Juicy, aromatic, and packed with citrusy lemongrass flavor-this Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken is one of those recipes you'll crave again and again. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal or your next backyard BBQ. Air fry it, grill it, or bake it - whatever works for you!
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Meal Planning Tips
This Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken is amazing for meal prep. Here's what I do.
- Marinate Ahead of Time: Double the marinade and store raw chicken in the fridge for up to 24 hours, or freeze it in the marinade for later use.
Use the extra marinade for other proteins like pork chops or chicken wings. - Cook in Batches: Air fry or grill all the chicken at once, then portion it into containers with rice or noodles and veggies for easy grab-and-go meals all week.
- Store Nuoc Cham sauce separately: If serving with dipping sauce (like nuoc cham), store it in a small container to keep everything fresh and avoid soggy leftovers.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Chicken thighs → Use chicken drumsticks, chicken wings, chicken breasts, boneless pork, or extra-firm tofu for a vegetarian option.
White onion → Use any onion, like yellow onion or shallots.
Garlic cloves → Use garlic paste, roasted garlic, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder per clove.
Grapeseed oil → Use avocado oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, not olive oil. Any neutral oil will work.
Minced lemongrass (frozen) → You can get the frozen ones in any Asian market. If using fresh lemongrass, put it in the food processor with the onion so it gets finely minced. Lemongrass paste will work too.
Soy sauce → Use tamari (gluten-free) or coconut aminos (soy-free).
Fish sauce → Use more soy sauce or vegetarian fish sauce.
Sugar → Use brown sugar, honey, agave, maple syrup, or coconut sugar. Any sweetener will work.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Lemongrass Chicken
- Step 1: Buy frozen preminced lemongrass to save time.
- Step 2: Blend the onion, garlic and oil.
- Step 3: Lemongrass Marinade.
- Step 4: Marinate the chicken.
- Step 5: Air fry, bake or grill.
- Step 6: Nuoc Cham for the dipping sauce!
only 5 minutes!
Nuoc Cham
This is my friends mom's recipe. It is tried and true and so easy to make.
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Food Processor or blender
How to store and reheat
To store:
Let the chicken cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
To reheat:
- Air fryer: 350°F for 5-7 minutes
- Oven: 350°F for 10-12 minutes
Lemongrass Chicken recipe - FAQs
Yes! Fresh lemongrass works beautifully. Just make sure to finely mince the tender inner stalks (white part only) to avoid a stringy texture. Frozen pre-minced lemongrass is just a time-saving shortcut.
Marinate for at least 30 minutes, but overnight in the fridge is best for maximum flavor. The longer it marinates, the more aromatic and tender the chicken becomes.
Absolutely! Bake it at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and slightly golden. You can also broil for the last 2-3 minutes for added char.
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Nuoc Cham recipe
This takes only 5 minutes to make!
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Blend the aromatics: In a blender or food processor, combine the white onion, garlic cloves, and grapeseed oil. Blend until smooth.
- Make the marinade: In a large bowl, combine the blended onion, garlic mixture with minced lemongrass, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper.
- Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for best flavor.
- Air Fry (or grill/bake):
- Air Fryer: Preheat to 380°F. Arrange the chicken in a single layer and air fry for 16-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and cooked through.
- Grill: Grill over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes per side, or until nicely charred and cooked through.
- Oven: Bake at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, or until internal temp reaches 165°F.
- Serve with jasmine rice, vermicelli noodles, or pickled carrots and daikon, and cucumbers. Add nuoc cham sauce on the side.
Nutrition
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Mention @eatwithcarmen in all social platformsFood safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Amy Le says
I'm Vietnamese and I can say this recipe is legit. Flavor hits 🎯