This light and refreshing Asian-fusion vermicelli noodle salad with grilled chicken and a zesty sesame dressing is loaded with fresh flavors, bright colors, and great texture.
This Is the Type of Fresh Yet Filling Salad That I Crave
I’ve professed my love of satisfying salads before, and it’s no secret Asian is one of my all-time favorite cuisines, which is why I have a bevy of Asian noodle salad recipes in my arsenal. There’s my Asian ramen noodle salad, my fresh and easy Vietnamese noodle salad, and my Vietnamese curry chicken and rice noodle salad bowl, and I find myself craving these recipes on the regular.
Enter my latest obsession: this Asian-fusion grilled chicken vermicelli salad with Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese influences. Teeming with fresh herbs and crisp veggies, vermicelli rice noodles, and peanuts, it’s refreshing, vibrant, and full of awesome textures and flavors, similar to a Vietnamese bun noodle salad.
This noodle salad starts with a bed of fresh greens, topped with vermicelli noodles, a sesame vinaigrette, shallots, red bell pepper, cucumber, and fresh mango for some sweetness. Then I top it with sliced grilled chicken quickly marinated in a store-bought black pepper sauce (which lends great umami flavor). I garnish with fresh cilantro, basil, and peanuts.
Is your mouth watering yet? Let’s get into it.
Enjoy!
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken — I prefer grilling boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you may use chicken thighs or leftover chicken from last night’s dinner.
- Black pepper sauce — This savory, store-bought Chinese sauce is a blend of black peppers, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, and can be found in the International aisle of most grocery stores
- Vermicelli noodles — A type of superfine rice noodle. You can substitute the vermicelli with another type of rice noodle.
- Mango — I love the fresh juiciness that cubed mango adds to the vermicelli salad.
- Veggies — I added chopped cucumber, red bell pepper, and thinly sliced shallot to my salad, but this is a great clean-out-the-fridge meal that works with just about any sliced, shredded, or diced vegetable.
- Fresh herbs — I love using Thai basil when I can find it, but Italian basil works just fine. Or, use fresh cilantro.
- Peanuts — I prefer using roasted and salted peanuts for extra flavor.
- Lettuce greens — I like using mixed greens, but chopped romaine, kale, and/or cabbage would also work great.
- Sesame vinaigrette — For a well-balanced sesame flavor, I like to blend a neutral-flavored oil like canola oil with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and a pinch of sugar. I also add red pepper flakes to my dressing for a bit of heat. (For a slightly different flavor profile, you could also make my classic sesame salad dressing.)
How to Make This Grilled Chicken and Vermicelli Noodle Salad
Heidi’s Tip: These bowls come together quickly and easily and also lend themselves well to meal prep since it’s delicious cold. Marinate and grill your chicken, prep and chop your veggies, and make your dressing ahead of time. My recipe makes enough for two generous portions, but you can easily double this recipe.
- Give the chicken a quick marinade. We’re keeping this salad weeknight friendly and just marinating the chicken for however long it takes you to prepare the vegetables and cook the noodles.
- Cook the vermicelli noodles. Follow the package instructions here, but usually all you have to do is pour boiling water over the noodles and let them sit for 5 minutes.
- Grill the chicken. You can fire up your outdoor grill for this, or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken on the stove. Chicken breasts are done when they register 165F.
- Whisk together the dressing, then toss to combine. This recipe makes two big salads, so you can either whisk the dressing in the bottom of the serving bowl to save dishes or shake it up in a mason jar if you think you’ll have leftovers.
Ways to Customize Your Salad
- Double the recipe and serve over a large platter, to serve family-style.
- Or, to serve it up potluck-style — chop up the chicken, chop the veggies and mango a bit smaller, and toss everything together in a large serving bowl.
- Swap the grilled chicken for salmon, shrimp, or crispy tofu
- Serve with lime wedges
- Add chopped green onions
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Grilled Chicken and Vermicelli Noodle Salad
Ingredients
Vermicelli Salad
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¼ cup black pepper sauce
- 4 ounces vermicelli noodles
- ½ mango , peeled and sliced
- ½ seedless cucumber , thinly sliced
- ½ red bell pepper , thinly sliced
- ½ shallot , peeled and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup peanuts
- 4 cups lettuce greens
Sesame Dressing
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- kosher salt , to taste
- freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Coat the chicken breasts evenly with black pepper sauce and set aside.
- Cook the noodles. Place the vermicelli noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak until softened, about 5 minutes, then drain and set aside to cool.
- Grill the chicken. Preheat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Cook the chicken breast on the grill for 8-10 minutes on each side or until the meat is no longer pink and runs clear. Pull from the grill and cover with foil to allow the juices to rest.
- Make the dressing. Whisk the rice wine vinegar, canola oil, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and sugar in a small bowl. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix the dressing with the vermicelli noodles.
- Assemble the salad. Divide the lettuce between two plates or bowls and top with mango, cucumber, shallots, and red bell pepper. Add half of the noodles to each plate. Thinly slice the chicken and place it on top of the noodles. Garnish with peanuts, basil, and cilantro leaves, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
More Asian-Inspired Salad Recipe Ideas
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Paula
What is black pepper sauce
Hayley
Hi Paula! It’s a sweet and savory store-bought Chinese sauce/condiment made with garlic, onion and black pepper.
Laurie L Oestreicher
I live in the Florida Middle Keys and there are no Asian stores here, I would have to drive 2 hours to Miami to find one!
What could I use to substitute the black pepper sauce?
Hayley
Hi Laurie. We suggest making your own if you can — there are several recipes for Asian black pepper sauce online. Hope this helps!
Lisa
This sounds like i have to make for dinner TONIGHT! Would you please tell me the brand of black pepper sauce you used, thanks so much!
Hayley
Hi Lisa! Lee Kum Kee brand works great!