Vietnamese Slaw with Salted Cabbage and Shredded Chicken
Last updated on October 13th, 2026
This Vietnamese slaw is the one I make when I want a cabbage salad with real punch. The cabbage is salted and left to rest, then tossed with chilli, onion, coriander, mint and shredded chicken in a dressing of lime, garlic, rice wine vinegar and fish sauce. If you want a Vietnamese coleslaw that stays crisp and never turns watery, this is it.
It comes from the same video as my apple and dill slaw, so for the full knife and salting method, see How To Make Better Slaws. Everything you need for this one is below.
What Is Vietnamese Slaw?
Vietnamese slaw is a cabbage salad dressed with lime, vinegar and fish sauce instead of mayonnaise, and packed with fresh herbs and chilli. This version adds shredded chicken and finishes with crushed toasted peanuts. It is a different dish from my Vietnamese chicken salad, which poaches the chicken. Here the cabbage is the star: it is salted first, so it stays crunchy without going watery, and the chicken is a cooked breast pulled into strands the same size as the cabbage.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You need half a white cabbage, two red chillies, half a brown onion, a handful each of coriander and mint, and one chicken breast. The dressing is one lime (zest and juice), one small garlic clove, 80 ml rice wine vinegar, 30 ml fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Finish with crushed toasted peanuts, or crispy shallots, which are the traditional choice. The full amounts are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Vietnamese Slaw
Slice and salt the cabbage
Remove the outer two layers, halve the cabbage and slice it with a knife, starting at the root end so you always have a flat side to turn onto. Keep the slices even. I like them a little thicker for a slaw. Wash the slices in a salad spinner of well salted water for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain and spin them as dry as you can.
Now salt the cabbage properly, but not so much that it turns into sauerkraut. I used around five pinches of coarse sea salt on a whole cabbage. Really work it in with your hands, then leave it for at least an hour, and up to a few hours. This is the most important step, because it lets the cabbage release some of its water and softens its woody raw texture. After about an hour and a half mine had wilted slightly, was still crunchy and had lost its raw edge. Only a little liquid had come out, but that is enough to stop the slaw going soggy.
Prepare the chicken and herbs
Cook the chicken breast gently, let it cool, then pull it into strands about the same size as the cabbage so every forkful is even. Thinly slice two red chillies and half a brown onion. Tear the coriander and mint straight into the bowl with your fingers rather than chopping them, then add the salted cabbage.
Dress and finish
Pour over the dressing below and mix until every ingredient is coated. I use tongs for this one, so the fish sauce does not end up on my hands and the chilli does not get under my nails. Add the crushed toasted peanuts last.
Vietnamese Slaw Dressing
Zest and juice one lime into a bowl, grate in one small clove of garlic, then add 80 ml rice wine vinegar, 30 ml fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of sugar, and mix. The sugar pulls the sharp, salty and sour flavours into balance. If you do not have or like fish sauce, use a light soy sauce instead.
Vietnamese Slaw with Salted Cabbage and Shredded Chicken
Equipment
- Mixing bowl / Bowl
- Chef’s knife
- Chopping board
- Microplane / Fine grater
- Measuring jug
- Measuring spoons
- Citrus juicer
- Salad spinner
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1/2 white cabbage about 450 g, sliced, salted and drained (see video)
- 2 red chillies thinly sliced
- 1/2 brown onion thinly sliced
- Handful of coriander/cilantro
- Handful of mint
- 1 chicken breast cooked and shredded
Dressing
- 1 lime zested and juiced
- 1 small garlic clove grated
- 80 ml / 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 30 ml / 2 tablespoons fish sauce if you don’t like/have fish sauce, then use soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Toppings
- Crispy shallots
- Toasted peanuts
Instructions
- Add half of a sliced cabbage to the bowl (salted and drained – see video)
- Add two thinly sliced red chillies.
- Add half of a thinly sliced brown onion.
- Add a handful of coriander leaves and a handful of mint leaves, picking them apart directly into the bowl.
- Add one cooked chicken breast, shredded into small strands similar in size to the cabbage pieces.
- (To prepare the chicken: gently cook it in a pan with a little oil and salt, let it cool, then shred.)
Prepare the dressing:
- Zest one whole lime into a separate bowl.
- Add the juice from that same lime.
- Grate in one small garlic clove.
- Add 80ml of rice wine vinegar.
- Add 30ml of fish sauce (or light soy sauce as a substitute).
- Add 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Mix well.
- Pour the dressing into the salad bowl.
- Mix everything thoroughly, ensuring the dressing coats all ingredients evenly.
- Finish by adding some crushed toasted peanuts on top. (Optional: crispy shallots can be used instead.)
Video
Nutrition
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