Lemongrass Chicken

Recipe from Vicky Pham

Adapted by Alexa Weibel

Published Feb. 7, 2024

Lemongrass Chicken
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(715)
Comments
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Defined by the bright, citrusy flavor of fresh lemongrass, this 30-minute Vietnamese chicken dish is further complemented by punchy black pepper, spicy red chile, salty fish sauce and a dash of sugar for sweetness. The recipe builds intense flavor in minimal time, so using boneless chicken thighs is ideal because they’ll stay moist throughout cooking. This recipe is adapted from a dish by Vicky Pham, a blogger who writes about Vietnamese home-cooking dishes that aren’t typically found in Vietnamese restaurants in the United States. “I wanted to replicate those recipes with precise measurements instead of relying on the traditional ‘pinch of this’ and ‘just add enough until it tastes right’ so that one day my kids wouldn’t have too much trouble replicating their favorite childhood dishes,” Ms. Pham said. She whittled this dish down to three simple steps: Sear the chicken until golden, push it aside to make room to bloom the lemongrass, garlic, shallot and chile, then toss with fish sauce and sugar until caramelized. Spicy, salty and sweet, this dish is deeply satisfying served simply with a bowl of rice. —Alexa Weibel

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings
  • 1pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ½teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
  • ¼cup minced fresh lemongrass, from 2 to 3 stalks (see Tip)
  • 1small shallot, minced
  • 1tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1Thai red chile, thinly sliced
  • 2tablespoons fish sauce
  • ½teaspoon granulated sugar
  • Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

284 calories; 12 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 25 grams protein; 819 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium bowl, season the chicken with pepper and toss to coat.

  2. Step 2

    In a medium wok or skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the chicken and toss until golden all over, about 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Push the seared chicken aside, making space in the pan, reduce heat to medium-high and add the lemongrass, shallot, garlic and chile. Stir the aromatics together until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir to combine them with the chicken.

  4. Step 4

    Add the fish sauce and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through and caramelized, about 3 minutes. Serve over rice.

Tip
  • To mince fresh lemongrass, first slice off the very bottom of the stalk, peel any discolored outer layers and mince the bottom couple of inches of the remaining stalk, where the flavor is concentrated.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
715 user ratings
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Comments

Cascadian

Normally I wouldn’t comment on a recipe I haven’t cooked (it’s now on the grocery list) but want to offer a tip. Anytime I’m using boneless skinless chicken thighs in a recipe that asks for a searing of cubed meat, I butterfly the fat side of the thigh to even out the thickness and sear them whole. May take a couple of batches. Then cube the chicken and back to the pan for finishing. You get a much more even sear and prevents overcooking. Bon appetit!

SFCook

Though the flavor isn't as fresh, it should be fine to substitute puree for the stalks. The general ratio is 1 teaspoon puree for 1 stalk of lemongrass.

Shirley in Atlanta

Can you use lemon grass paste as a substitute?

Drew H.

Just made this and it did need a few adjustments but it turned out to be worthy of five stars. I agree that as written it lacked a bit of flavor so I added more fish sauce to taste, a bit more sugar, several squeezes of lemon and most importantly some MSG. That really made this dish pop. Really good.

Alex O

This was pretty good. Next time I'll up to 1.5 times the servings.

Christopher

I sautéed the lemongrass as lengthwise pieces and removed and drained back into pan before adding the chicken. Then added it again during the aromatic step. Easy to tong most of it out before serving. Good lemongrass flavor.

Christopher

@Christopher Squished the stalks with a mallet too to release the oils.

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