Goi Ga — Vietnamese shredded chicken salad with cabbage and rau ram
Goi ga is the salad Vietnamese families make when a poached chicken is already on the table: the meat torn into fine shreds, tossed with crunchy cabbage, carrot and red onion, and showered with rau ram, mint, roasted peanuts and crisp fried shallots. The nuoc cham dressing — fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic and chilli — is poured over at the last minute, so every bite is sour, salty, sweet and hot at once. One serving is about 288 g.
Goi ga belongs to the great family of Vietnamese goi — salads built on shredded vegetables, herbs and a nuoc cham dressing — and it is the one most families make at home, because it starts with a poached chicken. Rau ram, the peppery Vietnamese coriander, is its signature herb, and the dish is traditionally served at family gatherings and Tet, when a whole chicken is poached and the meat is stretched into a salad that feeds a crowd. It is the same idea as the Thai yam salads, but lighter, with cabbage rather than papaya at its base.
Pairs well with: Steamed rice and chicken soup from the poaching liquid
Provenance
Vietnam
Vietnamese Home Cooking
East & South Asia
Time Dedication
45m
25m prep • 20m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
356 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 288 g
Technical Skill
Easy
Easy (No-Cook Assembly)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Prime Metabolic Fit
Dinner
Ideal Hearty Main
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
Vietnamese Home Cooking
Photo: Baoothersks, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)
Made the home way: chicken poached gently and shredded by hand, cabbage sliced fine, dressing mixed fresh and tossed at the last minute.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Fine Shreds and Fresh Herbs
25 Mins • Knife Work
Slice the cabbage as finely as you can — the finer the shred, the better the salad eats — and cut the carrot into matchsticks and the onion into thin half-moons. Soak the onion in cold water for 10 minutes to take the raw edge off, pick the herb leaves, crush the peanuts lightly, and squeeze the limes so everything is ready to toss.
Maestro Tip: Fine shredding is the whole dish — thick cabbage makes a clumsy salad, fine cabbage makes it sing.
20 Mins Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Put the chicken breasts in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a gentle simmer — never a rolling boil. Poach for 18–20 minutes, until the thickest part reaches 74°C (165°F) and the juices run clear. Lift out, rest for 5 minutes, then shred by hand into fine strips. Keep the poaching liquid for soup.
A rolling boil makes the chicken tough and stringy — a lazy simmer keeps it tender.
Done when: Chicken cooked through to 74°C (165°F), shreds easily by hand.
5 Mins Room temperature
Put the shredded cabbage, carrot, red onion and herbs in a large bowl. Sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and toss with your hands, squeezing gently — this softens the cabbage just enough without wilting it.
Salting and squeezing is the Vietnamese trick — it seasons the vegetables from the inside out.
Done when: Cabbage slightly softened but still crunchy.
5 Mins Room temperature
Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, water, garlic and chilli together until the sugar dissolves. Taste it: it should be sour first, then salty, then sweet, with the chilli at the back. Add a squeeze more lime if it tastes flat.
Taste the dressing on its own before it meets the salad — it is much harder to fix afterwards.
Done when: Dressing balanced — sour, salty, sweet, hot.
5 Mins Room temperature
Add the shredded chicken to the bowl, pour over half the dressing, and toss with your hands so every strand is coated. Add more dressing a spoonful at a time until it tastes right — you may not need it all.
Use your hands, not tongs — you can feel when the shreds are evenly coated.
Done when: Everything glossy with dressing, none pooling at the bottom.
10 Mins Serve cool, below 20°C (68°F)
Pile the salad onto a serving plate, scatter the crushed peanuts and fried shallots over the top, and let it rest for 10 minutes so the flavours settle. Serve at once, while the cabbage is still crunchy.
The 10-minute rest is when the flavours marry — but any longer and the cabbage goes soft.
Done when: Salad piled high, peanuts and shallots on top, smelling of lime and herbs.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Toss the salad one final time, scatter the peanuts and fried shallots over the top, and serve it straight away while the cabbage is still crunchy and the dressing is bright.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
356
kcal / serving
Protein
44g
Complete AA
Carbs
21g
Complex
Fats
11g
Healthy
| Energy | 356 kcal |
| Protein | 44 g |
| Carbohydrates | 21 g |
| Fat | 11 g |
| Fibre | 4.2 g |
| Sugar | 12.2 g |
| Sodium | 910 mg |
| Energy | 124 kcal |
| Protein | 15.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7.4 g |
| Fat | 3.7 g |
| Fibre | 1.5 g |
| Sugar | 4.3 g |
| Sodium | 317 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin C and vitamin K (cabbage, herbs), vitamin A (carrot), niacin and vitamin B6 (chicken), folate (peanuts).
Seriously High in Protein
With about 44 g of protein per serving from chicken and peanuts, goi ga is one of the most protein-rich salads in Vietnamese cooking.
A Plate Full of Vegetables
Cabbage, carrot and a big handful of fresh herbs bring fibre, vitamin C and vitamin A to a light, crunchy plate.
Light, Bright and Refreshing
The lime-and-fish-sauce dressing is bright and light, so the salad feels refreshing rather than heavy, even in hot weather.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Sides
Steamed Rice
Plain steamed rice turns the salad into a full meal and soaks up the nuoc cham that pools at the bottom of the plate.
Prawn Crackers
Crisp prawn crackers add crunch and a salty contrast, and they are made for scooping up salad.
Soups
Chicken Soup
A light soup made from the chicken poaching liquid is the traditional partner — nothing from the chicken is wasted.
Drinks
Iced Tea
Unsweetened iced tea or a light lager is the natural drink alongside — cold and clean against the chilli and lime.
Complete menu
Serve goi ga with steamed rice and a bowl of chicken soup made from the poaching liquid, with prawn crackers on the side.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Dressing the Salad Too Early
Dressing the salad too early wilts the cabbage and makes the whole plate watery — toss it just before serving. This is general food guidance, not medical advice.
Leaving the Salad Out
Shredded chicken left at room temperature for hours is a food-safety risk — keep the salad chilled until serving and refrigerate leftovers promptly. This is general food guidance, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Storage & Use
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Cultural Discovery
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