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 Vietnamese-inspired lemongrass chicken is adapted from one of my favorite recipes from the Lucky Peach cookbook. 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 Vietnamese lemongrass 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

This recipe for lemongrass chicken is made with few ingredients but is bursting with pungent, umami flavors. Here’s what you need to make it.

• Chicken thighs – I prefer using dark chicken meat for this recipe which remains juicy and tender when grilled. If you prefer to use chicken breasts, 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 which is now sold at most well-stocked grocery stores. You can also find it all Asian markets. 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, palm 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.

Variations

• Make it gluten-free: To make the lemongrass chicken marinade gluten-free, use Tamari in place of soy sauce.
• Add ginger: For more complex savory flavor, add a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger.
• Use a different protein: The lemongrass marinade would be wonderful with other proteins such as fish, pork, tofu, shrimp, or a thin skirt steak.

How To Make Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

If you don’t have an outdoor grill to cook the lemongrass chicken thighs, you can use a grill pan, or large 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 at room temperature while you heat up the grill to medium-high heat (or medium heat if your grill runs super hot). 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 and golden brown, 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 Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe 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 sauce from chef Thompson. It’s absolutely delicious and I never make my own I unless I have run out.

We love this fragrant lemongrass chicken with coconut rice and a simple cucumber salad. 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, brown rice, or this rice would also be fabulous. Or keep it simple with a large platter of rice vermicelli noodles and grilled veggies.

Make Ahead Tips

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.

You can also prepare the lemongrass marinade for the chicken up to 3 days ahead and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Storing And Freezing Tips

Leftover lemongrass chicken will keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat briefly on the grill or on a hot skillet.

Cooked or uncooked, the lemongrass chicken will freeze well. Here’s what to do:

To freeze uncooked lemongrass chicken: Place the marinated chicken in a freezer-safe container and immediately freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight where it will continue to marinade.

To freeze grilled lemongrass chicken: Store the cooled grilled chicken in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat briefly on the grill or on a hot skillet.