Vietnamese Chicken Tostada Recipe
These Vietnamese Chicken Tostadas put a fresh spin on tradition with marinated chicken packed with lime, fish sauce, and aromatics. Served on crispy rice paper and topped with a vibrant Vietnamese pico de gallo, they’re a bold and flavorful fusion you’ll want to make on repeat!
Servings: 4 tostadas
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
- ¼ cup Red Boat Fish Sauce
- Juice of 1 lime about 2 tbsp
- 1 medium shallot
- 4-5 large garlic cloves
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 Thai chili
- 1 ½ lbs chicken thighs
Vietnamese pico de gallo
- ½ medium onion diced
- 1 large carrot shredded
- 1 bunch of cilantro minced
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt plus more as needed
- ⅛ teaspoon Red Boat Fish Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
For assembling
- Rice paper quartered
- Cilantro leaves for garnishing
Instructions
To make the marinade:
- In a food processor, pulse together Red Boat Fish Sauce, lime juice, a shallot, garlic cloves, brown sugar, and a Thai chili. To a bowl, add the chicken thighs and marinade and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- To a pan, add some oil and cook the chicken on one side until caramelized, about 4-5 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 165F. Remove it from the pan and allow it to rest.
To make the pico de gallo:
- To a bowl, toss together onion, carrot, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt and Red Boat Fish Sauce. Season more as needed and set aside.
To fry the rice paper:
- To a pan over medium heat, add neutral oil. Once the oil reaches 350F, add the quartered rice paper and fry until crispy, about 10 seconds. Remove the rice paper and drain on a paper towel.
To assemble:
- Shred the chicken and toss it in any drippings that accumulated when the chicken was resting. Add it to the rice paper and top it with the Vietnamese pico de gallo. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Notes
These tostadas are best enjoyed immediately after assembly, as the crispy rice paper will begin to soften once topped with the moist ingredients. However, you can prepare all components separately and store them as follows:
- Fried Rice Paper: Store at room temperature in an airtight container with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture for up to 24 hours.
- Cooked Chicken: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water to prevent drying out.
- Pico de Gallo: Keeps well in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, though the vegetables will soften and release more liquid over time.