- Prep5 min
- Cook10 min
Chicken and prawns on a crunchy, herby salad, with a salty, tangy dressing you whisk in a small bowl. This prawn and chicken salad takes about 15 minutes. The only real cooking is in one frying pan.
Want less effort? Buy a BBQ chook and shred it. That skips the raw chicken and the first round in the pan, so all that’s left is the prawns and a bit of slicing. Handy for warm nights, tired nights and any night you’d rather not think.
Can I manage this today?
- Spoon rating: 🥄🥄 Low-Spoon
- Hands-on time: about 15 minutes start to finish, with the chicken resting while you make the salad and dressing
- Main effort: cooking the chicken and then the prawns in the same pan
- Chopping: a little. The mint and one chilli. Take the seeds out of the chilli for less heat
- Standing and attention: about 10 minutes at the pan, then bowl work
- Washing up: one frying pan, two bowls, a board and knife, two forks
Quick spoon check
- No-spoons version: shredded BBQ chook, cooked peeled prawns, bagged salad and kaleslaw, and the pre-made dressing from the supermarket like Marion’s Kitchen Thai Basil, Lime & Coconut (best low-carb fit), Red Kellys Sweet Chilli & Lime or Coles Thai Style Lime & Chilli (both are higher in sugar content).
- Low-spoon version: shredded BBQ chook, with the raw prawns cooked in the pan for 2–3 minutes. Use dried herbs and spices instead of the fresh. You lose the fresh pop, but the flavour is still there and there’s nothing to chop.
- As written: chicken thigh fillets and raw prawns, cooked one after the other in the same pan
Kerry’s notes
I’d start with the BBQ chook. Shred it and skip the raw chicken. If you do cook the thigh, do it first and let it rest while you sort the salad and dressing. The same pan then does the prawns, so there’s only one to wash.
The dressing is a close cousin of the one in my Bun Cha Steak Noodle Fusion. Fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and a little golden sweetener, whisked until the sweetener dissolves. Pour the chicken’s resting juices over the salad too. That’s free flavour.
Want to know how the protein and carbs stack up? That’s Leigh’s department. She explains it better than I do and doesn’t wave a spatula about while she does. Start with her guide to how macros fuel our body.
What’s that ingredient?
Vietnamese mint (rau răm). Not actually a mint. It’s a narrow-leaved herb with a peppery, slightly lemony bite, and it’s what makes this taste properly Vietnamese. Asian grocers are the cheapest place to buy it, and a lot of Coles and Woolworths stores stock it in season. Stand the stems in a glass of water in the fridge, or wrap the bunch in a damp paper towel. Easiest swap: ordinary mint with a little coriander.
Golden monkfruit sweetener. A granulated sweetener (erythritol with a little monk fruit extract, according to the product page) that stands in for brown sugar. It balances the fish sauce and vinegar, and you only need ½ teaspoon. You can buy the one used here from Low Carb Emporium (affiliate link). Keep it in an airtight container in the pantry. Easiest swap: whatever granulated sweetener you already use. Start with ½ teaspoon and taste.
Kaleslaw. A bagged mix of shredded kale and cabbage from the salad section of the supermarket. It’s the crunch, and it saves you shredding anything. The recipe uses half of a 350 g packet. Fold the bag over, clip it and keep the other half in the fridge. Easiest swap: any coleslaw mix or finely shredded cabbage.
Rice wine vinegar. A mild, slightly sweet vinegar from the Asian aisle at the supermarket. It keeps in the pantry for ages. Easiest swap: white wine vinegar, tasting as you go.
Why this recipe works
- One pan, two proteins. The chicken rests while you make the salad, then the prawns go into the same pan.
- The dressing is five ingredients in one small bowl. No blender needed.
- Prawns take 2–3 minutes, so they add very little time.
- The chicken’s resting juices go over the salad with the dressing, so nothing is wasted.
- You set the heat. Leave the chilli seeds in for more, take them out for less.
Ingredients at a glance
- Chicken thigh fillets: the heartier half of the protein. They shred easily with two forks.
- Raw peeled prawns: the quick half. They cook in 2–3 minutes.
- Vietnamese mint: the peppery herb that makes it taste Vietnamese.
- Mixed salad leaves and kaleslaw: the crunchy base.
- Long red chilli: heat and colour.
- Fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and golden monkfruit sweetener: the dressing. Salty, sharp and a little sweet.
- Roasted peanuts: crunch on top.
No Spoon Swaps
- BBQ chook instead of raw thigh: skips the raw chicken and the first round in the pan. The meat tastes a little different from pan-cooked thigh. Use roughly 200 g of shredded BBQ chook meat in place of the 300 g of raw thigh.
- Cooked peeled prawns instead of raw: skips the second round in the pan. Add them cold. The texture can be a little firmer than prawns straight from the pan.
- Snip the mint with kitchen scissors: no board needed. The leaves bruise a little more than they do with a knife.
- Dried herbs instead of fresh mint: nothing to pick or chop. You lose the fresh pop, but the flavour is still there.
- Skip the chilli: one less thing to slice. The salad is milder and a bit paler.
Shortcuts count as cooking. If you want the long version of why, read Convenience ingredients are accessibility tools.
Substitutions and allergens
- Vietnamese mint: ordinary mint plus a little coriander. It’s less peppery.
- Rice wine vinegar: white wine vinegar. Taste as you go.
- Golden monkfruit sweetener: any granulated sweetener you already use.
- Kaleslaw: any coleslaw mix or finely shredded cabbage.
- Prawns: leave them out, or use an extra 200 g of chicken.
Allergen notes
- Crustacean shellfish: the prawns.
- Fish: the fish sauce.
- Peanuts: the garnish. Leave them off. You lose a little crunch.
- Gluten: check the labels on the fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and kaleslaw, because brands vary.
Equipment and easier alternatives
- Frying pan or BBQ plate: either works for the chicken and the prawns.
- Standing: about 10 minutes at the pan. The BBQ chook and cooked peeled prawns route takes the pan out altogether.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Fridge: 2 to 3 days, best eaten within the first 2 days. Keep the cooked chicken and prawns, the dressing and the salad in separate containers.
- Freezer: not recommended. Fresh leaves and mint go limp.
- Reheating: nothing to reheat. Serve the salad cold, with the chicken and prawns warm or cooled.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this prawn and chicken salad ahead?
Cook the chicken and prawns ahead if you like. Keep them, the dressing and the salad in separate containers and put it together when you’re hungry. They keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge, and they’re best within the first 2.
Can I use a BBQ chook instead of cooking the chicken?
Yes. Shred the meat and use it in place of the thigh. Use roughly 200 g of shredded meat in place of the 300 g of raw thigh.
How do I make it less spicy?
Take the seeds out of the chilli, or use less of it. Taste the dressing before you pour it on.
What is nuoc cham?
A Vietnamese dipping sauce built on fish sauce, something sour and something sweet. This is a quick version: fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, golden sweetener, water and chilli.
Is this keto?
It’s built for low carb and keto ways of eating. The kaleslaw and the dressing ingredients are the ones to check, because brands vary. If you’re not sure where keto and low carb differ, Keto vs Low Carb: What’s the Difference? explains it.
Vietnamese Prawn and Chicken Salad
Equipment
- Frying pan or BBQ plate
- Chopping Board
- Sharp Knife
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Whisk or fork
- Two forks
Ingredients
Chicken and prawns
- 300 g chicken thigh fillets
- 200 g raw peeled prawns
- 1 tsp avocado oil
Salad
- ½ bunch Vietnamese mint
- 50 g mixed salad leaves
- 175 g kaleslaw (half of a 350 g packet)
- 1 long red chilli
Nuoc cham dressing
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp water
- ½ tsp golden monkfruit sweetener
To serve
- 1 Tbsp roasted peanuts
Instructions
Cook the chicken
- Heat a frying pan or BBQ plate over medium-high heat.
- Add 1 tsp avocado oil, then the chicken. Cook for 5–8 minutes in total, until it reaches 75°C in the thickest part and the juices run clear.
- Move the chicken to a plate and cover it. Rest it for 5 minutes. Keep the pan for the prawns.
Make the salad
- Pick the mint leaves and discard the stems.
- Finely chop the mint.
- Finely slice the chilli. Remove the seeds for less heat.
- Put the salad leaves and kaleslaw in a large bowl.
- Add the mint and half of the sliced chilli. Toss to combine.
Make the nuoc cham dressing
- In a small bowl, add the rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, 1 Tbsp water, ½ tsp golden monkfruit sweetener and the other half of the sliced chilli.
- Whisk until the sweetener dissolves.
Cook the prawns
- Reheat the frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook the prawns for 2–3 minutes, until they are pink and just cooked through.
- Take the prawns out of the pan.
Serve
- Shred the chicken with two forks.
- Drizzle the dressing and any resting juices over the salad.
- Divide the salad between two plates.
- Top with the chicken and prawns.
- Scatter over the peanuts.
Notes
Nutrition
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A final spoon-saving note
Start with the BBQ chook version if today’s spoons are low, and the full pan version when you’ve got a few more. Both count as dinner. Give it a go on the next warm night, and find more like it in Low Spoons recipes.
