Lemongrass chicken is flavorful Vietnamese grilled chicken. The chicken is packed with bright, savory flavor and is easy enough to make for weeknight dinners.
I first tried lemongrass chicken at a Vietnamese restaurant when we lived in in a small town in Kansas. We rarely ate out, but when we did, that restaurant was one of our favorite places to go.
Years later, I still crave the lemongrass chicken that I remember from those meals. Since I don’t have any Vietnamese restaurants nearby, I created this easy version to enjoy at home.
Made with just a few ingredients, it has the amazing flavors that made me fall in love with the dish in the first place and is easy enough to make at home on weeknights.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Lemongrass paste: I use the Gourmet Garden lemongrass paste that’s found in the grocery store by the fresh herbs. I prefer to use not to use fresh lemongrass because lemongrass stalks can be difficult to find.
- Soy sauce: I highly recommend using lite or reduced-sodium soy sauce so that the marinade isn’t too salty.
- Fish sauce: Fish sauce adds great umami flavor. It can be found by the soy sauce in most supermarkets. You can also find it an pretty much any Asian grocery stores.
- Honey: The little bit of honey adds a bit of balance to the salty marinade and helps with caramelization.
- Chicken: Feel free to substitute chicken thighs if you prefer.
How to make lemongrass chicken
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Stir together all of the marinade ingredients except chicken in a nonreactive container or large bowl.
Step 2: Add the chicken and toss to coat.
Step 3: Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
Step 4: Preheat your grill or grill pan if you’re cooking it on the stove to medium-high heat.
Step 5: Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes per sides, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken, so be sure to take the internal temp with an instant-read thermometer.
Step 6: Serve sliced cooked chicken over rice noodles with cucumber and carrot, cilantro, and a squeeze or two of fresh lime juice.
Recipe Tips!
- Marinate longer if possible: I like to put the chicken in the marinade in the morning, but even a short marinating time helps the chicken absorb more flavor.
- Don’t overcook the chicken: Cook just until done to keep the chicken juicy and tender.
- Pair with simple sides: Simple sides like rice, rice noodles, and fresh vegetables don’t compete with the bold flavors in the chicken.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
More flavorful chicken recipes!
If you’ve tried this Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
You can subscribe to receive my latest recipe newsletters or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or TikTok for even more delicious food.
Grilled Lemongrass Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ounces prepared lemongrass paste half a tube of lemongrass paste
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons lite soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 ½ – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Serving: rice noodles, chopped peanuts, cilantro, fresh lime wedges, julienned cucumbers and carrots
Instructions
- Stir together all of the ingredients except chicken in a nonreactive container.2 ounces prepared lemongrass paste, 5 garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons lite soy sauce, 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon honey, ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- Add the chicken.1 ½ – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Cover, and marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
- Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium-high.
- Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes per sides, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
- Serve, sliced, over rice noodles with cucumber and carrot, cilantro, and fresh limes.
Notes
- Lemongrass paste: I use the Gourmet Garden lemongrass paste that’s found in the grocery store by the fresh herbs. I prefer to use not to use fresh lemongrass because lemongrass stalks can be difficult to find.
- Soy sauce: I highly recommend using lite or reduced-sodium soy sauce so that the marinade isn’t too salty.
- Fish sauce: Fish sauce adds great umami flavor. It can be found by the soy sauce in most supermarkets. You can also find it an pretty much any Asian grocery stores.
- Honey: The little bit of honey adds a bit of balance to the salty marinade and helps with caramelization.
- Chicken: Feel free to substitute chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @i_heart_eating and follow on Youtube @katedean and Pinterest @katedean for more!
Reader Interactions
Leave A Reply!
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Love this recipe?
Share your thoughts below and let’s chat! Make sure to connect with me on your favorite social platform below and show me what you made!