Easy & Simple Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
10 mins
-
Cook Time
6 mins
-
Total Time
16 mins
-
Servings
6
-
Calories
140 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
Vietnamese
Easy & Simple Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
Description
Chicken thighs are coated in a marinade blended into a smooth paste combining white parts of lemongrass, shallot, garlic, brown sugar, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, and black pepper. Marinating for at least an hour allows the flavors to penetrate. The chicken is cooked in batches over medium-high heat in vegetable oil to achieve a lightly charred exterior and moist interior with an internal temperature of 165°F. The pan is cleaned between batches to prevent burning flavors.
The accompanying nuoc cham sauce is a simple mix of water, sugar, fish sauce, minced garlic, and finely chopped red chili pepper. This sauce adds brightness, sweetness, and heat when serving with the chicken. The dish is balanced between the savory, tangy, and sweet flavors of the marinade and the fresh, spicy dipping sauce.
This preparation works well as a main dish served with steamed rice or noodles and vegetables. The chicken can be sliced for salads or rolls. It offers a thoughtful blend of Southeast Asian flavors without complicated steps.
For consistent cooking times, boneless skinless chicken breasts can substitute thighs if sliced thinner. The marinade paste should be smooth to avoid unpleasant lemongrass texture.
Ingredients
- 1.25 lb chicken thigh or substitute with chicken breast but see Notes below, skinless, boneless
- 1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Marinade
- 1 talk lemongrass use white parts only and do not use the green parts
- 1 shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar or palm sugar/coconut sugar/cane sugar
- 2 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce not dark soy sauce, regular
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Nuam Cham Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup water room temperature or cold
- ¼ cup granulated sugar white
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red chili pepper finely chopped
Instructions
- Into a blender or food processor, blend marinade ingredients until it's a smooth paste. There shouldn't be any large pieces of lemongrass or it'll be unpleasant to eat.
- Transfer skinless boneless chicken thighs to a large bowl or a resealable bag. Pour marinade over the chicken thighs and marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade shaking off any excess marinade. Fry chicken in small batches in a single layer giving each piece enough space. Cook chicken on the first side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and charred in some areas.
- Reduce to medium heat and flip chicken over and fry on the other side for 2 minutes until browned and juices run clear or an internal temperature of 165 F. Immediately remove cooked chicken from pan. Make sure to clean the pan of the burned marinade between batches and add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to fry the next batch.
- In a small bowl, combine Nước Chấm ingredients as listed together. Serve as a dipping sauce with chicken.
Notes
- Using thinly sliced skinless boneless chicken breast is recommended if you prefer white meat, ensuring even cooking times similar to thighs.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 140 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 140kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 6g | 2% |
| Protein | 19g | 38% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 0.02g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 90mg | 30% |
| Sodium | 725mg | 30% |
| Potassium | 303mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 0.2g | 1% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 27IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 21mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
