My Vietnamese Noodle Bowls are a version of traditional Vietnamese bún. It’s a cold salad with rice noodles, grilled chicken, fresh vegetables and herbs, topped with an addictive tangy rice vinegar dressing and crunchy roasted peanuts.
I originally saw this recipe several years ago on Vietnamese-Style Noodle Bowls with Chicken from Simply Recipes and have since adapted it to my family’s tastes.
This is one of our go-to noodle dishes in the summer! It is so refreshing, it’s a complete meal in a bowl, and is great to pack for meal prep (If there are any leftovers)! The textures and flavors are so satisfying. The soft noodles, crisp veggies, tangy dressing, smoky grilled chicken, and crunchy peanuts covers all the bases!
Tips For a Great Noodle Bowl
Dressing:
The dressing is almost the same as your traditional Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Sauce). You want to make sure you use seasoned rice vinegar for this recipe. If you use plain rice vinegar, just add a bit more sugar and salt to taste. You want it tangy, not tart.
Noodles:
You can find rice vermicelli noodles at most grocery stores or your local Asian market. Make sure you follow the directions on how to make the noodles – most are usually soaked in hot water for 3-5 minutes, then drained. You want to rinse them in cold water right away to stop the cooking process. The noodles should have a nice bite to them. No one wants to eat soggy noodles!
Vegetables:
The great thing with many Asian dishes is the flexibility. You do not have to use the exact same vegetables that I have on my list. Use what you like, have available and is fresh at your market. As long as you have about 3-4 cups of vegetables, you will have enough for 4 servings.
Try to go for color and texture – you want your noodle bowl to look appealing!
Prep Tips:
To save time, you can make the dressing ahead of time and prep all of the veggies earlier in the day. Then, when you are ready to eat, you just have to grill the chicken and cook the noodles, and assemble!
How to Make Vietnamese Noodle Bowls
Make the dressing:
Combine the dressing ingredients in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring often. Heat just until the dressing begins to bubble, then remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the noodle bowl.
Chicken:
Combine the hoisin and oyster sauce in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken with the sauce.
Heat the grill to medium, oil the grates, and add the chicken. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side until the internal temperature is 165°F.
Remove chicken from heat and tent for 5 minutes before slicing.
Noodle Bowl:
Prepare all of your vegetables and set aside.
Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse in a colander.
Divide the noodles equally into 4 bowls. Arrange the vegetables around each bowl, adding the sliced grilled chicken. Drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the dressing. Garnish with cilantro and chopped peanuts. Serve with a lime wedge and extra dressing on the side.
You May Also Like
Vietnamese Noodle Bowls
Ingredients
Ingredients:
Dressing:
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- ½ cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 tsp. Fresh grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
Chicken:
- 1 lb. boneless chicken thighs or breasts
- 2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce I prefer vegetarian oyster sauce
Noodle Bowl:
- 8 oz. rice vermicelli noodles
- 1 carrot julienned or grated
- ½ cup fresh bean sprouts
- ½ cup cucumber cut into matchsticks
- ½ cup purple cabbage thinly sliced
- ½ cup microgreens
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 fresno chile thinly sliced (can use jalapeño)
- 3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup dry roasted peanuts coarsely chopped
- 1 lime quartered, for garnish
Instructions
Instructions:
Make the dressing:
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring often. Heat just until the dressing begins to bubble, then remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the noodle bowl.
Chicken:
- Combine the hoisin and oyster sauce in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken with the sauce.
- Heat the grill to medium and add the chicken. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side until the internal temperature is 165°F.
- Remove chicken from heat and tent for 5 minutes before slicing.
Noodle Bowl:
- Prepare all of your vegetables and set aside.
- Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse in a colander.
- Divide the noodles equally into 4 bowls. Arrange the vegetables around each bowl, adding the sliced grilled chicken. Drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the dressing. Garnish with cilantro and chopped peanuts. Serve with a lime wedge and extra dressing on the side.