Somewhere between a salad and a full-blown feast lives this Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Vermicelli Bowl, and honestly, it's the best. The marinade is doing sorcery, the quick pickled veggies add the crunch, and that peanut sauce drizzle is basically a personality trait at this point.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chicken Vermicelli Bowl
- Ingredients You'll Need
- Ways To Switch Up This Vermicelli Bowl
- How To Make Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Vermicelli Bowls
- Tips For The Best Vermicelli Bowl
- How To Store & Reheat
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Asian-Inspired Recipes You'll Love
- 📖 Recipe
- ⭐️ Leave a Review
If all-in-one bowl meals are your love language, you're in good company around here! I've got a few you'll want to bookmark, like my copycat Chipotle chicken burrito bowls, or blackened shrimp taco bowls for easy, taco-night energy. My salmon sushi bowls or pan-seared salmon bowls are delicious if seafood is more your speed, and my chicken and rice bowls with sesame sauce are an easy weeknight option. I'm also obsessed with making bowls using my cashew chicken recipe, and these sweet-and-sour sausages are perfect served over brown rice.
Why You'll Love This Chicken Vermicelli Bowl
- It's bold, fresh, and balanced. Between the smoky grilled chicken, tangy quick pickled veggies, and rich peanut sauce, every bite hits sweet, salty, tangy, and savory notes all at once.
- Meal prep gold. These bowls can be made up to 3 days in advance and enjoyed cold. Just hold off on adding the sauces until you're ready to eat!
- They are completely customizable. Swap the protein, add extra veggies, or serve it over brown rice instead of vermicelli.
- It tastes like restaurant takeout, minus the wait (and the price tag). That fish sauce marinade and homemade peanut sauce are doing some serious work.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Chicken Thighs: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the best because they soak up the marinade perfectly and stay juicy on the grill. Chicken breast can be used too, but it is a little tougher to keep juicy during grilling.
- Fish Sauce: This is the main ingredient of the marinade and gives the chicken a deep umami flavor. If you need a quick substitute, soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar in a 1:1 ratio gets you close to the flavor profile.
- Rice Vermicelli Noodles: Thin, light rice noodles that soak up all the sauce. Look for "rice vermicelli" or "rice stick noodles" at the grocery store.
- Cucumber & Red Onion: These get a quick pickle treatment for added crunch and tang.
- Peanut & Hoisin Sauce: These two sauces together create massive flavor and should not be skipped!
A list of ingredients with quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Ways To Switch Up This Vermicelli Bowl
- Make it spicy: Add a drizzle of sriracha, fresh sliced chilies, or a spoonful of chili crisp.
- Swap the protein: Try with garlic butter shrimp, crispy tofu, air-fried salmon filets, or velveted chicken breast (this is the best option if you don't want to grill).
- Load up on veggies: Shredded carrots, bean sprouts, thinly sliced bell peppers, crispy roasted broccoli, cooked snow peas, or sautéed red cabbage are all great additions.
- Change up the sauce: If peanut sauce isn't your thing, try eel sauce with spicy mayo, or my roasted sesame sauce, teriyaki sauce, or honey garlic sauce instead.
- Go low-carb: Skip the noodles and serve everything over shredded lettuce or cabbage instead.
How To Make Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Vermicelli Bowls
Step 1
Start by whisking together the marinade and adding it to a Ziploc bag with the chicken thighs. Give everything a good squish around the bag so the chicken is fully coated, then let it hang out in the fridge for 2-3 hours to soak up all that incredible flavor.
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Step 2
While the chicken marinates, toss your sliced cucumber and red onion with rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup (or sugar), and salt for a quick pickle. Cover and pop it into the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the flavors have time to mingle.
This is also the perfect time to make the peanut sauce so the flavors have time to fully combine.
Step 3
When you're ready to cook, fire up the grill to 450°F and grill the chicken for 15-20 minutes, flipping regularly, until thoroughly cooked and it hits an internal temperature of at least 165°F. Let it rest under a tent of foil for 5 minutes before slicing into strips.
This is also the perfect time to cook the vermicelli noodles. Cook according to package instructions, then rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking and keep them from clumping.
Step 4
To build the bowls, start with a base of vermicelli noodles, then top with sliced chicken, the quick pickled veggies, microgreens and peanuts.
Step 5
Finish the bowls with a generous drizzle of peanut sauce, hoisin sauce, thinly sliced green onions, and a fresh basil leaf as garnish.
Tips For The Best Vermicelli Bowl
- Pickle the veggies early. The more time the cucumber and onion get to sit, the better they taste.
- Don't skip the resting time. Letting the grilled chicken rest for 5 minutes will lock in all the juices and keep your chicken delicious.
- Rinse the vermicelli noodles under cold water. This stops the cooking and keeps them from turning into a gummy brick. I repeat, do not skip this step!
How To Store & Reheat
The vermicelli bowls can be fully assembled (minus the sauces) and stored in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add the sauces right before serving.
These bowls can be enjoyed cold, but if you prefer, keep the chicken separate and heat it in a frying pan or microwave before adding it to the bowl.
This is not a freezer-friendly recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is the Vietnamese name for these bowls. "Bun" refers to the rice vermicelli noodles, and "ga nuong" means grilled chicken, so the name essentially describes exactly what's in the bowl: grilled chicken with vermicelli noodles.
A 1:1 mixture of soy sauce and rice vinegar will get you close and is the best option. Other options include Worcestershire sauce or coconut aminos.
Yes! If you are just wanting to prep before dinner, prepare and store all of the components separately until you are ready to build the bowls and serve. Or, if you want to meal prep this recipe, build the bowls in individual airtight containers (keeping the sauces on the side) and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If the vermicelli noodles were not completely cooled under cold water after cooking, they will stick together.
Absolutely! Bake the chicken thighs at 400°F on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for about 30 minutes, making sure that the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F. You can also use leftover roast chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken if you're short on time.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Vermicelli Noodle Bowl
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Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Fish Sauce Chicken Marinade
- 8 Chicken Thighs boneless & skinless
- 2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 2 teaspoons Lime Juice
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Ginger Powder
Quick Pickled Veggies
- 1 cup Cucumber thinly sliced
- ½ small Red Onion thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar or Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- Pinch of Salt
Peanut Sauce
- ½ cup Natural Peanut Butter
- ¼ cup Hoisin
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Powder
- ½ teaspoon Sambal Oelek
- ¼ - ½ cup Water
- Lime Juice optional, to taste
Bowl Ingredients & Toppings
- 227 grams Rice Vermicelli Noodles dry
- ⅓ cup Peanuts
- Hoisin Sauce for topping
- 2 Green Onions finely diced
- Microgreens
- Fresh Basil
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, onion powder, avocado oil, black pepper and ginger powder. Place all of the chicken thighs in a large ziptop bag and pour the marinade over top. Give everything a good squish around the bag so the chicken is completely coated with the marinade. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Quick Pickle the Vegetables
- While the chicken marinates, toss your sliced cucumber and red onion with rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt for a quick pickle. Cover and pop it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Make the Peanut Sauce
- This is also a good time to make the peanut sauce. In a tall jar, combine the peanut butter, hoisin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger powder, sambal oelek, water, and lime juice (if using). Blend until smooth with an immersion blender, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.👉 See the full peanut sauce recipe for detailed instructions
Grill the Chicken and Cook the Noodles
- When you're ready to cook, fire up the grill to 450℉ and grill the chicken for 15-20 minutes, flipping regularly, until it is cooked through and hits 165℉ internally. Let it rest under a foil tent for 5 minutes before slicing into strips.
- This is also the perfect window to cook your vermicelli noodles. Cook them according to the package instructions, or add them to a pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes until they are tender. After they are done cooking, rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking and keep them from clumping together.
Assemble the Bowls
- To build the bowls, layer noodles at the bottom, then top with sliced chicken, the quick pickled vegetables, microgreens, and peanuts. Finish everything with a generous drizzle of peanut sauce and hoisin, a scattering of green onions, and a fresh basil leaf for garnish.
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Notes
- Chicken: Chicken breast, shredded roast chicken, rotisserie chicken or velveted chicken can be substituted for the chicken thighs, if preferred. If you don't want to grill the chicken, it can be baked, cooked in an air fryer, or pan-fried, just ensure the internal temperature is above 165°F.
- Fish Sauce: This is what gives the marinade its deep, rich, and complex flavor. If you don't have fish sauce, you can use a 1:1 mixture of rice vinegar and soy sauce (this will get you the closest), Worcestershire sauce, or coconut aminos.
- Vermicelli Noodles: Can be swapped for brown rice, sushi rice, or any other noodles you like.
- Peanut Sauce: There is nothing like a good homemade peanut sauce, don't skip this sauce!
- You must rinse the vermicelli noodles under cold water when they are done cooking. If you don't, they will stick together in a giant gummy mass.
- Making the components like the pickled veggies, peanut sauce, and chicken marinade will only get better as it sits, so making those three and letting them sit for 2-3 hours before cooking and assembling the bowls will give you an unbelievable flavor!
- How to store: The vermicelli bowls can be fully assembled without the sauces in airtight containers and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add the sauces right before serving, and enjoy the bowls cold, or pop just the chicken into the microwave for a few seconds.
- The nutrition calculator accounts for adding 2 Tablespoons of Peanut Sauce to each bowl.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
Jessica says
After the first test of this recipe, I knew it was a winner. A few tweaks here and there, and this vermicelli noodle bowl is literally delicious. We have made it SO MANY TIMES, also, we might be slightly addicted to peanut sauce.