Nuoc Cham Chicken Salad is what happens when Vietnamese funk meets weeknight pragmatism.
This is the chicken salad that converts the mayo skeptics. Lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, and bird's-eye chile build a spicy-funky dressing that gets just enough mellowing from mayo to hold the shredded rotisserie chicken together. Serve it in lettuce cups with fresh herbs and fried shallots, or fold it into sourdough for tomorrow's work lunch. The dressing does the heavy lifting — the chicken just shows up.
🍴 INGREDIENTS: • ¼ cup fresh lime juice • ¼ cup mayonnaise • 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. fish sauce (or more) • 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. granulated sugar • 1 large shallot, finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated • 1 small red Thai chile, very thinly sliced, or ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes • 3–4 cups shredded skinless chicken meat (from about 1 small rotisserie chicken) • Little Gem and/or butter lettuce leaves (for serving) • Mint and/or basil leaves (for serving) • Store-bought fried shallots (for serving) • Lime wedges (for serving)
🥄 METHOD: 1. Whisk lime juice, mayonnaise, fish sauce, and sugar in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. 2. Mix in shallot, garlic, and chile. Let dressing sit at room temperature at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld, or cover and chill up to 2 hours. 3. Add shredded chicken to dressing and toss to coat. Taste and add more fish sauce if needed. 4. Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter and spoon chicken salad over. 5. Top with mint and/or basil leaves and fried shallots. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Save this for your next weeknight dinner shortcut.
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