• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Pups with Chopsticks
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Ingredients
  • How-To
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Asian Ingredients Guide
  • How-To
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Asian Ingredients Guide
    • How-To
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Course

    Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

    May 19, 2023 • Author: Joyce Lee • 8 Comments • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    5 from 25 votes

    This Grilled Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken recipe is incredibly quick and easy to prepare, loaded with flavor from the lemongrass chicken marinade and grilled to perfection to give you a delicious sweet and savory, juicy grilled chicken that can be served in many different ways.

    Vietnamese lemongrass chicken on a green plate with tomatoes and cucumbers
    Table of Contents
    • What is Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken and How Does It Tastes?
    • Ingredients for Lemongrass Chicken
    • What is Lemongrass and How Do I Buy It?
    • How to Make Lemongrass Chicken
    • Tips
    • How to Serve Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
    • FAQs
    • More Vietnamese Recipes You May Like
    • Did You Make This Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Recipe?
    • Recipe Card

    What is Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken and How Does It Tastes?

    Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken is a flavorful grilled chicken dish, marinated in garlic, shallots, lemongrass, fish sauce and sugar.

    You can commonly find this popular dish in Vietnamese restaurants served with rice (or vermicelli noodles) and a side of sweet and tangy nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce).

    This grilled chicken dish is not only easy to make at home, but also incredibly delicious and juicy and moist. In fact, it's one of the most flavorful ones I've ever tried and a favorite at BBQ gatherings.

    If you're looking for a few delicious grilled meat recipes for a BBQ gathering, I also love making grilled Vietnamese lemongrass pork chops (Thit Heo Nuong Xa) which uses the same marinade but uses pork shoulder chops instead, and Vietnamese nem nuong sausages which is a sweet and savory sausage without the casing that has a lot of garlicky flavors and incredibly texture.

    Ingredients for Lemongrass Chicken

    Mise en place for lemongrass chicken (boneless chicken thighs, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, shallot, garlic cloves, lemongrass)
    • Chicken - For this Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe, I prefer using dark meat (my favorite is boneless chicken thighs or deboned chicken drumsticks) because it's juicier and has more flavor, but white meat such as chicken breast will also work but make sure you don't overcook it so that it stays moist and tender. I also like to go for boneless chicken as it cooks up faster. But if you do go with bone-in chicken, just make sure to grill it a bit longer to ensure it's cooked through.
    • Lemongrass - This aromatic is the star of this recipe. You can find stalks of fresh lemongrass or pre-chopped (and frozen) in the freezer section at any Asian grocery store.
    • Garlic - To make this lemongrass chicken incredibly flavorful, garlic is a must-have and should not be skipped.
    • Shallots - I like to use shallots for extra flavor in the marinade. If you cannot find shallots, you can substitute it with a small onion.
    • Fish Sauce - It's important to use fish sauce in this Vietnamese chicken dish, so it's not recommended to replace it with any other ingredient. You can find this at any Asian grocery store or online.
    • Soy Sauce - I use dark soy sauce (or mushroom soy sauce) to give the chicken a bit more color. If you don't have it, you can substitute it with regular soy sauce but it might not have that brown color after it has been grilled.
    • Sugar - Any type of sweetener (honey, brown sugar etc.) will work for this recipe.

    What is Lemongrass and How Do I Buy It?

    Lemongrass stalks on a woden table

    Lemongrass is a tall grassy herb that is native to Asia. It has a very mild citrus flavor but has more of a citrus aroma (once bruised) than strong citrus flavor.

    It is a very woody and tough herb and is mainly used for its oils for flavor, which is why we need to bruise or chop it very finely before adding it to marinades, soups, and stews.

    Lemongrass is very common in Asian grocery stores and when you are shopping for them, there 2 main forms they come in: fresh stalks and frozen pre-grounded.

    If you are buying fresh stalks, look for firm stalks that are not dried out. You shouldn't be able to bend them easily. The lower half of the lemongrass stalk should be a creamy light yellow color and as you go up the stalk they become greener.

    You want to avoid any lemongrass stalks with brown outer leaves because it means they are dried out.

    You can store lemongrass in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or keep them in the freezer in an ziplock bag for up to 8 months.

    How to Make Lemongrass Chicken

    Preparing Vietnamese lemongrass chicken is a breeze as this recipe only requires four simple steps from start to finish. Lets start!

    Prepare the Marinade

    Cutting board with lemongrass being chopped, and shallots and garlic being grated.

    To make this lemongrass chicken marinade, we start by finely chopping or grating the garlic and shallots. You can also blitz this in a food processor with the lemongrass.

    To prepare the lemongrass, remove the first outer layer of the stalk, then cut off the dry tips at the top and the thick hard base at the end. We only want to use the tender parts of the lemongrass.

    You can finely chop it by hand or blitz it in a food processor with the chopped shallots and garlic.

    Closeup of lemongrass on a cutting board being finely chopped.

    If you use a food processor, you still want to make sure the pieces are finely chopped before adding in since the lemongrass stalks are still fibrous.

    Food processor with small chunks of lemongrass and shallots
    Food processor with lemongrass and shallots that have been blitzed and are in fine bits.

    Marinate the Chicken

    A large metal bowl with lemongrass chicken being marinated in it.

    Once all the aromatics are finely chopped (or blended), add it to a bowl with the chicken and the rest of the marinade ingredients (fish sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and water) and marinade it for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature or overnight for 24 hours for the best flavor.

    If you want to make this spicy, you can add a tablespoon or two of sriracha or add 1 finely chopped Thai chili to the chicken marinade.

    Remove the Aromatics from the Chicken Before Grilling

    A large metal plate with aromatics removed from the chicken and drizzled with oil.

    It's very important to remove as much as the aromatics from the chicken before you grill it so that it doesn't burn as easily. At this point, you won't need it because the marinade would have penetrated the chicken already.

    Give the chicken a light coat of oil (I like to use vegetable oil or avocado oil) by drizzling oil over it and using your hands to rub it all over. This will prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill.

    Grill the Lemongrass Chicken

    Vietnamese lemongrass chicken being grilled on a hot grill

    Since there is a lot of sugar in the marinade, you only need to set the BBQ to medium heat, instead of high heat.

    You will still get the char, but it will cook at a slightly slower pace so that the chicken doesn't burn before the center is down.

    It takes about 12-15 minutes to fully cook a ¼ inch thick piece of boneless dark meat chicken. If you are using any other cut of chicken that is thicker, you may need to grill it for longer it.

    After you cleaned the BBQ and oiled it, start by placing the chicken skin side down first and let it sear for about 2-3 minutes (lid up). Once the skin has charred nicely, flip the chicken and close the lid and cook it for about 5-8 minutes.

    Open the lid again, and check if the chicken is done. If it's not, cook it for longer. If it's done but you want a bit more char on the skin, flip the chicken again so its skin side down for a minute.

    Once the chicken is down, take it off the BBQ and let it rest for about 5 minutes before you slice them into small pieces. I like to use this time to make the nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce) for this dish.

    A green plate with Vietnamese lemongrass chicken thighs served with a few slices of cucumbers and tomato.

    Tips

    • If you want a more flavorful lemongrass chicken dish, consider using dark meat like chicken thighs and drumsticks as they have more fat and is a lot more juicier, which makes it a lot more delicious.
    • Use boneless chicken to so that it cooks more quickly and evenly.
    • To prevent burning on the barbecue, it's best to remove the chunks of lemongrass and garlic from the chicken marinade before grilling. Scraping them off will do the trick. Don't worry about losing flavor as the marinade is still very flavorful and will penetrate the meat through the fish sauce.
    • When grilling, it may be tempting to use high heat for that perfect char, but this marinade contains sugar, lemongrass, and garlic, which burn easily, so it's best to stick to medium heat to avoid burning. Don't worry, you'll still get those crispy, charred bits - just at a slower rate.
    • Lightly coat the chicken with oil right before you grill it. This will prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill.
    • If you don't have a grill, you can use a cast iron skillet (or frying pan) and do it over the stove as well.
    • I highly recommend pairing this lemongrass chicken with nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce) to give it even more flavor.

    How to Serve Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

    A close up of lemongrass chicken being served with vermicelli rice noodles on a white plate with a side of nuoc cham.

    Lemongrass chicken is incredibly versatile and can be eaten and served in many different ways. Here are a few ways we like to enjoy this at home.

    • Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon) - You can add slices of lemongrass chicken into your fresh rice wrap spring rolls along with some fresh thinly sliced vegetables (like cucumber, carrots), vermicelli noodles and fresh Thai basil leaves and dip it with nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce), peanut satay sauce, or hoisin dipping sauce.
    • As-is with Rice or Vermicelli Rice Noodles - The easiest and most delicious way is to have it fresh over some steamed jasmine or broken rice (Com Tam) or vermicelli noodle bowl with a few slices of cucumber and tomatoes with a small bowl of nuoc cham dipping sauce. You can add a fried sunny side up egg on top as well.
    • Sandwiches like Banh Mi - If you like making banh mi at home you use a French or Vietnamese baguette, spread some pate and mayonnaise on it, add fresh cucumbers slices and pickled daikon and carrots and a few slices of lemongrass chicken.
    • Salads - You can use it as a protein and top your fresh salads with it for a heartier meal.
    • Stir-Fries - If you have leftover lemongrass chicken, you can slice it and add it to any veggie stir fry to make a brand new meal out of it.

    FAQs

    Can I use another protein besides chicken?

    Yes, this marinade is so flavorful and versatile, you can use it on other proteins like pork or beef and is actually very common to be used in Vietnamese pork chops!

    Can I make lemongrass chicken without a grill?

    Yes you definitely can! You can use a cast iron skillet or a frying pan over a stovetop to make this lemongrass chicken if you don't have a grill or BBQ.

    What is in lemongrass chicken marinade?

    For this Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe, there is lemongrass, garlic, shallots, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and water. You can also add a bit of coconut cream as well if you want something creamier.

    More Vietnamese Recipes You May Like

    • Vietnamese lemongrass pork chops served on a large white plate with rice, tomatoes and cucumber with a side of nuoc cham dipping sauce
      Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops (Thit Heo Nuong Xa)
    • A large bowl of bo kho served with tea
      Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)
    • Bowl of Spicy Bun Bo Hue (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
      Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)
    • Canh Chua (Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Soup)
    • A small bowl of nuoc cham served with cucumbers
      Vietnamese Fish Sauce Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham / Nuoc Mam)
    • A close up of nem nuong (Vietnamese grilled pork sausage) that has been skewered and served on a metal plate
      Nem Nuong (Grilled Vietnamese Pork Sausages)
    • A bowl of Vietnamese vermicelli noodles with shrimp on top served with fresh vegetables
      Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp Vermicelli Noodle Bowl
    A top view of Vietnamese lemongrass chicken served with vermicelli rice noodles on a white plate with a grey napkin.

    Did You Make This Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Recipe?

    If you made this Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe, I want to see! Follow Pups with Chopsticks on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag and hashtag it with @pupswithchopsticks and #pupswithchopsticks. I love to know what you are making!

    Stay connected and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all of my latest recipes!

    Recipe Card

    Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

    This Grilled Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken recipe is incredibly quick and easy to prepare, loaded with flavor from the lemongrass chicken marinade and grilled to perfection to give you a delicious sweet and savory, juicy grilled chicken that can be served in many different ways.
    Print Pin Email Rate
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Vietnamese
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    4
    5 from 25 votes
    Made with ♡ by Joyce

    Joyce's Recipe Notes

    • For this lemongrass chicken recipe, you can use any cut of chicken, but if you want a more flavorful dish, consider using dark meat like chicken thighs and drumsticks, as they have more fat and are juicier, which makes it a lot more delicious.
    • Use boneless chicken so that it cooks more quickly and evenly.
    • To prevent burning on the barbecue, it's best to remove the chunks of lemongrass and garlic from the chicken marinade before grilling. Scraping them off will do the trick. Don't worry about losing flavor as the marinade is still very flavorful and will penetrate the meat through the fish sauce.
    • When grilling, it may be tempting to use high heat for that perfect char, but this marinade contains sugar, lemongrass, and garlic, which burn easily, so it's best to stick to medium heat to avoid burning. Don't worry, you'll still get those crispy, charred bits - just at a slower rate.
    • If you don't have a grill, you can use a cast iron skillet (or frying pan) and do it over the stove as well.
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 8 boneless chicken thighs

    Lemongrass Chicken Marinade

    • 1 stalk lemongrass (approx. 3½ tablespoons)
    • 4 cloves garlic (approx. 2 tablespoons)
    • 1 shallot (or small onion, approx. 2 tablespoons)
    • 1½ tablespoons fish sauce
    • 1½ tablespoons dark soy sauce (or mushroom soy, or regular soy)
    • 2 tablespoons sugar
    • 2 tablespoons water

    Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce (Full Recipe Post Here)

    • 1 clove garlic
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (approx. 1 lime, or substitute with white vinegar)
    • 6 tablespoons hot water
    • 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
    • grated carrots (optional for color)
    • 1 birds eye chili pepper (optional, for some spiciness)

    Instructions
     

    Prepare the Marinade

    • Finely chop or grate both the 4 cloves garlic and 1 shallot. (You can also blitz this in a food processor with the lemongrass.)
    • To prepare the lemongrass, remove the first outer layer of the stalk, then cut off the dry tips at the top and the thick hard base at the end.
      We only want to use the tender light yellow parts of the lemongrass at the thicker base. If the lemongrass is really fresh, you may be able to use some of the green parts as well like in the photo.
      You can finely chop it by hand or blitz it in a food processor with the chopped shallots and garlic.
      A orange cutting board showing lemongrass being finely chopped
    • If you use a food processor, you still want to make sure the pieces are finely chopped before adding in since the lemongrass stalks are still fibrous.
      Lemongrass and shallot chunks in a food processor

    Marinate the Chicken

    • Once all the aromatics are finely chopped (or blended), add it to a bowl with the chicken and the rest of the marinade ingredients (1½ tablespoons fish sauce, 1½ tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water) and marinade it for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature or overnight for 24 hours for the best flavor.
      Lemongrass chicken marinated in a large metal bowl
    • If you want to make this spicy, you can add a tablespoon or two of sriracha or add 1 finely chopped Thai chili to the chicken marinade.

    Remove the Aromatics From the Chicken Before Grilling

    • It's very important to remove as much as the aromatics from the chicken before you grill it so that it doesn't burn as easily. At this point, you won't need it because the marinade would have penetrated the chicken already.
      Aromatics removed off the chicken and placed in a metal plate
    • Give the chicken a light coat of oil (I like to use vegetable oil or avocado oil) by drizzling oil over it and using your hands to rub it all over. This will prevent the chicken from sticking to the grill.

    Grill the Lemongrass Chicken

    • Since there is a lot of sugar in the marinade, you only need to set the BBQ to medium heat, not high heat.
      You will still get the char, but it will cook at a slightly slower pace so that the chicken doesn't burn before the center is down.
    • After you cleaned the BBQ and oiled it, start by placing the chicken skin side down first and let it sear for about 2-3 minutes (lid up).
    • Once the skin has charred nicely, flip the chicken and close the lid and cook it for about 5-8 minutes.
    • Open the lid again, and check if the chicken is done. If it's not, cook it for longer. If it's done, but you want a bit more char on the skin, flip the chicken again so its skin side down for a minute.
    • It takes about 12-15 minutes to fully cook a ¼ inch thick piece of boneless dark meat chicken. If you are using any other cut of chicken that is thicker, you may need to grill it for longer.
      Lemongrass chicken being grilled on a grill
    • Once the chicken is down, take it off the BBQ and let it rest for about 5 minutes before you slice them into small pieces.
      I like to use this time to make the nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce) for this dish.

    Make the Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce (Full Recipe Post Here)

    • Grate or finely chop the 1 clove garlic and place it in a small bowl.
    • Squeeze the fresh lime until you get 2 tablespoons of lime juice into the same bowl with the garlic.
    • Add the 6 tablespoons hot water and 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sugar to the bowl and mix it until the sugar has dissolved.
    • Add 2 tablespoons fish sauce and do a taste test. Adjust it to your liking.
    • (Optional) If you want it spicy, finely chop 1 birds eye chili pepper and add it to your sauce.
    • (Optional) If you want to add a bit of color to the sauce, finely chop or grate some carrots and mix it into the sauce.

    Serve and Enjoy!

    • Serve it the lemongrass chicken with vermicelli noodles or white rice, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, and nuoc cham, and enjoy!
      Lemongrass chicken served on vermicelli noodles, with a slice of cucumber and tomato and a side of nuoc cham.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1thigh | Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 221mg | Sodium: 922mg | Potassium: 564mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 178IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

    *Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*

    Did you try this recipe?I'd love to hear from you! Let me know how it was and consider giving it a rating! Tag me on Instagram with @pupswithchopsticks to show me!

    Disclaimer: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. While I appreciate the support – please try to buy your items locally if possible to support your local shops (chances are they are cheaper locally as well!)

    More Main Course

    • Closeup of soondubo jjigae served with an egg
      Easy Soondubu Jjigae Recipe (Spicy Korean Soft Tofu Stew)
    • A large bowl of turkey udon noodle soup with soft boil egg, leftover turkey and bok choy on top, with green onions on the side.
      Delicious Homemade Udon Soup (Quick & Easy Noodle Soup)
    • Overhead closeup picture of Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce in a large bowl with green onions on top
      Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce (鱼香茄子)
    • Closeup of Chinese steamed spare ribs with black bean sauce
      Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gayl says

      May 29, 2023 at 10:43 pm

      5 stars
      What a fantastic recipe!! So tasty and easy to adjust spice levels to your preference.

      I’ve made it a couple of times now and it’s fantastic. Longer marinating is definitely the way to go.

      I needed way more lemongrass stalks to get 3 tbs, but I have it in my back yard, so all good.

      I’ve even made this with white fish fillets. YUM!!

      Reply
      • Joyce Lee says

        May 30, 2023 at 9:49 am

        Hi Gayl!
        Yay I'm so happy you liked this!!
        Wow lemongrass in your backyard is awesome!! That's such a great idea! I'm in Canada and so they wouldn't survive our winters, but I have tried having it in a pot without any great results, only tiny thin stalks would produce haha 🙂 but maybe this year I'll try it in my backyard and bring it in for the winter!
        What an amazing idea doing this with fish!! Thank you so much for sharing this, I definitely need to try this out soon!

        Reply
    2. Mariam Sodawater says

      May 24, 2023 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      This looks super delicious and they recipe looks so simple. I need to get my hands on fresh lemon grass and make these!

      Reply
      • Joyce Lee says

        May 30, 2023 at 9:41 am

        Hi Mariam!
        Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    3. Lisa says

      May 23, 2023 at 4:59 pm

      5 stars
      Your boneless lemongrass chicken looks like the delicious grilled lemongrass chicken leg dish I got when I lived in Boston and never found at any other Vietnamese restaurant anywhere. I can't wait to try it. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Joyce Lee says

        May 30, 2023 at 9:39 am

        Hi Lisa!
        I hope you enjoy it! 🙂 It's always amazing when we can replicate our restaurant favorites at home, I know I have been missing many recipes from my fave restaurants that recently got shut down.

        Reply
    4. Mikkel says

      May 21, 2023 at 1:25 pm

      5 stars
      Great point about the sugar burning easily with high heat. This looks delicious and perfectly cooked! We'll definitely make this for dinner soon!

      Reply
      • Joyce Lee says

        May 30, 2023 at 9:37 am

        Hi Mikkel!
        Thanks for the kind words! I hope you guys enjoy it! 🙂
        I have caught many chickens on fire from my sweet marinades, it was a good lesson learned! haha 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Pups with Chopsticks!

    Hi I’m Joyce Lee and Welcome to Pups with Chopsticks! Good eats and cooking is my passion! Join me in my kitchen as I create, test and share traditional and Asian fusion recipes with step-by-step tutorials. Read More…

    Never Miss a Recipe!

    Join my free email list and receive and update whenever there's a new post!

    Popular Recipes

    Thai coconut chicken skewers on a wooden plate

    Grilled Thai Coconut Chicken Skewers

    A large bowl of Spicy Korean Pork Bulgogi (Jeyuk Bokkeum) with a plate of lettuce with some rice and pork in it for wrapping

    Jeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Korean Pork Bulgogi)

    Super crispy beef tossed with a sweet and sticky sauce

    Sweet and Sticky Crispy Beef

    Bowl of Spicy Bun Bo Hue (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

    Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

    Footer

    AS FEATURED ON

    Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions · Web Stories
    Copyright © 2021 Pups with Chopsticks · All Rights Reserved

    4.1K shares