Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

Subtly sweet and enticingly fragrant, you will absolutely love the citrus-floral flavours of this Grilled Lemongrass chicken. The dish is lovely enough to serve to guests, with a preparation that is simple enough for a weeknight. 

I love eating food from other cultures and travelling with my tastebuds, sort-of-speak. Obviously, we aren’t able to travel much right now but luckily, we have cookbooks. Phenomenal cookbooks that bring global flavours right into our kitchens.

If you have an inclination towards Asian flavours, Lucky Peach is a fabulous cookbook to add to your collection. I’ve had this cookbook for years and love how simple and straightforward the recipes are while never sacrificing flavour.

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

This grilled lemongrass chicken is adapted from one of my favourite recipes from the Lucky Peach cookbook, though I do have many. Lemongrass, shallots, garlic, green chili, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar create layers of complex flavour in a marinade for the chicken thighs. Once grilled, the chicken is indescribably fragrant, tender, and tasty. The perfect dish for a fun weekend grill, or a quick weeknight meal.

If you like, make double the amount of chicken you plan on serving: leftovers are magnificent wrapped in rice paper or chopped into stir fries. Yum.

What Is Lemongrass And How To Prepare It

If you haven’t cooked with lemongrass before, this is the perfect recipe to introduce you to all its wonderous qualities.

Lemongrass is an herb with a lemony scent that lacks the sharp acidity of lemon. The tall stalks grow in tropical climates but most commonly in Southeast Asia where it is a popular ingredient in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine.

You can find fresh lemongrass at any Asian market, but most well-stocked grocery stores now sell it as well. In non-Asian grocery stores it is usually sold in the same section as the container-packed herbs. I strongly recommend you avoid the lemongrass paste that comes in tubes which truly does not come close to replicating the real thing.

Becasue the outer husks of the lemongrass stalks are so dry and thick, they must be removed to get to the softer part. A common method to release the most flavour out of the lemongrass stalk, is to pound it, then chop it up.

To prepare the lemongrass for this marinade you want to start by removing the outer, woody layer. This reveals the softer, whiter part of the stalk which is what you want to use. Using a very sharp knife, trim off about 1-inch of the bulb end of the stalk and discard. Starting from the same end, now you can cut thin slices up to two-thirds of the stalk.

Alternatively, once you remove the outer husk and trim the bulb, you can also grate the lemongrass just as you would ginger or garlic. Any leftover lemongrass can be tightly wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Ingredients And Notes On Substitutions

• Chicken thighs – I prefer using dark chicken meat for this recipe which remains juicy and tender when grilled. If you prefer to use chicken breast, consider pounding it before grilling so it doesn’t dry out. You could also use the lemongrass marinade for this recipe on other proteins such as fish, pork, tofu, shrimp, or a thin skirt steak.
• Lemongrass – Unfortunately there is no substitute for fresh lemongrass. The vivid citrus-floral character of lemongrass is very unique and very essential to this dish. That said, if you absolutely can’t get your hands on fresh lemongrass, use a lot of lime zest and a bit of lime juice in the marinade. It will be a different dish altogether but it will still be quite delicious.
• Fish sauce and low-sodium soy sauce – These two ingredients lend salty, umami flavours to the marinade. Though I keep the fish sauce on the lighter side (picky son) it is a pretty essential ingredient in this marinade so try not leave it out. You really won’t taste anything fishy in the finished dish. My preferred fish sauce brand is  Red Boat and if you’re in Canada you can order it online from here and here.
• Shallot and garlic – For delicious, pungent flavours.
• Green chili –  I used Jalapeño but if you can find Thai green chili, or Serrano, even better. Just be aware Thai and Serrano chilis are a lot spicier than jalapeño so adjust accordingly.
• Sweetener – I don’t like this dish really sweet so I only use 1 tablespoon of sugar. I like to use brown sugar but any sweetener such as honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or regular sugar will work.
• Kosher salt – Just a pinch because the fish sauce and soy sauce are quite salty.
• Neutral oil – I use avocado oil but any neutral-flavoured oil will work. Refined coconut oil, which has no coconut, would also work.
• Lime wedges – If you are serving your grilled lemongrass chicken with Nuoc Cham (highly recommended!!) then you likely don’t need the lime wedges.

How To Make Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

If you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can use a grill pan, or cast iron skillet on the stovetop (detailed instructions are in the recipe notes). Just be aware the sugar in the chicken will make your kitchen a little smoky so be sure to open all the windows.

1. Place all the marinade ingredients in a mini chopper or food processor and puree until smooth. Alternatively, chop the shallot, garlic, and lemongrass by hand then combine with the rest of the ingredients.
2. Add the chicken to a large bowl and toss with marinade until all the chicken pieces are evenly coated. Let the chicken rest in the marinade while you heat up the grill to medium-high. You can also use this time to prepare any other sides or sauces.
3. Grill chicken, turning once after about 6 minutes, or when you see some nice some nice grill marks. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, for another 6-8 minutes. Note that if your chicken thighs are very small or thin, you should reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.
4. Transfer chicken to a platter. Serve with lime wedges and garnish with sliced scallions, if you wish.

To serve

This sweet-savoury grilled lemongrass chicken just cries to be served with a side of mildly spicy Vietnamese Nuoc Cham dipping sauce. It’s a Vietnamese chilli-garlic sauce that is easy to make and truly addictive. However, if you live in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, you should try the lovely jarred Nuoc Cham from chef Thompson. It’s absolutely delicious and I never make my own I unless I have run out.

For sides, this fragrant coconut rice with a simple cucumber salad, is what I serve this chicken with almost 99% of time. If I have extra scallions, I will grill them for 2-3 minutes and serve with the chicken – delicious!

For a healthier, but no-less delicious rice, this rice would also be fabulous. Or keep it simple with a large platter of rice noodles and grilled veggies.

Make Ahead

Marinades that contain vinegar, lemon, or lime juice can alter the texture of meat if marinated too long. Because this lemongrass marinade does not contain any highly acidic ingredients, you can marinate the chicken up to 1 day ahead and leave refrigerated until ready to cook. Remove the chicken from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking.

If  you give this Grilled Lemongrass Chicken a try, please feel free to leave a comment and/or a star rating below. We appreciate and welcome all your feedback. Thank you!

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Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

Author: Sandra Valvassori

Subtly sweet and enticingly fragrant, you will absolutely love the citrus-floral flavours of this Grilled Lemongrass chicken. The dish is lovely enough to serve to guests, with a preparation that is simple enough for a weeknight. 

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 4

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 2 stalks lemongrass tender white parts only, roughly chopped (*see notes for guidance)
• 2 small shallot peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 green chili (I use jalapeño) roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar or any other sweetener of choice
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or any neutral-flavored oil
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs

Instructions 

• Puree the lemongrass, shallot, garlic, chili, fish sauce, sugar, oil, soy sauce, and salt in a mini chopper, or food processor, until smooth. Alternatively, chop the lemongrass, shallot, garlic, and chili by hand then combine with the rest of the ingredients.
• Place the chicken in a large bowl, or ziploc bag, and toss with marinade until all the chicken pieces are evenly coated. Let the chicken rest in the marinade while you heat up the grill to medium-high. You can also use this time to prepare any other sides or sauces.
• When ready, grill the chicken, turning once after about 6 minutes, or when you see some nice grill marks. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, for another 6-7 minutes. Note that if your chicken thighs are very small or thin, you should reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a platter. Serve with lime wedges and garnish with sliced scallions, if you wish.

Notes

This recipe is slightly adapted from Lucky Peach Cookbook

 

*To prepare the lemongrass: Start by removing the outer, woody layer. This reveals the softer, whiter part of the stalk which is what you want to use. Using a very sharp knife, trim off about 1-inch of the bulb end of the stalk and discard. Starting from the same end, now you can cut thin slices up to two-thirds of the stalk. 

To cook on the stovetop: If you don't have an outdoor grill, you can cook the chicken on the stovetop preferably using a cast iron skillet or grill pan. Place the skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat . Once hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and cook the chicken for 6-7 minutes a side, or until the chicken has a nice golden-brown colour and is completely cooked through. 

Keywords: Lemongrass, Lemongrass chicken, Vietnamese

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