Not only raised for meat, but Vietnamese chicken also plays an important role in the culture and the daily life of the people. Chicken in Vietnam is not only diverse in types but also plentiful in dishes that it can be processed into. Keep reading for more about famous breeds of chicken in Vietnam, some popular dishes from chicken, and chicken in Vietnamese culture as well.
I - Top 13 popular Vietnamese chicken recipes
1 - Boiled chicken - top famous Vietnamese chicken dishes
Traditional chicken boiled in Vietnamese cuisine - Source: sieungon
Boiled chicken can be seen as the signature of Vietnamese cuisine, especially for parties and bouquet. Although this dish has existed for a long time, nothing can take its place. It is an essential component of the rice trace on every wedding party, death anniversary, lunar New Year holiday,...
It seems that cooking a boiled chicken is pretty simple, just putting it into a pot and boiled until no blood is found. However, how to make its skin bright yellow without a scratch, how to make it medium cooked, how to cut it into nice pieces and arrange them neatly in a dish, these are what matter.
2 - Vietnamese chicken legs soaked in lemongrass and kumquat
Chicken legs soaked in lemongrass & kumquat is one of the most popular side dishes in Vietnam. You can find it in the menu of snail restaurants, beer restaurants, big restaurants and hotels,... Thanks to its light sourness and sweetness, the dish can be served as an appetizer or a snack.
To make the dish, the cook just needs to boil chicken legs, prepare a sauce containing water, fish sauce, sugar, salt, garlic, onion, chili, lemon grass and kumquat, soak the legs in the sauce for a couple of hours or more and done. Many people are so fond of this dish that they can’t wait until the sauce saturates into the leg but arrive at restaurants just to enjoy it.
3 - Chicken stewed in traditional medicine
Chicken steamed with herbs - Source: toplistsaigon
The kind of Vietnamese chicken used to make this dish is black chicken which is said to contain a higher content of nutrition than others. Therefore, the dish is often served for sick people and pregnant women. Referred to as a delicious and nutritious dish, chicken stewed in traditional medicine is not hard to cook at all. You just need to put the chicken and medicines soaked in hot water into a pot, add condiments, and water, tightly cap it and stew for about 1 hour until the medicine gives out a nice fragrance.
4 - Chicken grilled in clay
Chicken in Vietnam can be processed into good food even in the serious lack of kitchenware. To make Vietnamese chicken grilled in clay, you just need some simple herbs like lemongrass, lemon leaves, ginger, onion; seasoning like chili powder, salt, cashew powder; and banana leaves, silver paper, and clay.
The recipe is quite simple: putting all the herb into the body of the chicken, pasting seasoning in its skin, wrapping the poultry in layers of silver paper, banana leaves, and finally a coat of clay. When grilled on fire, these layers help preserve the heat and protect the meat from soot,... The chicken after being processed has an even tawny color and very nice scent. Therefore, the dish is as tasty as it is cooked in a modern kitchen.
5 - Chicken stir-fried with lemongrass and chili
Chicken stir-fried with lemongrass - Source: vietgiaitri
Vietnamese chicken stir-fried with lemongrass and chili is the favorite of many people because it is not only easy to make but also easy to serve. The raw chicken is removed from the bone and cut into small pieces. In the same vein, lemongrass and chili are sliced. When processed, the chicken, lemongrass and chili are stir-fried together with a little seasoning. The dish is edible to eaters of all ages, from small kids to the elder.
6 - Curry chicken in Vietnam-style
Sweet and spicy chicken curry is a perfect choice for your family on cold, rainy days. The rich meat is perfectly blended with the spicy flavors, soft carrots and potatoes, highlighting the sweet soup. To get this delicious Vietnamese chicken curry, you must first marinate the meat carefully with the right amounts of spices, then add onions and garlic, and let it sit for a few hours.
Then stir-fry the chicken, and the peeled potato and sweet potato pieces in the oil pan so they don't get crushed when cooking. After adding the chicken broth to the mixture, you cook until the ingredients are tender and remember to season to taste. The end result is a curry chicken with a beautiful dark yellow color, alluring aroma and spicy taste that can warm your whole body immediately.
7 - Vietnamese chicken pho noodle soup
Vietnam chicken pho soup - Source: gachaybo
Although not as famous as beef pho, chicken noodle soup soon gained a place in the hearts of food lovers, becoming one of the most typical dishes of Northern Vietnam. A standard bowl of chicken pho is not only delicious in taste, rich in broth, sweet and chewy, with soft cooked chicken, but also attractive in appearance. In the middle of the white noodle emerged thin slices of yellow-colored chicken, with light green chopped scallions and herbs, pieces of red pepper, all bathed in a sparkling broth.
Making Vietnamese chicken noodle soup needs many stages but they are not too difficult, it is only important that you know how to choose good chicken, add the right spices and take the time. After boiling the chicken thoroughly, filter the bones and put them back in the pot again to make the broth more delicious, and shred the chicken meat into bite-sized pieces. When you're done, put the pho noodles in a bowl, add bean sprouts, chicken meat and herbs, and then pour in the broth to enjoy.
8 - Chicken porridge
This is a familiar dish in Vietnamese family meals, suitable for all members from children to the elderly, pregnant women or the sick. Vietnamese chicken porridge has an attractive aroma, tender meat, juicy shiitake and carrot pieces, extremely easy to swallow even for people who are losing their appetite.
You can cook porridge separately and add the shredded chicken boiled with lettuce, shiitake, ginger, and scallions later, or cook the whole chicken in the traditional way. You use chicken broth to cook porridge to have a rich flavor, when it is tender, add the chicken, maybe even water if you want to thin it. A standard bowl of chicken porridge is as beautiful as a work of art, between the white is the green of onions and perilla, the red of carrots and the yellow of chicken.
9 - Chicken stir-fried with ginger - one of the best Vietnamese chicken dishes
Chicken steamed with ginger - Source: sieungon
A spicy dish that is perfect for winter days to gather the whole family is ginger braised chicken, best when served with hot rice. The way to make this dish isn’t difficult and the ingredients are also not too many: in addition to chicken with ginger as the name of the dish suggests, there's garlic, red onion, coriander, and spices. After thoroughly marinating the bite-sized chicken pieces with spices and herbs, you fry them until the meat is firm, then pour water and braise it on low heat. It only takes about 20 - 30 minutes for you to have a spicy, rich-flavored meat Vietnamese chicken with ginger dish that can quickly warm your stomach and dispel your screaming hunger.
10 - Fried chicken wings with fish sauce
Instead of the usual cooking methods with chicken as mentioned above, you can experiment with the delicious fried chicken wings with Vietnamese fish sauce, which is extremely simple to make. You also need chicken wings, fish sauce, sugar, and garlic to start cooking this dish, of course, you have to prepare, wash and chop the ingredients first. If possible, put the chicken wings in the microwave for a few minutes or boil them over, so that the Vietnamese chicken wings will cook faster and not burn the outside.
Deep-frying with high heat until the chicken skin is crispy and turns golden yellow, you take the meat out and set aside, then cook the fish sauce with garlic and sugar over hot heat to form a mixture. After that, you put the chicken wings in and stir, remember to shake well so that the flavor infuses evenly. The attractive red-orange color, the aromatic salty taste of fish sauce, mixed with minced garlic clinging to the chicken wings make it difficult for anyone to not love this dish.
11- Vietnamese chicken salad
Chicken salad - Source: VTC News
This is a favorite dish in Vietnamese cuisine because of its easy-making methods, simple ingredients, and very little fat, so it's good for health. The chicken salad has a strange sour taste that is easy to eat, especially on hot summer days. You just need to clean, wash the chicken with diluted salt water, drain and boil, then separate the meat to tear into small and long pieces to eat.
You can choose whichever and as many vegetables, as you want to add in chicken salad, as the most important is the “sauce”. Each region, or even each chef, has their own recipe, the simplest is to mix sugar, fish sauce with vinegar, the amount according to your taste. Then you put the vegetables, chicken, sliced chili, roasted peanuts, laksa leaves, fried onions with the mixture above into the bowl and stir well, re-season with spices if you are not satisfied.
12 - Vietnamese chicken soup
Going to a party in Vietnam, you will often come across this appetizer, especially in restaurants or buffet parties. Chicken soup is not only nutritious and easy to digest, but also has an easy cooking method, so it has become a familiar choice to start a meal. In addition to the indispensable ingredient that is chicken, this dish also has corn kernels, mushrooms, coriander, tapioca starch, fish sauce, and other spices.
After preparing and boiling the chicken, the meat will be shredded into long strands, and the broth will be used to cook the remaining ingredients with spices. Adding tapioca flour to create a consistency for the chicken soup, when it's almost done, you pour the shredded chicken in, stir and turn off the heat. Putting the soup in a bowl and eating it while it's still hot will bring the best feeling. This dish has a very diverse taste and beautiful appearance thanks to many ingredients mixed together.
13 - Vietnamese chicken rice
Chicken rice is one of the most popular dishes in the top list of Vietnamese daily foods. A standard serving of chicken rice comprises rice, boiled chicken, dipping sauce and some slices of cucumber.
In Vietnam, Hoi An chicken rice is highly recommended as a must-try dish of Hoi An cuisine. A portion of chicken rice is highlighted by light yellow skin & firm meat of boiled chicken, soft rice cooked in the chicken stock, spicy dipping sauce, and a bowl of soup from chicken stock & young chicken egg. Just a simple dish but the flavor & taste is really worth trying.
II - Vietnamese chicken in the traditional culture
Traditional chicken paintings - Source: doanhnghiephoinhap
Chicken is very close to Vietnamese people. Although more and more industrial chicken farms have been opened, the image of chickens finding food in the garden is associated with the villages in the countryside of Vietnam. In these rural areas, the sound of chicken crowing is like an alarm clock, waking up the farmer and reminding them to come home before the night falls.
At weddings, the guests often give the bride and groom a couple of Vietnamese chickens with the implication that their marriage will soon bear fruits and be safe and sound forever. Because the chickens quickly give birth, from a couple, the number quickly multiplies into a large flock which can offer meat, leather, and egg.
Chicken in Vietnam is considered a symbol of 5 virtues: intelligence, strength, courage, unity, and credibility. The male chicken, or rooster, has feathers and a crest like a hat and costume of a talented scholar, which is a signal of intelligence. Vietnamese chicken has a pointed beak, firm legs, and sharp spurs like a sword, which is the manifestation of strength. This animal is always ready to fight when dealing with opponents, which is courage. When finding good food, they always called friends to share, which is the testimony of unity. The credibility of chicken in Vietnam can be seen in the fact that no matter what the weather is like, it always remembers to call people at the exact time.
Chicken painting in Vietnamese culture - Source: tuoitrethudo
The appearance of chicken can be seen everywhere in Vietnam. Aside from the alive ones, Vietnamese chicken is also popularly depicted in Dong Ho paintings, a famous traditional art. Chicken is also an important part of 12 Zodiac signs in the culture of Vietnam and Asia. This animal is repeated in the daily talk of Vietnamese folks, for example, a good employee who has succeeded in many projects is compared to a fighting chicken, a person who can only work in a particular environment but fail to adapt when the environment changes will be called an industry chicken, a talent who creates a lot of values for a company or an individual is called a chicken laying golden eggs,...
III - Popular Vietnamese chicken breeds
1 - Dong Tao chicken
Dong Tao chicken - Source: klt
Dong Tao chicken - also called Dragon chicken, also known as Dong Cao chicken, is a rare species of chicken in Vietnam, originating from Dong Tao commune, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province. In the past, it was only served for the King, aristocrats.
Dong Tao chickens are quite large in size, with a dignified shape, an average one can weigh from 3.5 to 4.5 kg. People often liken it as a "warrior" because it has a majestic head, big, rough, very sturdy legs and a red skin. The whole body is adorned with characteristic purple and black fur.
Although it looks a bit "scary", the meat of Dong Tao chicken is very delicious. The meat is soft and sweet, not too tough and has no veins, so it is loved by many people. With Dong Tao chicken, one can mix with roasted rice powder, stew with traditional medicine or simply steam it to dip with salt, pepper, and lemon.
2 - Vietnamese black chicken
Ac chicken in Vietnam - Source: wiki
Black chicken is a tame species first appearing in Tra Vinh province, Vinh Long province and Tien Giang province. The characteristics which distincts it from other breeds are a white feather and a black body from eye, skin, meat to bone. This precious breed of chicken is said to have high content of nutrients, therefore it is often offered for sick people and pregnant women, those who are in desperate need of strengthening their body. The most popular dishes made from this poultry are black chicken brewed with mugwort and black Vietnamese chicken with Chinese traditional medicines.
3 - Ho chicken in Vietnam
Ho Chicken is a beautiful one with tough and sweet meat. For a long time, it has been referred to as a specialty of Lac Tho village, Ho town, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province. The characteristics of this precious chicken breed are large skeleton, tall stature, white-pink leg scales like soybean seeds, long back, soaring tail, plum-purple or black feathers, bright eyes, majestic posture. Today, the chicken breed is included in the Vietnam Red List.
4 - Ri chicken - one of the most popular Vietnamese chickens
Ri chicken - Source: cucchannuoi
Ri chicken is a domestic breed, raised for meat and egg and popularly seen in several regions of Vietnam, especially the North and the Central. The hen has a light yellow, yellow brown or light brown feather with black spots on the neck, head and wings, The rooster has a crimson feather with a bit black green at the tail and wings. The crest is bright red, serrated-teeth shaped while the beak, leg and skin is fair.
The origin of Ri chicken in Vietnam is said to date back to 3000 years ago when the Vietnamese people first knew how to raise poultries. However, with the technique and conditions at the time, this Vietnamese chicken breed was small in size and light in weight. Over the time, many new breeds with better looks have been generated but Ri chicken is still the preference of the native farmers.
5 - Nine-spur chicken
Nine-spur chicken is popularly known by Vietnamese people for being an offering that the Hung King required Son Tinh (Mountain God) and Thuy Tinh (Sea God) if they wanted to marry his daughter according to the Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh legend. Therefore, most people take it as an animal that only exists in myth. However, thí Vietnamese chicken does exist in real life, and is reported in Tan Son district, Phu Tho province.
Nine-spur chicken in Vietnam is said to have a mighty appearance with 5 colored feathers, a blood-red crest, bright eyes, wide chests, a curved tail like a rainbow, and a ringing crow. What makes it outstanding is big, firm and even legs with 4 to 5 spurs on each side. Each spurs has a different length, the top spur is completely horn which is curved like a hook.
Nine-spur chicken is an aggressive breed. When heading its enemy, the chicken has its furs on the neck ruffled to challenge, turns its eyes red and is ready to launch a kick to knock the enemy down or chase it away.
6 - Mia chicken - a famous Vietnamese chicken
Mia chicken - Source: diuretix
Mia Chicken originated from Phung Hung commune, Tung Thien district, Ha Tay province, now in Son Tay commune, Hanoi. However, up to the present time, Mia chicken has been raised in many different provinces and cities in the country to serve the needs and interests of customers. This is a chicken with delicious meat quality, crunchy skin, little subcutaneous fat and is extremely suitable for a natural hill-grazing farm.
7 - Tau Vang chicken
Tau Vang chicken is an indigenous Vietnamese chicken breed found only in Vietnam. Currently, this chicken is raised, domesticated and bred to live mainly in the South of Vietnam. Tau Vang chickens in Vietnam have yellow feathers, black feathers on the foot, sometimes even on the toes, the hen has either naked tail or a long tail. Thanks to a large weight, fast growth rate, quite high egg production, and the ability to forage for food in the environment, the breed brings high economic value to small farms and households.
Although it is just a simple and familiar source of food in different countries, Vietnamese chicken plays important roles in a diversity of aspects of the culture and life of native folks. Hope that the above information provides you with enough knowledge to find it interesting to take a trip and explore Vietnam.
— Ha Bich
