Spicy Lemongrass Blender Marinade

If you’re looking for a vibrant flavor booster to turn to on busy weeknights, this versatile marinade is it. The lemongrass gives it a gentle lemony essence, chile-garlic sauce brings the heat, lime juice adds brightness, and a little brown sugar balances all the aromas. Use it to marinate proteins, of course, but also to amp up stir-fries or mix into Thai curry paste.

Lemongrass, which is often used in Southeast Asian cooking, is a hard aromatic that’s shaped like long, thin shoot. When shopping for it, choose stalks that feel firm and smell fragrant, and avoid any that are brown or dried out.

Read more: How to Choose and Use Lemongrass

This marinade plays well with any protein or vegetables, and because it’s low in acid, even tender proteins can withstand a longer marinade time. And remember that lemongrass isn’t just for chicken or fish! Lemongrass and beef is a wonderful combination (think: classic Southeast Asian dishes like Malaysian beef rendang or Vietnamese Bún bò xả ớt. It’s also delicious on pork.

After blending it up, I recommend freezing some of the marinade in an ice cube tray so you can pull one out anytime you want to boost the aromatics in your cooking.

• Easy Lemongrass Grilled Chicken
• Vermicelli Noodles with Lemongrass Pork Meatballs
• Brown Rice Bowl with Lemongrass, Tofu, and Cashews
• Bánh Mì with Lemongrass Tofu