One of my favorite things to get at a Vietnamese restaurant aside from Phò, is the Vietnamese rice noodle bowl. They’re light, fresh and packed with so much flavor.
Rice noodles paired with your favorite protein, packed with a ton of fresh vegetables drowned in a sweet tangy, slightly spicy sauce.
I’m a HUGE fan of Asian cuisine. Like obsessed. If you go out to eat with me, 9/10 I’m recommending Asian food. So in attempts to be wise with my spending, I’ve made It a point to recreate my favorite dishes at home. It’s a fun way to explore and get creative in the kitchen. Recreating some of your favorite cuisines. I encourage you to try it. And once you get it down packed, there’s nothing better than being able to whip up you favorite dish in minutes! Love that for me.
Let’s Begin
The dressing is the star of the show. Known as Nuoc Cham. A versatile Vietnamese dressing/dipping sauce. It’s a combination of garlic, fish sauce, Thai chilis, sugar and vinegar. But of course I had to put my own twist on it. I made an elevated version of the original using a combination of fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, garlic, Thai chilis fresh citrus, cilantro, green onions and shallots. It was delicious. You can put this dressing on ANYTHING. I made about 1/2 of a mason jar and it was nearly gone by the end of dinner lol So good!
What you’ll need
vermicelli noodles– I recommend using a thin noodle so its quicker to cook and it soaks up the dressing well.
choice of protein- Normally this is served with a lemongrass chicken. But I didn’t have lemongrass. So I made a quick garlic chicken in the air fryer. This dish is great with chicken, beef, pork, shrimp etc.
fresh veggies– Fill this bowl up with your fav veggies. typically it’s served with pickled carrots and daikon, tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, and cilantro. But feel free to pair your favorite fresh veggies.
Vietnamese dressing – known as Nuoc Cham. A combination of water, sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. I created an elevated version for crazy flavor.
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your thoughts!
Vietnamese Noodle Bowl
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
Garlic Chicken
- Chicken breast or chicken thighs
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
Dressing (Nuoc Cham)
- 1/3 cup fish sauce
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp garlic chili paste or thinly sliced Thai chilis
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 limes juice
- 1/4 cup green onions chopped, optional
- 1/2 shallot thinly sliced, optional
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped, optional
To Assemble
- Vermicelli Noodles
- chopped lettuce
- tomatoes sliced
- carrots julienned
- cilantro optional
- cucumbers julienned
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine chicken ingredients- fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, neutral oil, minced garlic and white pepper. Add in cleaned chicken breast or thighs. Mix until coated. Cover and marinade for at least 30 minutes.
Dressing (Nuoc Mam Cham)
- In a mason jar, combine fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, warm water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add in Thai chili paste, minced garlic, lime juice, shallots, cilantro, and green onions. Put on lid and shake until combined. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook vermicelli rice noodles according to the package. about 4-6 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Add chicken to a preheated air fryer. Cook on 380 for 13-15 minutes flipping half way through. Brush some of the the remaining marinade to baste the chicken, before finishing in the air fryer.
- While the chicken is cooking prep/chop whatever vegetables you want to use- lettuce, cilantro, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, mint etc.
- Assemble the bowl by adding cooked vermicelli noodles. Top with grilled chicken, vegetables and additional garnishes. Serve with the sauce and enjoy!
Did you make it?
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