Easy Vietnamese dinner recipes for a quick and filling meal you can make for your family after a busy day.
These recipes are perfect for weeknight meals as they can be either cooked in an hour or prepared ahead. The list has a mix of main and side dishes you can choose and combine to create a tasty and nourishing meal.
Traditional Vietnamese Meals
Typical Vietnamese meals for weeknights are usually quick and easy to prepare since it is common for both parents to work. When planning a meal, Viet people try to include a variety of tastes, textures, and colors while taking time limit into consideration.
Traditional family dinner usually has rice and several accompanying dishes. For a meal for 2-3 people, you should aim to have two dishes (though three dishes will be more ideal). Then add one extra dish per extra person.
The main dish usually has a deep savory flavor to eat together with rice. Other dishes are lighter or more delicate to keep the overall flavors of the meal in balance. Also keep in mind that Vietnamese meals often have a soup dish to help send the rice down.
Easy Vietnamese Dinner Recipes
1. Caramelized Pork Belly (Thit Kho)
Thit kho is a great example of classic Vietnamese family food. It may take up to 2 hours to cook, but you can make it ahead the day before, or make a big batch during the weekend and freeze.
2. Steamed Fish with Ginger, Scallion and Soy Sauce (Ca Hap)
By using fish fillets instead of a whole fish, the prepping and cooking process will become effortless. You can use grouper, red snapper, halibut, cod or even salmon for this recipe.
3. Beef & Potato Stir-fry (Bo Xao Khoai Tay)
This dish is my childhood favorite. It has a savory taste with flavorful beef and tender potato slices. We usually cook it as a main dish served with rice.
4. Grilled Pork Chops (Suon Nuong)
Another restaurant-style dish you can make at home. Marinate the pork chops in the morning and then all you need to do is to grill it in the evening for dinner. You can serve it with rice, a fried egg and perhaps a wedge of Vietnamese egg meatloaf.
5. Fried Tofu with Scallion and Fish Sauce (Dau Ran Tam Hanh)
A rustic side dish ready in 15-20 minutes. Crispy and piping hot fried tofu is dipped in scallion fish sauce mixture to soak up delicious flavors. You may also want to try this Vietnamese lemongrass tofu version.
6. Steamed Clams with Thai Basil and Lemongrass (Ngheu Hap Sa)
Many Vietnamese people love to start their dinner with a lightly cooked seafood dish that highlights the natural sweetness of the seafood.
7. Steamed Squid with Ginger and Scallion (Muc Hap)
Squid is another seafood that can benefit from steaming. Just make sure you don’t overcook the squid or it will become rubbery.
8. Rotisserie Chicken (Ga Roti)
Ga Roti features juicy chicken in a savory and lightly sweet sauce. You can use chicken drumsticks, thighs or whole chicken legs and marinate them in the morning. Then in the evening, you can put the dish together within an hour for dinner.
9. Fried Eggs and Tomatoes (Trung Chien Ca Chua)
This fried eggs and tomatoes is a light dish with lovely flavors to accompany any strongly-flavored main dish. Everything is cooked in one pan, and it takes just 10-15 minutes from start to finish.
10. Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)
An easy and delicious one-pan meal that doesn’t require a lot of effort. You can eat it with rice, or serve it with simple salad and fries on the side.
11. Tomato Egg Drop Soup (Canh Trung Ca Chua)
This simple egg drop soup is in the daily meal rotation of many busy families and college students or young adults who just move out in Vietnam. You can use silken tofu instead of eggs for a different variation.
12. Crab Fried Rice (Com Chien Cua)
Fried rice is always a crowd-pleaser. Crab fried rice may sound fancy but it is so quick and simple to make. If you need something even easier, try this garlic fried rice instead.
13. Bitter Melon and Egg Stir-fry (Kho Qua Xao Trung)
I will be honest here and say that this isn’t the crowd-pleaser type of dish. Bitter melon is an acquired taste because of its bitterness. Good news is the richness of eggs will help tone down its bitterness significantly in this recipe.
14. Beef Pasta Stir-fry (Nui Xao Bo)
Noodle stir-fry is always good for a quick and easy weeknight meal, especially when you are bored with eating rice. Nui Xao Bo consists of pasta, beef and any kinds of vegetables you like. Everything comes together in half an hour.
I’d love to hear what you think about the recipes, so please feel free to leave a comment. New recipes are added every week so let’s connect on Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates. You can find my collection of Vietnamese recipes here.
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