Vietnamese Chicken Bún (Bún Gà Nướng) – Guest Recipe
Serves: 2–3
This month’s recipe comes from guest contributor, Shae. With a love for Asian cuisine, she enjoys experimenting with fresh herbs and bold flavours—often with a little kick of spice.
Her Vietnamese Chicken Bún is light, vibrant and nourishing, making it perfect for warmer nights or easy meal prep lunches.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts or thighs, sliced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey or sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 stalk lemongrass (finely chopped or paste if easier)
- Juice of 1/2 lime
Bowl base
- rice vermicelli noodles (200–250g)
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- 1 carrot, julienned (can also pickle the carrots)
- Handful of red onion (can also pickle the onion)
- Handful of mint leaves
- Handful of coriander
- 1/3 cup crushed peanuts
- Lettuce or bean sprouts (optional but very traditional)
Dressing (Nuoc Cham style)
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp warm water
- 1–2 tbsp sugar (to taste)
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- Chilli (fresh or flakes, optional but recommended)
Method
1. Cook the chicken
Mix chicken with soy, honey, garlic, lemongrass, oil, and lime juice.
Let it sit for 10–20 minutes if you’ve got time (longer = better flavour).
Pan-fry on medium-high heat until golden and cooked through. Let it rest, then slice.
2. Prepare noodles
Soak or cook rice vermicelli noodles according to packet instructions.
Rinse under cold water so they stay springy and fresh.
3. Make the dressing
Whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, water, sugar, garlic, and chilli until balanced — it should be sweet, salty, tangy, and punchy all at once.
4. Assemble your bowls
Layer:
- Noodles
- Cucumber + carrot
- Herbs (mint + coriander)
- Chicken
- Crushed peanuts
Drizzle over the dressing generously.
Tips (the good stuff)
- Add fried shallots if you want extra crunch and drama
- Swap chicken for beef, pork, prawns or tofu if you feel like mixing it up
- Don’t skip the herbs — they’re the personality of the dish
- Some of the vegetables can be pickled a few hours before. Onion and carrot are great for this.
- Make extra dressing. You’ll want it.
Enjoy!
Shae x
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