I’ve put together this list of Vietnamese recipes for those who love the delicious flavors of Vietnam. I visited about five years ago and it was an extraordinary trip!
Asia had been on my bucket list forever, so I was excited to be able to explore five countries in one trip. If that sounds crazy busy, you’d be right, but it was also exhilarating!
Though their was an occasional language barrier, the Vietnamese people I met were so welcoming.
I took a cruise with Holland America so all I needed to worry about was exploring and eating! Don’t miss the Vietnamese egg coffee if you go!
Why We Love Vietnamese Food
If you haven’t been to Vietnam, or at least visited a Vietnamese restaurant, you may be wondering what to expect.
Vietnamese cuisine is renowned for its vibrant flavors, fresh ingredients, and diverse culinary traditions.
Wonderful Flavors
Expect a harmonious blend of herbs, spices, and sauces that create a delicate balance of sweet, sour, salty, as well as spicy flavors.
Vietnamese cuisine is heavily influenced by its geographic location, with ingredients like rice, fish sauce, fresh veggies, and tropical fruits being widely used.
Be sure to visit an open air market when in Vietnam, which is one of my favorite things to do in any new country. This is a great place to taste popular Vietnamese foods, too.
Variety of Ingredients and Serving Styles
There are so many different varieties of Vietnamese food, all easy to make at home in your kitchen!
One of the most iconic Vietnamese dishes is pho (pronounced fuh, like duh), a flavorful noodle soup made with a rich beef or chicken broth, rice noodles, and various toppings such as sliced beef or chicken, bean sprouts, herbs, and lime.
Pho is a popular street food and is often enjoyed for breakfast or as a comforting meal throughout the day. You’ll find several Pho recipes below.
Another beloved Vietnamese dish is bánh mì, a delicious sandwich that reflects the French influence on Vietnamese cuisine.
Think of a crispy baguette filled with a variety of ingredients such as grilled pork, pâté, pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs.
The combination of textures and flavors makes banh mi a delightful and satisfying meal. Check out the banh mi recipes below.
Vietnamese cuisine also features a wide range of fresh and healthy appetizers such as spring rolls and dumplings, often accompanied by a dipping sauce or soy sauce that adds a burst of flavor.
Overall, Vietnamese cooking is celebrated for its simplicity, balance, and focus on fresh ingredients.
Whether you’re savoring a bowl of pho, biting into a banh mi, or exploring the myriad of other dishes, I think you’ll find Vietnamese food to be one of the most flavorful cuisines in the world.
Let us know which of these Vietnamese meals is your favorite!
Vietnamese Appetizers
Cha Gio (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)
Delicious Vietnamese Spring Rolls filled with pork and crab meat, perfect for a party appetizer or light meal.
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Vietnamese Shrimp Summer Rolls
These delicious and light Vietnamese summer rolls are so easy to make and perfect for an afternoon snack or appetizer at your next gathering.
Vietnamese Shrimp Summer Rolls
Vietnamese spring rolls (vegan)
Vietnamese spring rolls filled with tofu, vermicelli noodles, and fresh vegetables wrapped in rice paper. They are served with a creamy peanut sauce for a refreshing summer appetizer!
Vegan Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Banh bot loc chay – Vegan and gluten-free dumplings from Vietnam
Bánh Bột Lọc Chay- clear vegan dumplings from Vietnam. These transparent dumplings are made with tapioca flour and mung bean. They are delicious, chewy, fresh, and very light.
Banh bot loc chay
Try this dipping sauce with any of the rolls or appetizers!
Classic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước chấm)
Try this sweet & tangy classic Vietnamese dipping sauce known as Nước chấm. It’s made with fish sauce, fresh lime juice, and garlic for a delicious spring roll dipping sauce!
Classic Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
Serve with these pickled veggies!
Spicy Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables
Spicy Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables are a perfect Asian condiment to use with Banh Mi, sandwiches, and as a topping to your favorite foods! Made with carrots, serrano peppers, and daikon radish.
Spicy Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables
Vietnamese Entrees
Restaurant-style Vietnamese Noodle Bowl
Make your own restaurant-style Vietnamese Shrimp or Prawn Noodle Bowl and customize it with your choice of crisp veggies, fresh herbs and a traditional Vietnamese dressing.
Vietnamese Noodle Bowl
Vietnamese Chicken Salad Recipe (Goi Ga)
Light, crunchy, and tangy, this Vietnamese Chicken Salad recipe is made with chicken, cabbage, fresh herbs, and zesty pickled vegetables. Perfect for hot days, it is a meal in itself, and an excellent way to use up leftover roast chicken.
Vietnamese Chicken Salad Recipe
Pho Recipe (How to Make Vietnamese Noodle Soup)
Pho, a delectable Vietnamese soup, is cherished for its harmonious blend of rich broth, tender noodles, and fresh herbs. As the national dish of Vietnam, pho provides a comforting and flavorful culinary experience that has captivated taste buds around the world
Pho Recipe
How to Make Hanoi Pho
Many pho enthusiasts consider this beef pho recipe the original and purist form of pho as it features a minimal use of seasonings and garnishes. It takes time to make the broth for this authentic Vietnamese recipe, but it’s well worth it!
How to Make Hanoi Pho
Quick and Easy Vegan Pho Recipe
30-minute easy vegan pho recipe! This quick Vietnamese noodle soup has a flavorful broth and is the perfect vegetarian one-pot meal for busy weeknights.
Vegan Pho Recipe
Instant Pot Vegetarian Pho Recipe
Traditional Vietnamese pho takes an entire day to make; this version only takes under an hour! Instant Pot Vegetarian Pho is perfect for a quick refreshing and comforting weeknight meal.
Instant Pot Vegetarian Pho
Vietnamese Noodle Bowl with Rice noodles, seared Lemongrass Chicken
This flavor-packed bowl of Vietnamese Noodles is brimming with delicious ingredients. Rice noodles, seared Lemongrass Chicken, fresh sticks of cucumber and carrots drizzled with a delicious dipping sauce.
Vietnamese Noodle Bowl with Lemongrass Chicken
Vietnamese-Style Bean-Thread Noodles with Tomatoes & Cabbage
A pleasing composition using a minimum of exotic ingredients, this vegan riff off of Vietnamese bean-thread noodles highlights fresh tomatoes and basil, bolstered with lots of cabbage. A quick and delicious weeknight dinner!
Vietnamese-Style Bean-Thread Noodles
Grilled Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli Bowl – Bún Bò Xào
Grilled Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli Bowl, or Bún Bò Xào, is everyone’s favourite Vietnamese noodle salad…at home! Perfectly marinated, then grilled Vietnamese beef is a delicious topping to fresh vegetables and vermicelli noodles.
Grilled Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli Bowl
Bun Cha (Vietnamese Meatball Vermicelli Bowl)
Bun Cha is a vibrant mix of juicy caramelized pork meatballs, delicate vermicelli and fresh garnishes in a flavorful light dipping sauce.
Vietnamese Meatball Vermicelli Bowl
Vietnamese Rice Paper Pizza (Vegan)
Vietnamese Pizza is a popular street food where the pizza base is actually a rice paper wrapper. Toppings may vary. Here is how to make them at home.
Vietnamese Rice Paper Pizza
Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce
This simple, tangy Vietnamese tofu in tomato sauce is a comforting vegan dish that's very easy to make. It's made by adding fried or baked tofu in a simple onion-tomato gravy which can be served with any rice or noodle dish.
Vietnamese Tofu in Tomato Sauce
Chicken Banh Mi Recipe
You'll love this easy Chicken Banh Mi recipe, made with ingredients you can easily find at any grocery store! Nothing complicated, just a simple, delicious Vietnamese Sandwich with pickled carrots, beats Subway any day!
Chicken Banh Mi Recipe
Pork Belly Banh Mi Sandwich
Pork Belly Banh Mi is a recipe that takes many of the best things in life and packs them into a single, mind-blowingly delicious sandwich. A crusty roll, crispy hoisin glazed pork belly, crunchy and tart pickled daikon and carrots, slices of spicy jalapeno pepper, fresh herbs like cilantro and mint, and a swipe of creamy-spicy sriracha mayo.
Pork Belly Banh Mi
Instant Pot Banh Mi Vietnamese Pork Sandwich
This Banh Mi recipe features succulent pork infused with a fragrant blend of garlic, ginger, and spices. Cooked until tender and juicy, the pork is served on a crusty baguette with pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, and a spicy mayo sauce for a bold and zesty flavor explosion. Instant Pot and stovetop instructions provided.
Banh Mi Vietnamese Pork Sandwich
Best Sous Vide Pork Chops (Vietnamese-style)
The sous vide cooking method is simply fantastic for pork chops. It keeps them moist and juicy and tender.
Best Sous Vide Pork Chops
Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Breasts
The sweet, salty, sour, & spicy flavor combination for these Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Breasts is addictive.
Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Breasts
Vietnamese Desserts
End your meal with one of these traditional desserts of Vietnam.
Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding (Chè Chuối)
Chè Chuối (pronounced “chair chewy”) is a delightfully sweet dessert made of tapioca pearls, rich coconut cream, and bananas. Ready in under an hour, this easy-to-make dessert is traditionally served warm, but is delicious chilled as well.
Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding
{Air Fryer} Turon-Banana Spring Rolls
This Banana Spring Rolls (Turon) look fancy, but is so easy to make! This is a cheater version where they get a healthier makeover in the air fryer instead of deep fried.
Turon-Banana Spring Rolls
Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá)
This recipe for Cà Phê Sữa Đá, or Vietnamese Iced Coffee, is a simple yet delicious way to enjoy a rich and bold coffee flavor with a touch of sweetness.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee
Pandan Waffle Recipe (Vietnamese Waffles)
You can make Pandan Waffles in three simple steps. These waffles have a crispy exterior and a soft, chewy interior with a perfect blend of coconut and pandan flavors, making them an ideal choice for breakfast or a snack that can be prepared in under 15 minutes.
Pandan Waffle
Coconut Milk Vietnamese Iced Coffee Ice Cream
Coconut milk Vietnamese iced coffee ice cream is the creamiest, most delicious pick-me-up you’ll ever eat.
Vietnamese Iced Coffee Ice Cream
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the number one food served in Vietnam? Pho is the most popular dish in Vietnam and one you definitely want to try.
Is Vietnamese food healthy? Asian food, in general is healthier than many other regions of the world. Vietnamese food is very healthy, serving vegetables with just about every meal.
Is Vietnamese food easy to make at home? Vietnamese recipes are super easy to make, and many can be on the table in 30 minutes.
Top Tips for Making Vietnamese Food
Look for a Vietnamese grocery store. You may be surprised to find one near you. I know I was!
If you can’t find a Vietnamese store, you can probably find many of the ingredients in these recipes at your local grocer. Some items will be in the International aisle, while others may be in the section dedicated to healthy or gluten-free foods.
The best Vietnamese recipes use the freshest of spices. Make sure your spices are fresh. They do expire and the flavor diminishes dramatically the closer they get to expiration.
Pick up a cookbook like Vietnamese Food Any Day with more recipes as well as techniques for preparing and serving these delicious dishes.
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