One-pan Vietnamese lemongrass chicken is your ticket to caramelized chicken thighs cooked in a sticky-sweet sauce– a dish that will have everyone coming back for seconds. Serve the sweet and spicy chicken with fluffy white rice and nuoc cham.
What is Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken?
Lemongrass chicken, known as gà xả in Vietnamese, is a popular dish that features grilled or pan-seared chicken thighs marinated and cooked in a mixture of fresh lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, and sugar for a perfectly balanced flavor.
The chicken thighs will look plain, like nothing special, as it cooks—but trust the process! It takes right up until the last few minutes for the chicken to completely transform and caramelize before your eyes. The color alone is drool-worthy, but wait until you take that first bite.
Key Ingredients
- Coconut Water: Coconut water is the base for the sweet, tangy sauce that will caramelize the chicken thighs.
- Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar pairs with coconut water for a more caramelized flavor or naturally sweeten the dish with honey or agave syrup.
- Fish Sauce: Don’t skip the fish sauce—it’s a staple in Vietnamese cuisine. The tangy fermented sauce adds a salty umami flavor that perfectly balances the sweetness and ties the dish together.
- Shallots: Thinly cut shallots caramelize in the sauce and stick to the chicken once it finishes cooking. Bites of chicken with shallots are the best ones.
- Lemongrass: Fresh lemongrass is key to getting that signature flavor of Vietnamese lemongrass chicken. You will need two fresh stalks for the best flavor. Find them in health food stores or visit a local Asian grocery store. Fresh lemongrass is best, but if you can’t find it, use lemongrass paste found in the produce section of the grocery store. Use one tablespoon of lemongrass paste for every lemongrass stalk.
- Ginger: Caramelize fresh ginger with lemongrass and shallots.
- Lime Zest: Zested lime adds a necessary pop of fresh citrus.
- Spices: Season the chicken thighs with coarse black pepper and kosher salt.
- Chicken Thighs: Skinless chicken thighs are ideal—boneless or bone-in—whatever you have available.
- Toppings: Chopped cilantro leaves, thinly sliced serrano peppers, and fresh lime juice are the perfect topping for Vietnamese lemongrass chicken.
Additions and Substitutions
The best Vietnamese lemongrass chicken should strike the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and sour. Feel free to adjust the flavor with fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice to suit your taste. Experiment with fresh herbs as a topping. Replace the chopped cilantro with mint leaves, Thai basil, or a combination of different herbs.
How to Prepare Lemongrass
1. Choose Fresh Lemongrass: Look for firm lemongrass stalks with a vibrant green or yellowish color, and fragrant, tight leaves. Avoid stalks that feel soft and rubbery and lemongrass that is dry and brittle.
2. Trim the Stalks: Cut off the tough green tops and root end, leaving 6-8 inches of the pale, tender stalk.
3. Peel Outer Layers: Remove the tough outer layers until you reach the soft inner core.
4. Cut the Core: Smash the tender core to release its flavor and aroma. Next, cut the lemongrass into 1-2 inch julienne pieces.
How to Make Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Bring 3 tablespoons of coconut water and brown sugar to a gentle boil in a preheated saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the color starts to change, for 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Lower the heat and stir continuously until the mixture turns brown, for 3-5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the fish sauce.
Step 3: Return the pan to medium-high heat and add ½ cup of coconut water, ginger, shallots, lemongrass, and lime zest. Maintain a gentle simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 4: Sprinkle salt and black pepper over the chicken thighs on both sides. Nestle them into the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Flip the chicken thighs and cook until the chicken and shallots caramelize, for 10-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish to rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with chopped cilantro, serranos, and lime juice to serve.
Expert Tips
- Prepare the lemongrass. Prepare the lemongrass stalks, then smash the core to release its flavor, then thinly slice it into 1-2 inch pieces.
- Use high heat. Don’t shy away from cooking the dish over medium-high to high heat to caramelize the sugars in the sauce and develop a delicious char.
- How do you know when the chicken is done? You will know the chicken is done cooking when it reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature by inserting a ood thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, avoiding the bone.
- Rest the chicken. Set the chicken aside to rest for 5 minutes to redistribute the juices, keeping the chicken moist.
If you enjoy Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, try more chicken chicken recipes!
Serving Suggestions
With simple ingredients and minimal prep time, Vietnamese lemongrass chicken comes together quickly, making it perfect for a meal any night of the week. Serve the chicken thighs with steamed rice, vermicelli noodles, coconut cauliflower rice, or a crisp salad like cucumber carrot salad.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover chicken in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Let the dish cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Vietnamese lemongrass chicken freezes for 4-6 months.
- Reheat: Warm leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Repurpose: Use leftover chicken to top a salad or rice bowl. Cut the chicken thighs into pieces to fill lettuce wraps.
More Quick Dinner Ideas:
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken (Gà Xào Sả)
- ⅔ cup coconut water, divided
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 -inch knob of ginger, julienne
- 6 medium shallots, julienne
- 2 stalks lemongrass, julienne
- ½ teaspoon lime zest
- 6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves chopped, for garnish
- 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced, for garnish
- lime juice, one lime
- Bring 3 tablespoons of coconut water and brown sugar to a gentle boil in a preheated saute pan over medium-high. Cook until the color starts to change, for 2-3 minutes.
- Lower the heat and stir continuously until the mixture turns brown, for 3-5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the fish sauce.
- Return the pan to medium-high heat and add ½ cup of coconut water, ginger, shallots, lemongrass, and lime zest. Maintain a gentle simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Sprinkle salt and black pepper over the chicken thighs on both sides. Nestle them into the pan and cook for 10 minutes.
- Flip the chicken thighs and cook until the chicken and shallots caramelize, for 10-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish to rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with chopped cilantro, serranos, and lime juice to serve.
- Prepare the lemongrass. Prepare the lemongrass stalks, then smash the core to release its flavor, then thinly slice it into 1-2 inch pieces.
- Use high heat. Don’t shy away from cooking the dish over medium-high to high heat to caramelize the sugars in the sauce and develop a delicious char.
- How do you know when the chicken is done? You will know the chicken is done cooking when it reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Check the temperature by inserting a ood thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, avoiding the bone.
- Rest the chicken. Set the chicken aside to rest for 5 minutes to redistribute the juices, keeping the chicken moist.
Jen
Wednesday 6th of September 2023
If you use lemongrass paste instead of fresh, how much would you use?
Tressa Jamil
Wednesday 6th of September 2023
The lemongrass bulbs come out to about 2 tablespoons, so I would use 1-1 ½ tablespoons of the paste since it is more concentrated.