Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken marinated in lemongrass and aromatic spices, stir-fried until golden and served with steamed rice.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Marinade

02 - 3 stalks fresh lemongrass, white part finely minced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 shallots, minced
05 - 1 red chili, finely sliced
06 - 2 tbsp fish sauce
07 - 1 tbsp soy sauce
08 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
09 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
10 - 0.5 tsp ground black pepper

→ For Cooking

11 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
12 - 1 small onion, thinly sliced
13 - 2 spring onions, sliced for garnish

→ To Serve

14 - Steamed jasmine rice
15 - Fresh cucumber slices
16 - Lime wedges

# How-to Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, combine the chicken with lemongrass, garlic, shallots, chili, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, and black pepper. Toss well to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator for deeper flavor.
02 - Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes.
03 - Add the marinated chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 8–10 minutes.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Remove from heat.
05 - Serve hot, garnished with spring onions, alongside steamed jasmine rice, cucumber slices, and lime wedges.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • The marinade creates this incredible depth of flavor that tastes like you spent hours on it, but it comes together in under 15 minutes of active prep
  • Chicken thighs stay impossibly juicy even after high heat stir-frying, so you never have to worry about dry meat
  • The balance of salty fish sauce, sweet brown sugar, and bright lemongrass hits every single craving point in one bite
02 -
  • Crowding the pan will steam the chicken instead of searing it, so cook in batches if your wok isnt big enough
  • Lemongrass stalks are tough, so mince it very finely or pulse it in a food processor to avoid stringy bits in your finished dish
  • The sugar in the marinade can burn quickly, so keep the chicken moving once you add it to the hot pan
03 -
  • If you can only find large lemongrass stalks, use only the tender white bottom 6 inches and save the tops for making tea or broth
  • Pounding the chicken pieces lightly before marinating helps them absorb more flavor and cook more evenly
  • Room temperature chicken sears better than cold, so take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking

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