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 Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2stalks lemongrasstender white parts only, roughly chopped (*see notes for guidance)
2small shallotpeeled and roughly chopped
3garlic clovespeeled and roughly chopped
1green chili (I use jalapeño) roughly chopped
1 1/2tablespoonsfish sauce
1tablespoonbrown sugar or any other sweetener of choice
2tablespoonsavocado oilor any neutral-flavored oil
1tablespoonlow-sodium soy sauce
1/2teaspoon kosher salt
2poundsboneless 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 (or marinate overnight). 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.