Vietnamese Chicken (Lemongrass Chicken)

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This Vietnamese Chicken is tender and juicy, marinated in mixture of incredible tangy, savory flavors, then roasted until the skin is crispy and caramelized.

Easy to make, this chicken has GOT to make it to your dinner table soon! The lemongrass adds the perfect fresh citrusy, tangy flavor to the marinade.

This Vietnamese Chicken has all those wonderful Southeast Asian flavors we love so much. Chilies, fish sauce, lime, lemongrass...all the good stuff.

These are some of my favorite flavors as evidenced in dishes like this Vietnamese banh mi, Vietnamese grilled pork or lemongrass beef. And don't even get me started on the tangy goodness of fresh, homemade nuoc cham...I just drooled a little.

What's awesome about this marinade is that it can be used on beef, pork, shrimp fish, etc. etc. The flavor is just so incredible - you could even dip some Vietnamese egg rolls in it!

What truly makes this chicken amazing is the flavor packed marinade and that crispy, fatty, perfectly caramelized chicken skin. Vietnamese flavors are fresh, lively ingredients, typically packed with tons of delicious flavor.

Check out the Vietnamese lemongrass chicken story!

Why This Recipe Works

1. Marinating the chicken overnight allows the flavors to penetrate the chicken;
2. Using palm sugar in the marinade gives it a deep caramely flavor;
3. Fish sauce and soy sauce add umami, while the lemongrass adds a fresh citrusy flavor component;
4. Roasting the chicken on high heat helps the skin to crisp, while the inside stays tender and juicy.

Ingredients

The ingredients in this recipe are the most amazing, flavor packed ingredients. Seriously, you want to be keeping all these ingredients in your pantry because they can be used in all types of Vietnamese dishes.

Check out this article on Vietnamese Pantry Staples for more information about the ingredients used in Vietnamese cooking. 

The recipe calls for palm sugar, which comes from the sap of the coconut tree. There is minimal processing and chemicals involved with the preparation of palm sugar, and it also has an amazing caramel flavor.

It also calls for lemongrass, fish sauce, and other basic ingredients that can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

What is Lemongrass?

Lemongrass is a grass that tends to grow in more tropical climates. It has a pungent lemony flavor and is used heavily in Southeast Asian cooking.

The stalks are long and typically, only the tender white core inside is used in cooking.

However, the stalks can be used for flavoring in soups and stews where they are removed after cooking, like in this bun bo hue.

Fresh lemongrass can be found in many grocery stores, and should also be available at the Asian market if you choose to use it.  If you can't find it, you can substitute a lemongrass paste.

What is Fish Sauce?

Fish sauce is a sauce made from anchovies fermented in salt. While the smell can sometimes be strong, the flavor is out of this world delicious.

When added to marinades and sauces, it does not have a fishy flavor as you would expect. And don't worry - there are so many different uses for fish sauce so you don't need to worry about it sitting in your fridge unused (although it lasts a LONG time in the fridge).

I HIGHLY recommend using Red Boat 40 fish sauce . In my opinion, it is the best tasting fish sauce and is made with just straight anchovies and salt. 

Step By Step Instructions

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the chicken, ensuring it is coated thoroughly with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Place a baking rack on top. Place the chicken thighs on baking rack and drizzle with the lime juice. Reserve the marinade for later use. 

You can also reserve a few tablespoons of marinade before adding the chicken to use on the chicken after cooking.

**Note we don't put the lime juice on until right before cooking - lime juice in the marinade can cause the chicken to take on a rubbery consistency.

Bake the chicken for 40 minutes. The skin should be browned and crispy and the internal temperature should be 165F when done.  

If the skin is not quite crispy, place it under the broiler for a minute or two until it crisps up (I've personally never had to do this).

While the chicken is cooking, cook the reserved marinade in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes (it should be boiling) to kill any bacteria. This is optional, but I love using the extra sauce.

Serve the chicken over rice or rice noodles and drizzle with the reserved marinade.  

How to Prepare Fresh Lemongrass

If you've never worked with lemongrass before, no worries, it's not hard!

Pull off the tough outer few leaves until you reach the more tender leaves on the inside. Dice just the bottom ⅓ of the stalk (the white part). This part should be much more tender and easy to dice.

If it's still difficult, peel off another outer layer until it's tender enough to roughly dice.

The unused portions of the peeled stalks can be used in soups like this bun bo hue.

Variations

• Make it spicy by adding a couple minced Thai chilies to the marinade.
• Use beef, pork, shrimp, fish or tofu instead of chicken - cook time will need to be adjusted for each. 
• You can also substitute chicken breasts - just note they won't be a tender and juicy as thighs. 
• Replace the soy sauce with gluten free tamari for as a gluten free option. 

Expert Tips

1. If the skin is not crisp when done, pop it under the broiler for a couple minutes until desired crispness is reached.
2. Be sure to boil the reserved marinade if you are going to use it to kill all the bacteria. You can also reserve a portion of the marinade before putting the chicken in if you prefer.
3. Brown sugar or coconut sugar can be substituted for palm sugar if necessary. 

Serving Suggestions

• Serve it over this coconut jasmine rice for a nice, nutty flavor. You can also just use plain steamed rice, Instant Pot sushi rice or even fried rice!
• Serve it with a few slices of fresh lime on the side. Drizzle the lime over the chicken and rice for a pop of fresh acid.
• You could even serve it alongside a steaming bowl of soup like this Banh Canh or Bun Bo Hue for a whole Vietnamese smorgasboard!

Frequently Asked Questions

Did you make this recipe? Rate it and leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!