Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

Savor the bold, zesty flavor of Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken: crispy, fragrant, and irresistibly aromatic!

Jump to:

• Why Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Tastes Smoky, Sweet and Citrusy
• What Goes Into the Lemongrass Marinade and the Nước Chấm
• How to Make Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken, Step by Step
• Caramelized Edges Without Burning the Marinade
• Building the Bowl: Rice, Vermicelli, Herbs and Wraps
• Tofu, Pork, Chicken Breast and More Heat
• Marinating Ahead, Leftovers and Freezing
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

Why Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Tastes Smoky, Sweet and Citrusy

Three things are doing the work here: fresh lemongrass, fish sauce, and sugar. The lemongrass brings the citrusy, floral note, the fish sauce brings salt and depth, and the honey and brown sugar caramelize in the pan to give you those dark, sticky edges.

In Vietnam the dish is gà nướng sả, which simply means grilled chicken with lemongrass. It is street food and roadside grill food, strongest in southern Vietnam, and it is the chicken in bún gà nướng (bun ga nuong), the vermicelli bowl you order with a saucer of dipping sauce on the side.

The method is simple. Marinate boneless chicken thighs, then cook them hot enough to caramelize but not so hot the sugar burns. Pan, grill pan or outdoor grill all work, and an air fryer will get you there too.

What makes it a meal is what goes around it: rice or rice vermicelli, a pile of herbs, pickled carrot, and nước chấm (nuoc cham), the sweet, salty, sour dipping sauce. Browse more Vietnamese recipes if you want to build a whole table around it.

What Goes Into the Lemongrass Marinade and the Nước Chấm

Chicken

• Boneless chicken thighs - Juicy, forgiving, and hard to overcook. Breasts work, with a shorter cooking time.

Marinade

• Lemongrass, finely minced (white part only) - The signature citrusy, floral punch. Peel the dry outer layers, bruise the stalk with a mortar and pestle to release the oils, then mince the pale part finely. Fresh stalks beat lemongrass paste, which tastes flat by comparison.
• Shallots, finely minced - A sweet, mellow base under the bolder flavors.
• Garlic cloves, minced - Warmth and bite.
• Fresh ginger, grated - Brightens the whole marinade.
• Oyster sauce - Rich and glossy, and it helps the marinade cling.
• Soy sauce - Salt and color.
• Fish sauce - The savory, briny backbone. This is the one ingredient not to skip.
• Honey - Shine, plus the charred edges when it hits the heat.
• Brown sugar - More sweetness and more body in the marinade.
• Neutral oil - Carries the flavors and spreads them evenly over the chicken.

Nước Chấm (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

• Warm water - Dissolves the sugar and softens the sauce so it is a dip, not a seasoning.
• Sugar - The sweet side of the sweet, salty, sour balance.
• Fish sauce - The salty side.
• Lime juice - The sour side, and it keeps the sauce tasting fresh.
• Garlic, finely minced - A subtle bite through the sweet and sour.
• Bird's eye chili, finely chopped (adjust to taste) - The heat. Start with less than you think you want.

Nuoc cham is better made ahead. Mix it, taste it, and let it sit in a jar in the fridge while the chicken marinates so the garlic and chili have time to come forward. It keeps for days and goes on everything, noodle bowls, rice bowls and salads included.

How to Make Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken, Step by Step

1. Marinate the chicken: In a mixing bowl, combine lemongrass, shallots, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, brown sugar, and neutral oil. Mix well. Add the chicken thighs and coat them thoroughly in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight for maximum flavor. Use a shallow dish so every piece sits in the marinade, and turn the chicken once if it is in there a long time.

2. Make the nước chấm: In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice. Add minced garlic and chili. Taste and adjust:
   • More lime for tartness
   • More sugar for sweetness
   • More chili if you like it spicy
   • More water if it tastes too salty
   Set it aside, or refrigerate it if you made it the day before.

3. Cook the chicken: Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Lightly oil the pan if needed. Place the marinated chicken thighs smooth side down. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes on the first side until caramelized and golden. Flip and cook the other side for another 5 to 6 minutes, or until cooked through and slightly charred around the edges. For the best glaze, spoon some of the leftover marinade over the chicken in the final minute.

4. Rest and serve: Let the chicken rest for 2 to 3 minutes so the juices settle, then slice or serve whole. Serve over steamed jasmine rice with pickled vegetables or cucumber slices, and drizzle with nuoc cham or put it on the side for dipping.

Caramelized Edges Without Burning the Marinade

There is honey and brown sugar in this marinade, so the thing that goes wrong is scorching, not undercooking. Medium heat is deliberate. On a screaming hot pan the sugar blackens long before the thigh is cooked through.

Give each piece room. A crowded pan steams the chicken instead of browning it, and you lose the crust entirely. Cook in batches if you have to, and wipe the pan between batches if burnt marinade is building up.

On an outdoor grill, preheat and oil the grates, lay the chicken down and leave it alone until it releases. Flip once. Thighs are comfortable taken to an internal temperature of 175°F, which is past the safe point and into the range where the connective tissue has softened.

Then rest it for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing. Cut straight away and the juices end up on the board instead of in the chicken.

Building the Bowl: Rice, Vermicelli, Herbs and Wraps

Jasmine rice is the easy answer and it soaks up the dipping sauce. For something lighter, go with rice vermicelli, which is what makes it a bún gà nướng bowl rather than a rice plate.

Layer the rice or noodles first, then the sliced chicken, then the fresh things: cilantro, mint and Thai basil, shredded carrot, pickled vegetables, cucumber. The crunch and the acidity are what cut the richness of the caramelized marinade, so they are not optional garnish. Finish with nuoc cham poured over or served alongside. A plate of Vietnamese garlic noodles works under the chicken too if you want something richer than vermicelli.

For a hands-on dinner, set out rice paper and let everyone roll their own: chicken, herbs, lettuce, pickled radish, crushed peanuts, and a bowl of nuoc cham to dip into. It is messy and it feeds a table well.

Or skip the starch and build a salad: leafy greens, shredded carrot, cucumber, peanuts, and the nuoc cham thinned with a little extra water as the dressing.

Tofu, Pork, Chicken Breast and More Heat

Chicken breast. It works, it just has no margin for error. Slice it thin so the marinade reaches the middle and pull it off the heat as soon as it is cooked through.

Tofu or mushrooms. Press firm tofu to get the water out, then marinate it exactly the same way. Oyster and shiitake mushrooms, sliced thick, give you something meatier. For a fully plant based version, swap the fish sauce and oyster sauce for their vegan equivalents in both the marinade and the nuoc cham.

Pork. The same lemongrass and fish sauce marinade is the backbone of Vietnamese lemongrass pork chops, so if you like this one, that is the next thing to cook.

More heat. Chopped bird's eye chili, chili garlic sauce or Sriracha in the marinade, more chili in the nuoc cham, or a side of Vietnamese chili garlic paste for the people at the table who want it.

Marinating Ahead, Leftovers and Freezing

This is a good dish to get ahead on, because the marinating time is the long part and it is doing the work for you. Marinate the chicken the night before, and keep raw marinated chicken in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking it.

Cooked chicken keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the herbs and the noodles separately so they stay crisp, and keep the nuoc cham in its own jar.

To reheat without drying it out, add a splash of water and warm it in a hot skillet or the microwave just until heated through. Then rebuild the bowl with fresh herbs and sauce rather than reheating the whole assembled thing.

It also freezes. Cooked chicken holds for up to 3 months in an airtight container, which makes a batch of this a reasonable meal prep box with rice, vermicelli or slaw, a lime wedge, and a small cup of nuoc cham.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make It Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can marinate the chicken overnight and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking.

Is This Recipe Gluten-Free?

Yes, just use gluten-free soy sauce and double-check your fish sauce and oyster sauce labels to make sure they are safe.

Can I Freeze Lemongrass Chicken?

Yes, cooked chicken freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

What if I Can't Find Lemongrass?

If fresh lemongrass isn't available, you can use lemongrass paste or frozen stalks in a pinch.

What Goes in a Vietnamese Chicken Bowl?

It's usually grilled chicken over rice vermicelli with shredded carrots, fresh herbs, pickled vegetables, and a drizzle of nước chấm.

And that's it. Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken, about 25 minutes of actual cooking once the marinade has done its work overnight. It is one of those recipes that earns its place in the regular rotation, and it is in our full round-up of Asian chicken recipes if you want more like it.

I can't wait to see your versions of this dish! If you give it a try, tag me on Instagram (@geniuseatss) and show me how it turned out. I love seeing your creativity in the kitchen, it seriously makes my day. You guys rock!

Happy cooking, and I'll catch you in the next one!

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