Recipe: Easy Lemongrass Grilled Chicken

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland's vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking. After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I've worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I'm on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
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updated Feb 3, 2020
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Credit: Joe Lingeman
This versatile grilled lemongrass chicken can be used in sandwiches, on noodle bowls, or just about any other time you crave chicken.

Serves6

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

One of the easiest but tastiest chicken recipes you can grill this summer involves lemongrass, a few pantry staples, and boneless chicken thighs. This Vietnamese lemongrass chicken hits all the right notes of smoky, savory, and just a touch sweet. The best part is that if you grill up a big batch, you can use it all week long in noodle bowls, salads, or sandwiches.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

Lemongrass Basics

Lemongrass is a hard aromatic that’s yellow or pale green and shaped like long, thin shoot. It has a beautiful lemon flavor and is a key ingredient in Vietnamese cooking. While it’s easier to find nowadays, you may have to seek it out in specialty or Asian grocery stores. Can’t find fresh lemongrass? We’ve also used lemongrass paste, found in tubes in the produce section of specialty grocers, to great success in this recipe.

This recipe feeds a crowd because I find that I always want to have leftovers in the fridge. I’ve turned it into delicious bánh mì sandwiches, sliced it for noodle salad bowls, and added it to green salads and slaws for a protein kick. You can never go wrong with a little extra lemongrass grilled chicken

Extra Lemongrass?

You might find yourself with extra lemongrass after you make this recipe, but you have options for leftovers. Here are a couple of options: Make extra marinade and freeze it for future use, or finely chop up the lemongrass and freeze it in tablespoon portions. Instant flavor at your fingertips!

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Lemongrass Grilled Chicken

This versatile grilled lemongrass chicken can be used in sandwiches, on noodle bowls, or just about any other time you crave chicken.

Serves 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons

    vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons

    fish sauce

  • 2 tablespoons

    freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 2 tablespoons

    finely chopped lemongrass or lemongrass paste

  • 3

    cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon

    packed light or dark brown sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 pounds

    boneless, skinless chicken thighs

  • Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place the oil, fish sauce, lime juice, lemongrass, garlic, sugar, and pepper in a large bowl and whisk/stir to combine and dissolve the sugar. Add the chicken and toss to thoroughly coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight. (Alternatively, you can marinate the chicken in a gallon zip-top plastic bag.)

  2. When ready to cook, heat an outdoor grill to high (about 450°F to 550°F).

  3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and let any excess drip off. Place the chicken on the grill in a single layer. Cover the grill and cook until grill marks appear, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the chicken, cover the grill, and cook until grill marks appear on the second side and the chicken registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a serving plate or cutting board. Let rest 3 minutes, then cut into slices if desired, topped with cilantro, if using.

Recipe Notes


Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Make ahead: The chicken can marinate in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.

Lemongrass paste: Lemongrass paste, which can be found in tubes in the produce section of gourmet grocery stores, is a great alternative to fresh lemongrass. We liked this one from Gourmet Garden.

Filed in:
Chicken
Cooking Methods
dinner
easy
Gluten-Free
Grilling