Juicy, fragrant Lemongrass Chicken infused with a dynamic marinade is stand-alone-delicious but also makes killer salads, wraps and zoodle/quinoa/rice bowls!
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken is not only marinated with lemongrass but red curry paste, Asian sweet chili sauce, garlic, ginger, basil, soy sauce and fish sauce for a tantalizing complex, can’t-stop-eating chicken! Once the marinating is complete, this chicken can be on your table in less than 15 minutes!
I am so in love with Asian cuisine from my Pad Thai to my Tandoori Chicken to my Panang Curry. I actually have to pace my recipes so you don’t only get Asian recipes in your inbox! Case in point, I’ve already made two more recipes with this Lemongrass Chicken to share with you because I am obsesssssssssed.
This Lemongrass Chicken is everything. I mean, just look at the marinade ingredients. I honestly don’t know if it gets any better and it’s so easy! Just marinate chicken, cook/grill and eat! Which makes this Lemongrass Chicken perfect for back-to-school hectic weeknight dinners when you don’t feel like cooking but tastes restaurant delicious. Gotta love the magic of marinades.
What Does Lemongrass Chicken Taste Like?
If you’ve never cooked with lemongrass before, don’t be intimidated! It is easy to use and adds a complex slightly sweet, pungent, and lemony taste. This Lemongrass Chicken is tangy, the perfect combo of sweet and sour with hints of lemon and herbs. You can make it as spicy as you like with 1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce being very mild and going up from there.
What is Lemongrass?
Lemongrass lives up to its name – it is perennial grass that grows in tropical climates with a pungent, lemony taste. It is widely used in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine and as a medicinal herb in India.
Lemongrass grows in clusters and can reach anywhere between six to ten feet in height but is chopped and sold in about 18” stalks. A stalk of lemongrass consists of a few layers of tough outer husks and a softer white core.
The tender white core is traditionally chopped or ground for marinades (like in our Lemongrass Chicken), curries or stir fries. The stalk of lemongrass can also be bruised to release its flavor and added to stews and soups like in my Tom Kha Gai Soup. Lemongrass can also be dried and powdered.
Where Can I Buy Lemongrass?
As the name Lemongrass Chicken implies – you need lemongrass for this recipe! Lemongrass can be found at Asian markets and often in the produce section of your grocery store. If your grocery store doesn’t have it, then specialty stores such as Sprouts and Whole Foods will carry it. If you don’t spot it right away, make sure you ask someone because it is fairly common and probably hiding somewhere.
How to Choose Lemongrass
Lemongrass Chicken is only as good as your lemongrass! When selecting lemongrass at the store, look for stalks that are firm but slightly pliable rather than soft and rubbery or dried out and brittle. Look for stalks that transition from pale yellow at the base to bright green in the husks and avoid stalks with leaves that are starting to brown.
How do you make lemongrass chicken?
Lemongrass Chicken is very, very simple to make. We are really just whisking together a bunch of marinade ingredients. The only question you might have is how to prep your lemongrass which I’ve detailed below:
- Trim Lemongrass. Trim the end off of the lemongrass and remove the tough outer husks – about 2-3 layers until you reach layers where the bottom is white and tender.
- Chop lemongrass. Chop the white bottom section of lemongrass up until it gets tough – about the bottom third/5” of the lemongrass stalk.
- Chop some more. After chopping the lemongrass off the stalk- chop some more so it’s chopped and not left in round sections. You don’t need to worry about finely dicing though because we want the pieces large enough to pick out once cooked if needed. I didn’t have to do this as all my lemongrass came off as I cooked my chicken.
- Whisk marinade together. Add all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl or Ziploc bag (whatever you are going to marinate your chicken in).
- Pound Chicken. Pounding chicken to an even thickens not only helps tenderize the chicken but ensures the chicken cooks evenly. Even cooking eliminates dryness caused from overcooking the chicken in order to make sure the thickest part is cooked at the peril of the thinnest.
- Add chicken to marinade. Add chicken and massage marinade into chicken so it’s evenly coated.
- Marinate. Marinate Lemongrass Chicken 30 minutes at room temperature up to 24 in the refrigerator – the longer the better!
- Let chicken rest. Let your chicken sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before cooking so it will cook more evenly.
- Cook. You can grill or cook this Lemongrass Chicken on the stovetop per recipe instructions, both work fabulously well.
Lemongrass Chicken Breasts
I know many of you are going to ask if you can use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs for this Lemongrass Chicken – and the answer is yes! I chose chicken thighs because they are more commonly used in authentic Lemongrass Chicken, are inherently juicier and reheat better but chicken breasts will still work.
If you choose to use chicken breasts then I would pound the to an even thickness before marinating. If your chicken breasts are extra large, then slice them through the equator to create fillets.
How to Serve Lemongrass Chicken
Lemongrass Chicken is divine just with a hot side of rice, zoodles or cauliflower rice and some stir fried or fresh veggies. It would also be delicious in a wrap, or on top of a salad.
You can also make a Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry by slicing your chicken before you marinate it. If you do this, then I wouldn’t marinate the chicken longer than 8 hours.
But my favorite way to serve Lemongrass Chicken is in my Lemongrass Chicken Rice Bowls and Vietnamese Noodle Bowls – coming soon!
Looking for more Asian favorites?
LOOKING FOR MORE ASIAN RECIPES?
- Beef Bulgogi Korean Tacos with Asian Pear Mango Slaw
- Peanut Sesame Noodles
- Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken
- Ginger Hoisin Chicken
- Sweet Chili Teriyaki Chicken
WANT TO TRY THIS LEMONGRASS CHICKEN RECIPE?
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Lemongrass Chicken
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Ingredients
- 2- 2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs pounded to an even thickness
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
MARINADE
- 1/4 cup minced shallots
- 3 tablespoons chopped lemongrass from white inner part of 2 stalks* (see note)***
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon Asian sweet chili sauce (optional)
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1-3 teaspoons red chili paste* like Sambal Oelek
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
MARINADE
- Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl or Ziploc bag (whatever you are going to marinate your chicken in). *Reserve 3 tablespoons if making Vietnamese Noodle Bowls Recipe.* Add chicken to marinade and turn to evenly coat. Marinate 30 minutes at room temperature up to 24 in the refrigerator.
SKILLET DIRECTIONS
- If chicken has been refrigerated, let sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (time permitting).
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat (you may need to work in batches). Remove chicken from marinade and let excess marinade drip off. Add chicken and cook, undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, or until nicely browned on one side. Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook approximately 3-5 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through. Let chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing.
GRILL DIRECTIONS
- If chicken has been refrigerated, let sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (time permitting).
- Grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375-450°F. Remove chicken from marinade and let excess marinade drip off. Grill chicken undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should read 165 degrees F.) Let chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
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Kara says
I can’t tell you how much I love all your recipes, especially your chicken marinades! Your Greek chicken, buffalo chicken and chipotle chicken are all on heavy repeat over here. Thank you for making food with flavor!! I can’t wait to try this chicken!
Jen says
You made my day Kara, thank you so much! I’m so happy you’re loving my chicken marinade recipes! The worst insult someone could give me is to say my recipes are bland – haha – so I’m glad you appreciate flavor! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
mary beth says
This looks so flavorful. I thinking of marinating whole chicken thighs (bone in) then baking them. Do you think it would be equally good? Thank you, Mary Beth
Jen says
YES! I think that would be fabulous!
Sher Maryn LeBay says
This is a very flavorful dish and yes, I cut up a whole chicken and marinated it overnight. I eliminated the garlic because I try to eat low FODMAP foods, and garlic shows up in the chili paste I use. I also baked it on parchment paper. Anyway Jen, great recipe. I am using your tandori marinade on another cut up whole chicken tonight. Many thanks!
Jen says
mmmmm, a whole chicken sounds fantastic, love that idea! I hope you love the tandoori chicken marinade just as much!
Carol F. says
I love your recipes!!! Thank you for the tasty, healthy recipes. One thing I have noticed is that your recipe printouts do not have your name Carlsbad Cravings on them. You should get credit!
Jen says
Thank you so much Carol! That is so odd, mine says it at the top and bottom of the page when I push the print icon – is that the button you are using?
Tania says
Love this! lemongrass is amazing with chicken! Thank you for sharing this!
Jen says
You are so welcome! I hope you can try it soon!
Jaimie says
I made this yesterday and it was delicious….better than the Thai restaurant! I baked the thighs in the oven for 20 minutes and they were really juicy when served over coconut jasmine rice. Thanks for the tip on preparing the fresh lemongrass too.
Jen says
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment Jaimie! I’m thrilled the Lemongrass Chicken was a hit and they sound delicious with coconut jasmine rice!
stephanie says
Hello,
hoping to make this for the family so don’t want it to be spicy! Just wondering if I omit the sambal olek will it reduce the flavour somehow?
Thanks!
Jen says
Hi Stephanie, I wouldn’t omit the chili sauce – it makes it flavorful but not spicy. If you are really concerned then you can reduce the amount but yes, omitting it will reduce the flavor.
laura power says
Did you reserve some of the lemon grass chicken marinade to serve over your noodle bowls ? Or did you just serve the lemon grass chicken over rice noodles and veggies ?
Jen says
Hi Laura, I made a separate dressing using some of the reserved marinade. I will post that full recipe this week!
Deb Blecha says
I ended up fusing the chicken, the Vietnamese noodle, and the chicken pad Thai recipes.. there was no lemongrass in my town, so found a lemongrass marinade, and I was out of basil, so added a heaping tablespoon of basil pesto. The finished product was a super flavorful delicious stir fry (I used part of a bag of broccoli slaw, and a handful of matchstick carrots with a sliced red pepper and sweet onion). Not sure if I will ever be able to recreate, but your recipes were the base of a freaking fantastic meal.
P.S. I started the butternut, sweet potato soup, but was too full to finish or eat it. It will be on the table with my second round of Vietnamese stir fry for tonight’s dinner. Thank you as always.
Jen says
Thanks for your awesome comment Deb, your fusion sounds absolutely fantastic!
Mariah says
Hello! I am wondering if you think this could work with pork instead of chicken? What cut of pork do you think would work best?
Jen says
Absolutely! I would use sliced pork tenderloin. Enjoy!
Mariah says
Thanks! We made pork noodle bowls tonight and they were great!
Jen says
This marinade sounds delicious on pork – yum!
Corinne says
This is hands-down the best marinade EVER!! I Meade it with pork tenderloins, beef, chicken and each time the BBQ’s at my house are a success!! I added “extra heat” with some sriracha and one chopped Thai chili, and a bunch of fresh Thai basil. This last ingredient adds extra sweetness that marries well with the head of the chillies!
Thanks for a great recipe and hugs from Berlin, Germany
Jen says
Thank you so much for your comment Corinne! That is awesome you’ve used this lemongrass marinade on so many types of proteins and I love your addition of heat and Thai basil – yum!
WILLIAM G KLETT says
Thank you for this delicious looking recipe! My local Vietnamese restaurant closed last summer and I was addicted to their Lemongrass Chicken. Now I have something to look forward to.
Jen says
You’re so welcome William! I hope this lemongrass chicken lives up to your favorite restaurant!
Mav says
Hi! I’m wondering if I can use this marinate and maybe make a curry? Perhaps add some chicken stock of water for consistency? Looks delicious and would love to try it!
Jen says
Yes, I think it would be delicious! It is very similar to my other curry recipes with a base of coconut milk. Please let me know how it turns out!
Yolanda says
Hi, not sure if my other question posted (I don’t see it) but it was about temp to cook in the oven. Well I figured that out. New question is can you freeze the cooked chicken?
Thanks
Jen says
Hi Yolanda, yes I just saw your other question- sorry I didn’t get to it in time! Yes, you can freeze the cooked chicken for up to three months.
Crissy says
Hi! I’m trying to make this recipe but don’t have Sambal Olek. Would the korean red paste or Chinese chili bean paste be a good substitute?
Jen says
Yes, the Korean paste would be great!
Chin says
Hi, I don’t have Thai red curry paste. Is there substitute? Or can I omit it?
Jen says
Unfortunately there isn’t a good substitute in this recipe.
Natalie Morine says
Absolutely delish recipe..salty, sweet & spicy!! So pleased to have found you..Many thanks from NZ..
Jen says
You’re so welcome Natale! Welcome to my site, I hope you find many favorites here!
jennifer says
I absolutely LOVED this chicken!! I did not make it into the bowl this time, but just made it with bok choy and rice. It was a huge hit, very flavourful even though I only had time to marinade it for 6 hours. Thanks for posting
Jen says
Thank you so much Jennifer! I love hearing this was a hit!
Winnie says
Hi,
I have a question. I can’t buy fresh lemongrass where I live but I have the lemongrass paste in a tube. How much would you say I can use as a substitute? Thanks!
Jen says
Hi Winnie, I would use 2 tablespoons lemongrass paste. Good luck!
Rosie says
This sounds awesome! Do you think I could safely freeze the raw chicken in the marinade in a freezer bag to create a make-ahead meal I could thaw and cook another day?
Jen says
Absolutely!
Lorelei says
Could you tell me if I can bake these in the oven as it’s easier if you’re having guests. Also what temperature would I bake them.
Thank you.
Jen says
Yes! Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 17-22 minutes or until your chicken thighs reach 170-175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
Chris says
This recipe sounds delicious! Is it possible to use dried lemongrass? If so, how?
Thanks.
Jen says
Hi Chris, in theory, you should be able to substitute 1 teaspoon ground for one stalk of fresh lemongrass, so 1 TBS in this recipe. Please let me know how it turns out!
Porscha says
Our new favourite meal.
This recipe is soooooo delicious.
We found it best doing it in the oven. Trying it on the BBQ next
Jen says
Thanks so much Porscha, I’m love hearing this recipe is repeat fav!
Heather Bart says
Hello! Could I use lemongrass paste instead of stalk or ground?
Jen says
Yes, I would use 2 tablespoons lemongrass paste. Good luck!
Hannah says
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for a quick and easy recipe, I will definitely be adding it to our regular rotation.
Jen says
Thanks so much Hannah, I’m so pleased it will be on repeat!
Kathy Hoos says
I made the Lemongrass Chicken tonight!! It was delicious! I used lemon grass paste 3 TBS. And let it marinade for about 5 hours. My husband loved it!!
Thank you!!
Jen says
You’re so welcome Kathy, I’m so pleased it was a hit!
Jodi says
I was a little intimidated by the long list of ingredients because I have a picky daughter, but even she loves everything on your site that we have tried so far. This chicken is no exception! It comes out so juicy and flavorful. My family loves it so much that I planted lemongrass in the garden this summer so we could prepare it more often! Thanks for the great recipes!
Jen says
I’m so pleased this lemongrass chicken was a huge success! That is commitment/the ultimate compliment when you plan on growing your own lemongrass next summer – thank you!
Michelle says
Hi. Can I use lemongrass paste for this instead and, if I do, how much would you suggest to use? Thank you.Looks delish.
Jen says
Yes, I would use 2 tablespoons lemongrass paste. Good luck!
Anne St Pierre says
Hi my marinade tastes very salty, have I made a mistake?
Jen says
The marinade will always taste much stronger than the final cooked dish, so I wouldn’t worry about it.
Sherri says
I made this recipe last night and it was delicious! I will be making this recipe again.
Jen says
Thanks, Sherri! I am so happy it’s a repeat!
Brian says
I made this for my wife’s birthday at her request. Everyone loved it and was still talking about it the next day. I added some skewered prawns on the side bbq’ed with the same marinade. I bbq’ed the chicken till golden brown and sliced in strips. I made a sauce of rice vinegar, fish sauce, sweet Chilli sauce brown sugar and red pepper flakes and lime juice. This is a watery liquid you can pour over all the ingredients when dished up. It was wow. I’m making again next week for other family members.
Jen says
Thank you so much, Brian, I am thrilled this was such a hit with everyone! Your additions sound fantastic and I am so pleased it is a birthday-request-worthy recipe!
jose says
is glutten free
Jen says
No, you will need to substitute the soy sauce for tamari and double check that the fish sauce, curry paste and chili sauce are gluten free.
Mary says
Just wanted to point out that lemongrass doesn’t just grow in Asia! In North America it is an annual grass (it doesn’t survive the winter, I guess unless you are in the south) found in many nurseries in the spring. I have it in my herb garden in Maine each summer and by this point in the season am looking for recipes to use it when I dig out the plant, and will try yours! I could also pull out stalks through the summer to use but somehow forget. It also looks nice amid the other plants like mint and rosemary and sage.
Jen says
Hi Mary! That is amazing that you have it growing right in your backyard! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Joannne says
Made it last night for friends and it was a hit. Takes a long time to prep all the veggies but well worth it! This is a keeper
Jen says
Happy to hear it was well worth it! I’m so glad it will be a repeat!
Brenda says
This was another great recipe, I couldn’t find lemon grass anywhere so used the paste form . Made it with chicken breast, delicious!
Jen says
Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that it was a hit!
Jen says
I love this recipe! I have made it several times. In an effort to speed up the process I coarsly chopped the ingredients and blended everything together in my bullet blender. Turned out great for me and definitely a time saver.
Jen says
Genius! Thank you so much for sharing, I am so glad it was a success!
Kat says
I made this tonight using home grown lemongrass and thai basil. I subbed in brown sugar substitute, sugar free sweet chili sauce, sriracha for sambal olek, and omitted the panang because I had none. Still amazing! Looking forward to trying again when I have red curry paste.
Jen says
Yum! I’m glad it turned out great!
Julie says
I’m not going to lie. When the meat started cooking, I thought it smelled so gnarly. I never cooked with some of the pastes and spices before, so I wasn’t used to the smell. I think it was mostly the sambal oelek. But it cooked out, and the meat started to smell good, and it tasted AMAZING. I will definitely be making this again. I tried it in the noodle bowls, and the flavors all pair so well. I already know it’s going to go so well with rice, too!
Jen says
Haha I’m glad that the end result was a lot more appetizing! Happy to hear that it will be a repeat!