Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Salad

Nashville locals—stop what you’re doing and head to Vui’s Kitchen if you haven’t already! Their original Vui’s salad with lemongrass chicken is one of my favorite things to order when eating out. It’s fresh, flavorful, and feels nourishing without being complicated.

This salad is my homemade version, inspired by Vui’s, and it’s become a favorite with both my family and friends. I love making it year-round because it’s so versatile, especially when I want something light but still satisfying. And since lemongrass isn’t always easy to find, I substitute with lemon zest, which works beautifully.

🛒 Chicken Ingredients (Makes 4–5 servings):

• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos
• 4 garlic cloves
• Zest from 2 lemons (or 2 stalks lemongrass – white tender parts only)
• 1 shallot

🥗 Dressing Ingredients:

• Leaves from 2 bunches cilantro
• 2 jalapeños, seeds removed
• Juice of 4 limes
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

🥒 Salad Ingredients:

• ½ head romaine lettuce (or your favorite greens), chopped
• ½ head green cabbage, chopped
• 1 English cucumber, julienned
• 1 bag shredded carrots
• Extra cilantro leaves, jalapeño slices & sesame seeds for garnish

🔪 Instructions:

1. Marinate the Chicken

I usually start this in the morning so it’s ready to go by dinnertime.

• In a food processor or blender, combine lime juice, fish sauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, soy sauce, garlic, lemon zest, and shallot.
• Blend until smooth.
• Place chicken in a large zip-top bag or bowl, pour marinade over the chicken, and coat evenly.
• Marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, ideally 4–5 hours.

2. Grill the Chicken

• Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
• Grill chicken for about 10 minutes per side, or until golden brown and internal temp reaches 165°F.
• Let rest for a few minutes, then slice into strips.

3. Make the Dressing

• Blend all dressing ingredients until smooth and creamy.
• Taste and adjust salt or lime juice as needed.

4. Assemble the Salad

• In a large bowl, combine romaine, cabbage, cucumber, and shredded carrots.
• Top with grilled chicken, a generous drizzle of dressing, and garnishes like cilantro, sesame seeds, and extra jalapeño slices.

💡 Tips & Substitutions

• If you’re vegetarian, swap chicken for grilled tofu or chickpeas.
• Can’t find lemongrass or lemon zest? Lime zest works in a pinch!
• This is also a great meal prep recipe—store salad, chicken, and dressing separately until ready to eat.

This salad is so fresh and vibrant—it’s easy to see why it’s one of my all-time favorites. If you try it, I’d love to see! Tag me on Instagram @RachelMasterKitchen and use #Rachel.Master.Kitchen so I can see your beautiful creations.

Enjoy, and happy cooking! 🥬🍋🔥

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Salad

Inspired by Vui’s Kitchen in Nashville

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dinner, Lunch

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 Tbs fish sauce
• 1 Tbs maple syrup
• 1 Tbs brown sugar
• 2 Tbs avocado oil or other neutral flavored oil
• 1 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce or Tamari or coconut aminos
• 4 garlic cloves
• Zest from 2 lemons or 2 stalks lemongrass if you can find it, tender white parts only
• 1 shallot
• -Dressing Ingredients:
• 2 bunches Cilantro leaves only
• 2 jalapeño seeds removed
• 4 limes juiced
• 2 Tbs Avocado oil or other neutral flavored oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• -Salad Ingredients:
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce or other favorite greens, chopped
• 1/2 head green cabbage chopped
• 1 English cucumber julienned
• 1 bag shredded carrots
• Cilantro leaves for garnish
• Jalapeño slices for garnish
• Sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

 

• Start by preparing the chicken marinade. I usually do this in the morning so the chicken can marinade all day long. Add lime juice, fish sauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, avocado oil, soy sauce, garlic, lemon zest and shallot to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.
• Add chicken and marinade together in a large ziplock bag. Keep in the fridge for minimum 30 mins. I marinade for about 5 hours.
• When you are ready to cook, preheat grill to medium-high heat. Add chicken to grill once hot and grill on each side for about 10 mins until chicken looks golden brown and temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
• While chicken is cooking, make the dressing by adding the dressing ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add more lime juice or salt to your liking.
• Prepare the salad ingredients.
• When chicken is done, chop into strips.
• Top salad with dressing and chopped chicken.

Keyword Dairy-free, Gluten-free