Lemongrass Chicken

Name: Lemongrass Chicken
Prep time: 1 h 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 5 pieces of chicken thighs, boneless; 2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped (approximately 1 cup); 5 cloves of garlic; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional); 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; cilantro, chopped (optional, for garnish)

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Pan-fried Lemongrass Chicken is a healthy, flavorful, and gluten-free dinner that is quick and easy to prep and cook in less than 25 minutes! This tender and juicy Vietnamese chicken is perfect for busy weeknights when you need something delicious on the table fast. But when you have a recipe this good, you will want to make it over and over again - any night of the week.

Pan-fried Lemongrass Chicken is a healthy, flavorful, and gluten-free Vietnamese dinner that is quick and easy to prep and cook in less than 25 minutes! | aheadofthyme.com

What is Lemongrass?

Lemongrass is a grass that originates in Asia and is used in many Asian cuisines. It has an incredible lemony aroma which fills the room when you are chopping it up. And just wait until you start cooking with it - the aroma is absolutely mouth-watering. It literally draws the whole family into the kitchen.

Not only does lemongrass smell amazing, but it tastes amazing. It has a powerful and delicious earthy lemony flavour with such a unique taste. So just imagine what lemongrass does to the marinade in this chicken recipe!

Why You Will Love This Lemongrass Chicken

Incredibly flavorful. The fresh lemongrass, garlic, and soy sauce make this dish explode with flavor. I swear it will taste just as good as your local restaurant, and it will cost way, way less!
Versatile protein. I'm always amazed by all the different ways you can cook and serve these lemongrass chicken thighs. Make some skewers, pop them on a banh mi sandwich, serve them over rice vermicelli noodles, or plate them with some steamed jasmine rice and your favorite fresh veggies. It's my go-to chicken marinade for any occasion!
Crowd-pleasing. This lemongrass chicken is always the star of the show. It's beloved by all ages in our house, including kids, and everyone will want seconds. Make a double or triple batch for large gatherings, and I promise you'll get several requests for the recipe!

Ingredient Notes

To make this delicious pan-fried Lemongrass Chicken, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

chicken thighs - Use skinless and boneless thighs in this recipe. If using bone-in thighs, then the cook time will have to be increased.
lemongrass - we need to finely chop fresh lemongrass for this recipe. When preparing lemongrass, only use the middle part of the stalk where the flavour is (the green part). Discard about 1 inch from the bottom and two inches from the top (there's no flavour in these parts).
garlic
soy sauce - you can also substitute with maggi sauce.
sesame oil
sugar - adds a little sweetness which helps to balance all the flavors.
black pepper
cayenne pepper - optional, for a spicy kick.
vegetable oil - for pan-frying the chicken. If you decide to grill the chicken instead, you don't need this.
cilantro - optional, to add when serving for garnish.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a large ziploc bag or bowl, and a skillet.

How to Make the Best Lemongrass Chicken

Marinate. In a ziploc bag (or mixing bowl), combine chicken, chopped lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and cayenne pepper, if using. (Note: To make things easy, I chopped up the lemongrass in a food processor). Seal and shake ziploc bag to evenly disperse marinade with the chicken. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but preferably for 2 hours.

Cook. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Place chicken on the skillet and cook for 7 minutes per side, or until each side is nicely browned and the internal temperature of the thighs is 165˚F (75˚C) as read on a meat thermometer.

Serve. Slice into strips and serve over a bowl of Steamed Rice and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top, if desired. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

How to Grill Lemongrass Chicken

You can also throw this chicken on the grill instead. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and grill for about 6-7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 F, as read on a meat thermometer.

Recipe Variations

Add some heat. Shake some cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes to the marinade for a spicy lemongrass chicken.
Try different proteins. For lemongrass beef, use flank steak, skirt steak, or a nice ribeye. You can also marinate pork chops to give them a major kick of Asian flavor. For a vegan option, marinate extra firm tofu and pan-fry in a large skillet until crispy and golden brown.
Use dark soy sauce. If you have this special soy sauce on hand, it'll give the lemongrass chicken a little extra sweetness and so much flavour. You can also add a splash of lime juice, too.
Change the texture. The chopped lemongrass gives the chicken a crunchy texture. If you don't like this texture, you can get the fresh lemongrass super fine by pouring the entire marinade into a blender and pulse until smooth. You can also use a combination of fresh lemongrass and lemongrass powder, or substitute with lemongrass powder completely.

How to Serve

This Lemongrass Chicken is delicious served on its own or over a bowl of rice, noodles, in a sandwich, or over a salad. Some of my favorite ways to serve this Vietnamese chicken with are:

Rice. Serve over a bowl of Steamed Rice or Coconut Rice and sprinkle some black sesame seeds on top. It is also delicious with a side of Pineapple Fried Rice.
In a sandwich. Make your own Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich by layering the fragrant lemongrass chicken with pickled daikon radishes and carrots, cucumbers, spicy mayo, and any fresh herbs you'd like on a crusty piece of French baguette. It's absolute heaven!
Serve over noodles. The marinated chicken tastes amazing with vermicelli rice noodles, fresh vegetables, and homemade nuoc cham sauce in a Vietnamese rice noodle bowl. It is also delicious over a bowl of Hand-Pulled Noodles.
Salad. Cut the chicken into slices and serve over a salad or on the side. Some delicious salads to pair this with are: Vegan Soba Noodle Salad, Asian Chopped Salad, and Chinese Garlic Cucumber Salad.
Make chicken skewers. Make lemongrass chicken skewers by cutting the chicken breasts or thighs into cubes and thread them on soaked bamboo skewers. Grill over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes per side or until it reaches 165 F (as read on a meat thermometer) in the thickest section.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Make sure to marinate the chicken. The key to this recipe, and the key to achieving tender, juicy chicken thighs every single time is the lemongrass marinade. You need to make sure that the chicken sits in the marinade for at least 1 hour (personally, I prefer 2 hours). So yes, although this is the perfect weeknight meal because it takes less than 25 minutes to prep and cook, you do need to think ahead about the time you need to allow the chicken to marinate.
Plan ahead. I suggest whipping up the marinade as soon as you get home from work, so that by the time dinnertime rolls around, you literally spend 14 minutes on the stove cooking the chicken. Or better yet, marinate the chicken the night before, or in the morning.
How to prepare fresh lemongrass. When preparing lemongrass, only use the middle part of the stalk where the flavour is (the green part). Discard about 1 inch from the bottom and two inches from the top (there's no flavour in these parts).

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Keep the leftover lemongrass chicken in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How to Reheat

Reheat on the stove with a little oil over medium heat until the chicken is heated through and crispy again. You can also reheat in the air fryer at 400 F for about 5 minutes until heated through.

How to Freeze

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container of freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, allow the chicken to defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then follow the reheating instructions above.

FAQ

What does lemongrass chicken taste like?

Lemongrass chicken has a cleansing, citrus aroma from the lemongrass with a sweet, savory scent from the soy sauce that caramelizes and concentrates in the hot pan. Because of this, it has a meaty, umami flavor and a subtle sweetness with just enough bite from the pepper and spices. Pan frying gives each bite of chicken a really flavorful crust on the outside and tender, juicy meat on the inside. It's the star of any meal!

How long to marinate lemongrass chicken?

For the best flavor, marinate your chicken for at least 1 hour, but ideally 2. Thirty minutes is the bare minimum. The lemongrass paste needs time to work its flavor into each bite of chicken.

Is lemongrass chicken gluten-free?

It depends on the specific recipe you follow. Most versions include soy sauce, which can include wheat. For gluten-free lemongrass chicken, you'll need to use wheat-free soy sauce or tamari.

More Vietnamese Recipes

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