put Goi Ga together. In a large salad bowl, toss together the shredded cabbage and carrots. Top with a layer of shredded chicken, sliced onion, mint, and cilantro.

Drizzle nuoc cham over the top and toss to combine. Add more nuoc cham if necessary and top with peanuts and fried shallots right before serving.

I recommend dressing only what you're able to finish. The prepped ingredients store well in the fridge so there's no need to make a large portion at a time. Goi Ga tastes best when it's freshly dressed and consumed right away.

I like to toss the cabbage and carrots together in a food storage bag. And I keep the toppings (white onions, mint and cilantro) together in a separate container. I also keep the shredded chicken in its own container.

Whenever you're in the mood for Vietnamese Chicken Salad, it'll come together in no time!

I hope you like our Goi Ga Recipe. If you're looking for another refreshing summer treat, you might also like our Che Sam Bo Luong recipe.