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Tamarind Chili Chicken Salad Bowl

A bright Vietnamese salad bowl built around tamarind, lime, chili, and herbs. Grilled chicken is tossed with a sweet sour savory tamarind glaze and layered over crisp vegetables and fresh herbs for a clean modern bowl with traditional Southeast Asian flavor
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine Vietnamese

Equipment

  • Cutting board & knife
  • Mixing bowl
  • Large skillet
  • Small saucepan
  • Large salad bowl

Ingredients
  

Chicken and Marinade

  • 1.25 lbs boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • One half teaspoon black pepper

Tamarind Chili Glaze

  • 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 small Thai chili sliced
  • Juice of one half lime

Salad Base

  • 3 cups shredded cabbage or romaine
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup cucumber slices
  • One half cup thinly sliced red onion
  • One half cup Thai basil
  • One half cup cilantro
  • One quarter cup mint

Optional Additions

  • Cooked vermicelli noodles
  • Roasted peanuts
  • Crispy shallots

Instructions
 

  • Marinate the chicken with fish sauce soy sauce oil sugar garlic and black pepper for 15 minutes.
  • Whisk together tamarind concentrate water fish sauce sugar garlic chili and lime juice to make the glaze.
  • Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium high and cook the chicken until browned and cooked through.
  • Slice the chicken and toss lightly with a few spoonfuls of the tamarind glaze.
  • Add cabbage carrots cucumber red onion Thai basil cilantro and mint to a large bowl.
  • Add sliced chicken on top.
  • Drizzle with more tamarind glaze.
  • Add peanuts or crispy shallots if using.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

Tamarind concentrate provides classic Vietnamese sweet sour depth without heaviness.
The glaze should taste bright and balanced with a clean sour edge.
Herbs are essential for the salad to feel Vietnamese and modern.
Vermicelli can be added to make the bowl more substantial.
Leftover chicken keeps well and can be used for banh mi or rice bowls.
Keyword chicken vermicelli salad, goi ga, modern Vietnamese, Southeast Asian salad, tamarind chicken, tamarind dressing, Vietnamese chicken salad, Vietnamese salad bowl