Vietnamese Chicken Recipe (Lemongrass Chicken)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

This Vietnamese Chicken is marinaded with fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, lemongrass and chilies for a chicken recipe that packs a punch of flavor. Roast the chicken for 40 minutes, and you’ve got perfectly flavored chicken with the most amazing crispy skin!

This recipe was originally published in August 2017. It has been updated for content and photos. 

This Vietnamese style baked chicken with crispy skin has all those wonderful Southeast Asian flavors we love so much.

What truly make this Vietnamese style baked chicken with crispy skin is the marinade.  Vietnamese flavors are fresh, lively ingredients, typically packed with tons of delicious flavor.

Check out this article from Food and Wine on 7 Lessons in Vietnamese Cooking to learn more about Vietnamese cooking. 

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 flavor component;
4. Roasting the chicken on high heat helps the skin to crisp, while the inside stays tender and juicy.

Ingredients for Vietnamese Chicken

The ingredients in this Vietnamese chicken 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. 

Most of these ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. I typically use lemongrass paste instead of lemongrass because it is easier to work with and the flavor is almost the same.

I also 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. (these are all Amazon affiliate links – I earn a small commission if you buy through these links)

• Fish Sauce
• Soy Sauce
• Lemongrass
• Chili Garlic Sauce
• Cilantro
• Palm Sugar

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. It just adds a wonderful savory flavor. 

How to Make Vietnamese Chicken

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 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and place a baking rack on top.  Place the chicken thighs on baking rack and drizzle with the lime juice. RESERVE THE MARINADE.

Bake the chicken for 40 minutes, turning once half way through.  The skin should be browned and crispy and the internal temperature should be 165 degrees 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 lemongrass chicken is cooking, cook the reserved marinade in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes (it should be boiling) to kill any bacteria. 

Serve the chicken over rice drizzled in the reserved marinade.

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. 
4. Fresh lemongrass can be used in place of the paste, however, it is more labor intensive to work with. To learn how to prepare lemongrass, read this article by the Spruce. 

What to Serve With Vietnamese Chicken

• Serve it over white, jasmine or brown 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 flavor.
• Try it with these Asian Green Beans from a Wicked Spatula;
• Or this Garlic Bok Choy recipe from the Forked Spoon.

Favorite Vietnamese Recipes

• Vietnamese Noodle Salad;
• Vietnamese Grilled Pork;
• Bo Luc Lac;
• Instant Pot Pho;
• Browse ALL the Vietnamese Recipes!

More Asian Chicken Recipes

• Salt and Pepper Chicken;
• Miso Chicken;
• Tangerine Chicken;
• Masala Roasted Chicken;
• Browse ALL the Chicken Recipes!!

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

Vietnamese Chicken Recipe

This Vietnamese Chicken is marinaded with fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, lemongrass and chilies for a chicken recipe that packs a punch of flavor

5 from 1 vote

Print Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 490kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. bone-in skin on chicken thighs (4 thighs)
• Juice of 1/2 lime

Marinade:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 tbsp. chili garlic sauce
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tbsp. cilantro chopped
• 1 tbsp. lemongrass paste
• 1 tbsp. palm sugar
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil

Instructions

• Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the chicken, ensuring it is coated with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place a baking rack on top.  
• Place chicken thighs on baking rack and drizzle with the lime juice.  
• Bake chicken for 40 minutes, flipping half way through.  
• Skin should be browned and crispy.  If it's not, place it under the broiler for a minute or two until it crisps up.

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. 
4. Fresh lemongrass can be used in place of the paste, however, it is more labor intensive to work with. To learn how to prepare lemongrass, read this article by the Spruce. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1thigh | Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 2259mg | Potassium: 915mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 510IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2.3mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @went_here_8_this or tag #wenthere8this!