This is a no-cook-vegetable salad built around sautรฉed lemongrass chicken, crisp raw vegetables, fresh mint and cilantro, and a fish-sauce-lime dressing that hits salty, sour, sweet, and spicy all at once. It comes together in 40 minutes and uses one pan plus one bowl. That alone makes it worth keeping in regular rotation.
The technique that matters
The single step that decides whether this salad is good or flat is how you handle the lemongrass. After removing the tough outer layers, slice it as thin as you possibly can โ paper-thin rounds, not chunky pieces. Thick lemongrass stays fibrous and unpleasant to chew, but thin slices soften slightly in the pan and distribute their flavor through the whole salad. The second thing worth getting right is the dressing: whisk it until the palm sugar is completely dissolved before it touches anything else. Undissolved sugar pools at the bottom of the bowl and the last few bites end up cloyingly sweet while the first ones taste sharp. Dress it at the table โ a pre-dressed salad goes limp fast.
Shopping notes
- Lemongrass: Look for stalks that feel firm and smell strongly citrusy. Soft or dried-out stalks have lost most of their flavor. Most Asian grocery stores carry fresh stalks; frozen lemongrass works as a backup but skip the pre-minced paste in a jar โ the texture is wrong for this recipe.
- Palm sugar: Sold in hard discs or soft blocks at Southeast Asian and South Asian grocery stores. Grate or shave it directly into the dressing bowl. Brown sugar is a workable substitute โ the flavor is slightly more molasses-forward but it dissolves just as easily.
- Fish sauce: Brands vary a lot in saltiness. Taste the dressing before you pour it โ you may want slightly less fish sauce or a touch more lime depending on the brand you have.
- Red chili: The recipe lists this as optional. A single small Thai chili adds noticeable heat; a larger mild red chili adds color with less burn. Remove the seeds if you want the flavor without the intensity.
If something goes sideways
- Chicken is tough or dry: Slicing the breast thinner before cooking is the fix โ aim for strips no thicker than 5mm. High heat and constant movement in the pan also helps; donโt let the chicken sit and steam in its own moisture.
- Dressing tastes too salty: Add more lime juice first, then a small pinch of extra sugar. More fish sauce is almost never the answer once itโs already salty.
- Salad is watery by the time you serve it: Cucumber releases water quickly once cut. If youโre not serving immediately, salt the cucumber slices lightly, let them sit for 10 minutes, then pat dry before adding them to the bowl.
- Lemongrass is still tough and stringy after cooking: It wasnโt sliced thin enough. Pull out the larger pieces before serving โ they wonโt soften further.
- Peanuts go soft before you get to the table: Keep them separate and scatter them over individual portions right before eating, not over the whole platter in advance.
Cambodian Lemongrass Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 500 grams chicken breast thinly sliced
- 2 stalks lemongrass outer layers removed, finely sliced
- 1 cup cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 cup carrot julienned
- 1 medium red bell pepper thinly sliced
- ยผ cup fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
- ยผ cup fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped
- ยผ cup roasted peanuts crushed
Dressing Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar, grated
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 handful red chili finely chopped, optional for heat
Instructions
- In a pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once hot, add the thinly sliced chicken breast and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and lightly golden, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the lemongrass, cucumber, carrot, red bell pepper, mint leaves, and cilantro leaves. Toss gently to mix the ingredients evenly.
- Prepare the dressing by whisking together the fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, minced garlic, and red chili in a small bowl until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add the cooled chicken to the vegetable mixture, then pour the dressing over the salad. Toss gently to coat the ingredients with the dressing, ensuring an even distribution of flavors.
- Transfer the salad to a serving platter. Sprinkle the crushed roasted peanuts over the top as a garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I cook the chicken ahead of time?
Yes โ cook it up to a day ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Slice and sautรฉ as directed, let it cool completely, then store it. Bring it to room temperature before assembling so it doesnโt chill the dressing and wilt the herbs on contact.
What can I use instead of fish sauce to keep it pescatarian or vegan?
Soy sauce or tamari works in a 1:1 swap and keeps the salty-umami base intact. For a closer match, use a mix of soy sauce and a small squeeze of lime โ it wonโt be identical but the dressing will still hold together.
How do I know when the lemongrass is prepped correctly?
You want only the pale, tender inner portion โ roughly the bottom third of the stalk after the woody top and dry outer layers are removed. If you bend a slice and it snaps rather than flexes, itโs from a part of the stalk thatโs too fibrous to eat.
Can this be served as a meal prep lunch?
Pack the dressing separately and add it just before eating. Store the peanuts separately too. Everything else โ chicken, vegetables, herbs โ holds reasonably well in the fridge for up to two days, though the herbs will darken slightly by day two.