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4.8 from 12 votes

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

Juicy and flavorful grilled chicken thighs marinated with lemongrass, palm sugar, Thai chili, and fish sauce. Enjoy with homemade chili sauce. 

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 484 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

  • 2 talks lemongrass
  • 2 tsp cilantro (coriander) (stems, minced)
  • 2-4 Thai chilies
  • ½ tsp white pepper powder
  • 3 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Thai palm sugar (or use light brown sugar)
  • 6-8 chicken thighs
  • 2 Japanese or Persian cucumbers
For Homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp red chilies (finger-length; minced)
  • ½ Thai chili (minced)
  • ½ Tbsp garlic (minced)
  • ¾ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp fish sauce
  • 6 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
  • ¼ cup water (4 Tbsp)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Gather all the ingredients.
To Marinate the Chicken
  1. Remove the outer skin of lemongrass till you see the tender inner part. We only need the bottom third and slice it thinly. Mince cilantro stems.
  2. Rinse and score the chicken pieces, at the thickest part, lightly with a knife.
  3. Chop Thai chilies and Thai palm sugar into small pieces.
  4. Make a coarse paste with the lemongrass, cilantro stems, chilies, and peppercorns using a mortar and pestle (or a mini-food processor).
  5. Mix in the fish sauce and palm sugar until the sugar dissolves.
  6. Coat the chicken with this spice paste. I put the spice paste and chicken in a Ziploc bag. Marinate in the fridge for at least one hour. Marinating chicken overnight always improves the flavor and tenderization.
To Grill the Chicken
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-low heat. Slowly grill the chicken, turning often until cooked through and golden brown all over. Alternatively you can rotisserie, bake, or broil this chicken until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165ºF (75ºC). We have a gas grill, but we also like cooking on a grill over charcoal so the flavor is good.
To Make Homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
  2. Boil over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the mixture has reduced to 1 cup (240 ml). It might be still runny and not syrupy, but it will thicken further as it cools. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 months.
To Serve
  1. Serve with wedges of cucumber to snack on and a bowl of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce for dipping.
To Store
  1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.

Notes

  • Chili: Be careful when handling fresh peppers in case you are allergic. Peppers can cause really painful burns to your skin (It happens to me! More info here).

Nutrition Information

Calories 484kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 28g (9%) Protein 29g (58%) Fat 28g (43%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 6g Monounsaturated Fat 12g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 166mg (55%) Sodium 952mg (40%) Potassium 560mg (16%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 23g (46%) Vitamin A 421IU (8%) Vitamin C 40mg (44%) Calcium 35mg (4%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 484

% Daily Value*

Calories 484kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 28g 9%
Protein 29g 58%
Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat 12g 60%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 166mg 55%
Sodium 952mg 40%
Potassium 560mg 12%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 23g 46%
Vitamin A 421IU 8%
Vitamin C 40mg 44%
Calcium 35mg 4%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.