TheSpiceOdysseyeveryday recipesComment

Bun Ga Nuong

TheSpiceOdysseyeveryday recipesComment
Bun Ga Nuong

One of my go-to weeknight recipe is Bun Ga Nuong, otherwise known as Vietnamese vermicelli noodle bowl with grilled chicken.

My recipe is pretty simple - shredded lettuce, vermicelli noodles, topped with pickled vegetable, lots of fresh herbs, sweet & spicy grilled chicken and drizzled with Nuoc Cham, the chili garlic sauce that’s served with everything in Vietnamese cuisine. You can also save this recipe on Pinterest which is an easy to follow pictorial guide along with all the ingredients + measurements.

 

This dish does require a number of ingredients but once you have them in your pantry, you can make so many Vietnamese dishes as well as other Asian dishes like Korean, Thai, Lao, you name it!

Here are my recommended pantry ingredients

Alright, now that I have armed you with all the ingredients, lets get to the recipe!

Bun Ga Nuong | Vermicelli Noodle Bowl with Grilled Chicken

Written Recipe

Serving: 2

Ingredients - Chicken + Marinade

  • Boneless Chicken Thighs - 1 lbs

  • Chinese Five Spice Powder - 1/2 tsp

  • Ground Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp

  • Brown Sugar - 1 tbsp

  • Honey - 1/2 tsp

  • Oil - 2 tbsp

  • Soy Sauce - 1 tsp

  • Fish Sauce - 1 tbsp

  • Garlic Cloves - 2-3, minced

  • Shallots or Onions - 1/4 cup, minced

Directions | Chicken + Marinade

  1. Combine all the ingredients under “chicken + marinade”. Set aside in room temperature up to an hour or marinate it overnight (8-12 hours) in the fridge.

  2. You can grill or pan-fry the chicken, I personally prefer to grill.

    • Grill - Prepare grill for medium-low heat and oil the grill rack. Grill the chicken, covered, turning several times and basting the browned sides with the reserved marinade, until well browned and slightly charred, and cooked through (internal temperature of 165 degrees F), about 20-25 minutes. Hot Tip - grill low & slow to get juicy chicken.

    • Pan-Fry - Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess marinade. Place chicken in the pan and cook each side until dark golden brown and chicken is just cooked through, about 6-8 minutes in total.

  3. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into thin pieces.

Ingredients | Noodle Bowl

  • Chopped Lettuce - 2 cups (1 cup/person)

  • Rice Vermicelli - 4 oz (2 oz/person)

  • Do Chua | Pickled Vegetables

  • Cucumber Slices

  • Herbs - choose between any combination of these herbs - Mint, Cilantro, Scallions, Shiso and Basil

  • Grilled Chicken

  • Fried Onions + Toasted Peanuts (optional)

  • Nuoc Cham | Chile Garlic Dipping Sauce

  • Lime Wedges

Directions | Noodle Bowl

  1. Prepare the vermicelli noodles according to package instructions. My go to vermicelli noodles is the Dynasty Maifun Rice Noodles. I soak them in a covered dish with hot water for 10 minutes. Then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the noodles from sticking together.

  2. This is how I assemble the noodles per bowl/individual servings. Here is my order - chopped lettuce, vermicelli noodles, pickled vegetables, sliced cucumbers, herbs, grilled chicken pieces, fried onions and toasted peanuts.

  3. Finally, right before serving, I drizzle each bowl with a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham. Also keep a bowl of extra nuoc charm for more and some lime wedges on the side.

  4. For the Do Chua (pickled vegetable) and Nuoc Cham (chili garlic sauce) recipes, keep scrolling - pictorial, ingredients and direction below.

I am also sharing two additional components that bring this dish together and can be made way ahead of time!

  1. Do Chua / pickled vegetable - can last 2-4 weeks in the fridge.

  2. Nuoc Cham / chili garlic sauce - can last 3-4 weeks in the fridge

Do Chua | Pickled Vegetable

Written Recipe

  • Water - 2 tbsp

  • Sea Salt - 1/4 tsp (you can use regular salt too)

  • Sugar - 1 tbsp

  • White Vinegar - 3-5 tbsp

  • Carrots - 1/4 cup, julienned

  • Daikon Radish or Red Radish - 1/4 cup, julienned

Combine all the above ingredients in a mixing bow, then store it in an airtight jar. These Vietnamese style pickled vegetables can last up to 4 weeks in the fridge.

Nuoc Cham | Chile Garlic Sauce

 

Written Recipe

  • Sugar - 1 tbsp

  • Fresh Lime Juice - 1 whole lime

  • Minced Garlic - 1 large clove

  • Fresh Chile Pepper - 1-2 tsp

  • Fish Sauce - 2 tbsp

  • Rice Vinegar - 1 tsp

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, then store it in an airtight jar. The chili garlic sauce can last in the fridge up to 4 weeks and can be used as dipping sauce for so many dishes other than noodle bowls - spring rolls, banh mi, grilled meat and seafood. It really is so versatile!

If you do recreate our recipe, be sure to

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