Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

4 hours 30 mins Prep Time

30 mins Cook Time

Written By

Vicky Tran

Lemongrass chicken is easily one of the top five most well known Vietnamese dishes and with good reason. Very easy to prepare with a handful of Vietnamese pantry ingredients, and I hesitate to use the term “one marinade fits all,” but there isn’t really much that this multi-purpose marinade would not work on. Traditionally this recipe sees the meats cooked on a grill (charcoal to boot!) and basted with homemade caramel sauce but this recipe is adapted for the home cook who may not have access to a charcoal grill or need to keep caramel sauce handy for cooking. I’ve subbed out the grill for a well-heated cast iron pan and the caramel for brown sugar and both modifications seem to work very well. Best served over freshly steamed rice or on top of vermicelli bowls loaded with crunchy vegetables and pickles. Be warned, though: the sweet and smoky aroma coming off of this chicken while cooking will be like a homing device for some potentially unsolicited and curious mouths!

Ingredients

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons lemongrass (white parts only), finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, washed
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for cooking
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 lime, cut into wedges (to garnish)

Nước Chấm Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup water, hot
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (optional)
1 garlic clove, finely minced

Directions

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

7 Steps

Step 1

To prepare the dipping sauce: in a small bowl, combine the hot water with the sugar and mix until the sugar dissolves. Add in the lime juice, fish sauce, sambal oelek and minced garlic clove, stir to combine and set aside. This can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Step 2

Prepare the marinade for the chicken: in a mixing bowl combine the chopped shallots, chopped garlic, chopped lemongrass, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and the vegetable oil. Stir until even then mix in the chicken thighs making sure each piece is coated with the marinade, cover and allow to marinate for 4-6 hours refrigerated, ideally overnight.
Step 3

When it is time to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess bits and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess marinade away.
Step 4

Heat a large cast iron pan or skillet on medium high heat. While the pan is preheating, split the washed scallions in half vertically (from the white root to the green tips) then cut into 4"-inch pieces. Toss with a small splash of canola oil.
Step 5

Once the pan has come up to temperature, transfer the oiled scallion pieces to the pan and arrange in a single layer. Cook until charred approximately 1 minute per side, remove and set aside.
Step 6

Wipe down the pan and turn the heat of the pan down to medium. Add in enough vegetable oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Working in batches so as to not overcrowd the pan if necessary, begin placing the marinated chicken thighs in a single layer into the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes until evenly browned and caramelized. Flip over to the remaining side then cover with a tight fitting lid and continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes until cooked through.
Step 7

Transfer to serving platter, garnish with the charred scallions, lime wedges and serve with the nước chấm dipping sauce.