Vietnamese Main Dish Recipes

Vietnamese main dishes are a central part of a meal and are usually served alongside rice or noodles. Depending on the type of meal–casual and at-home or festive and communal–they can stand alone or be the part of a multi-course fare. From more well known dishes like Shaking Beef (Bò Lúc Lắc) to something more humble like Fried Tofu in Tomato Sauce (Đậu Sốt Cà Chua), Vietnamese mains are refreshingly diverse in style and texture.

Whether it is soup, rice or noodle dish, our main dish recipes are sure to deliver the distinctive, satiating and nutrient-rich flavor you expect from Vietnamese food.

To me, the lines between what makes an authentic Vietnamese recipe a main dish vs an appetizer or snack is blurred. There are many dishes like fresh spring rolls, or egg rolls, or banh cuon, or even banh mi, that you could categorize as a side dish or a snack.

But what if you have five spring rolls? or add some egg rolls to noodles with dipping sauce, or easily double your banh cuon recipe and add cha lua to it? Instant meal in my opnion. All the Vietnamese main dishes below are things I eat as main dishes, but some are also great as appetizers too!