Bun Cha Gio

For years, I’ve been totally obsessed with this Vietnamese Pork Noodle Salad (Bun Cha Gio) because it’s fresh, light, and packed with incredible flavor. I layer tender pork, soft rice noodles, and crisp vegetables into one bowl, then drizzle everything with a bright, tangy dressing that adds just the right amount of heat. It’s one of my favorite meals when I want something satisfying that still feels fresh and wholesome. Plus, my family begs for it!

The town I grew up in has a big Vietnamese community with incredible restaurants and markets that sell fresh and vibrant local produce. When I first tried bun cha gio years ago, I was blown away by the bold flavors, colors, and incredible textures all packed into one bowl. This dish is definitely not your average salad; it’s SO MUCH more. It starts off with a base of cold vermicelli noodles that are topped off with crunchy cucumbers, carrots, bean sprouts, layers of crispy spring rolls, and ridiculously tender sliced pork. Then, this entire medley gets coated in nuoc cham, which is a spicy-tangy chili garlic sauce that ties all the flavors together perfectly. Like this traditional Vietnamese goi ga recipe, bun cha gio is packed with nutrients, yet somehow it’s actually very light and filling at the same time. There’s definitely a lot of prep work involved to make restaurant-level dish, but the assembly is very quick and easy! This recipe is definitely worth the work, and once it hits the table, everyone will keep asking for more.

Jess – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is such an amazing and delicious recipe, I cannot thank you enough for sharing this with us!

Key Ingredients and Tips

• Boneless pork chops – For the grilled pork, I use boneless pork chops that I cut into thin slices so that they really soak up all of that delicious marinade. My top suggestion for this step is to make sure you flash-freeze your pork! It makes it so much easier to slice thin. Trust me!
• Garlic – I use fresh minced garlic in the pork marinade, and to make the nuoc cham dressing that coats this entire salad.
• Ginger – Freshly grated ginger adds so much of those authentic Vietnamese flavors and aromas to this recipe.
• Soy sauce – Soy sauce adds the perfect amount of saltiness and bold savory flavors to the pork marinade. If you’re watching your salt intake, I definitely recommend using a low-sodium version.
• Fish sauce – This is another important Asian sauce that I love to add to both the marinade and dressing because it brings out all those classic umami flavors Vietnamese cooking is known for. It stinks a little, but tastes amazing!
• Chili garlic sauce – Just a drizzle of this spicy stuff adds the perfect amount of heat that ties all the flavors of the dressing together. You can add more or less based on your level of spice preferences!
• Rice vermicelli noodles – These cold and light rice vermicelli noodles make the perfect base for this salad. They really soak up all the juices from the pork and the marinade, and they add a great cold element to every bite.
• Shredded vegetables – I add in a medley of shredded vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, green onions, and mung bean sprouts. They all add a ton of texture and crunch, plus a gorgeous pop of colors!
• Frozen spring rolls – This crispy topping is definitely one of my favorite parts of this bun cha gio recipe. I use the frozen kind just to save time, but you can totally make your own if you’re up for it.

How To Make

Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.

Prep and marinate the pork – I always recommend freezing the pork for half an hour because, like I said earlier, it makes slicing it so much easier. (PS – this is called flash freezing.) I cut it into really thin slices about 1 mm thick. Then, I combine the ginger, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, and a pinch of sugar into a bowl and mix it up. I toss in the sliced pork and let that all marinate.

Make the nuoc cham dressing – Next up, I start the dressing by combining the warm water and sugar in a bowl and mixing that up until the sugar dissolves. Then, I add in rice vinegar, fish sauce, fresh garlic, chili garlic sauce for heat, a pinch of salt, and some shredded carrots. I mix that all up and let it sit until I’m ready to pour it over the salad.

Bake the spring rolls – I always use frozen spring rolls to save time. So I bake them according to the package instructions until they’re gorgeously crispy.

Fry the pork – While the spring rolls are baking, I heat up a wok and drizzle in some peanut oil. Then, I add in the pork and cook it for a couple of minutes.

Assemble – Finally, it’s time to assemble all this! I start off by placing a generous heap of cold vermicelli rice noodles into a bowl. Then, I add all the shredded fresh veggies that I’ve pre-cut ahead of time. I top those off with the cooked pork slices and chopped spring rolls. Finally, I garnish each bowl with some fresh cilantro, chopped peanuts, and a serious drizzle of that spicy nuoc cham dressing.

Recipe Variations

• Meat: You can use sliced beef or chicken instead of pork. I like to swap the pork with minced beef for a fun twist on this classic version.
• Herbs: Add even more herbs along with cilantro, like Thai basil and mint! The more herbs, the more flavor here.
• Vegetables: You can add or omit vegetables as you would like! I like to add in some mushrooms and even shredded cooked sweet potatoes.
• Seafood – You can also replace the pork with sauteed shrimp or scallops instead.
• Egg – For an extra pop of protein, sometimes I top off each bowl with a runny fried egg.
• Vinegar swaps – If you are sensitive to vinegar, you can swap it for lime juice as well, or use half rice vinegar and half lime juice.

Serving Suggestions

I love how versatile and totally customizable this bun cha bowl is. I can make a single bowl for myself to eat while watching my favorite show, or I can serve it up family style which makes for a really fun dinner. From the fresh veggies and herbs, to the juicy pork and crunchy spring rolls, everyone will love this dish! Here are some of my favorite ways to serve it up:

• Lay out the toppings family-style, where everyone can customize their own bowls.
• Serve with a wedge of lime for a refreshing burst of flavors.
• Top off your bowl with some sliced chilis for extra heat.
• Pair with some lettuce leaves if you want to enjoy these wrap-style.
• Serve these with more Vietnamese dishes like these crepes or this banh mi sandwich.

Storing

To store your leftover Vietnamese egg rolls and noodles, store the pork and egg rolls in a separate container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave, then serve with the noodles and salad when ready for more!

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