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Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

This Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken recipe is made with the best citrusy lemongrass marinade and can be cooked on a BBQ plate, grill or in a pan. You could also make chicken kebabs with this recipe

Lemongrass, with its tangy, lemony, minty, slightly gingery flavour, is the starring ingredient here and somehow transforms a simple garlic-soy marinade into one that tastes fabulously fresh and light. And once it’s paired with lightly charred chicken, this slightly-sweet, savoury, citrusy combo is downright irresistible.

This dish is easy to cook – I served it for 16 guests recently alongside BBQ Pork Fillet with peanut sauce and Lemongrass, Lime Leaf and Chilli Baked Salmon

To accompany the chicken I served Coconut Jasmine Rice, a simple, fresh Vietnamese Salad and a very simple Cucumber and Mint Salad (recipe below)

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup lime juice, plus extra lime wedges for serving

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons soft brown sugar

2 tablespoons avocado oil (or any neutral-flavored oil)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

4 small garlic cloves

Coriander root/stems – if you buy a bunch of coriander, simply keep the stalks, cutting off the very end (you will logically use the coriander leaves in your Vietnamese Salad)

6-8 lime leaves, very finely chopped

2 stalks lemongrass, tender white parts only, roughly chopped or lemongrass paste – 3 tablespoons minimum

1 medium shallot, peeled and halved

1 kg chicken tenderloins or boneless thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces. Note that if you use thighs, they will take longer to cook

Nuoc Cham dressing – refer below  

Nuoc Cham dressing

1/3 cup of lime juice – try to use fresh if not too pricey

1/4 cup of fish sauce

1 red chilli (optional) – remove seeds and thinly slice

2 tbs soft brown sugar

1/4 cup of water

Combine the ingredients, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Taste and adjust flavours as you like

Cucumber and mint salad

3 or 4 Lebanese cucumbers, good handful of mint leaves and juice from 1 large lemon. Using a veg peeler, peel the cucumber into ribbons, add broken up mint leaves and squeeze in the lemon juice to taste. Mix and you are all done!

 

Cooking instructions

  1. Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime leaves, coriander roots, oil, soy sauce, black pepper, garlic, lemongrass and shallot in a blender or food processor or use a stick blender.  Puree until smooth.
  2. Combine the chicken and marinade in a large bowl.  Toss until the chicken is evenly coated.  Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat the BBQ plate to medium-high heat. 
  4. Once the plate is hot, place the chicken evenly. Cook for 2-3 minutes (6-8 minutes for thighs), turning two or three times, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Note that tenderloins take very little time to cook and if cooked for too long, the chicken gets dry
  5. Then serve warm, sprinkled with an extra squeeze of fresh lime juice (plus some thinly-sliced spring onions) if desired. 

Serves 4 generously