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Yearning For Chicken Lemon Grass
I frequently visited Vietnam Restaurant in San Antonio where I grew up. Almost without fail I would order their Chicken Lemon Grass. Many years later I still remember their delicious dish, which was so fragrant, and have been yearning for it.
However, this time I thought it would be fun to try to recreate their dish at home! I'm thrilled to say that my version satisfies my yearning for this wonderful food!
Jump to:
- Yearning For Chicken Lemon Grass
- What is Lemongrass?
- What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken?
- The Super Easy Method To Make This Fragrant and Zingy Dish!
- How To Serve Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
- FAQ
- Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!
- Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
- Simple and Delicious Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken!
What is Lemongrass?
Lemongrass is a fantastic plant used for medicinal purposes as well as in cooking. This article from MasterClass.com is absolutely wonderful and discusses the culinary uses of lemongrass including how to buy it, as well as trim and prepare it.
This lovely plant has a lemony/citrusy fragrance and is highly aromatic. It has a lemony taste and lends a wonderful zing to dishes!
Lemongrass is an essential ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine, and the unique lemongrass flavor is incredible.
What Ingredients Do I Need To Make Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken?
My version of this dish keeps things SUPER SIMPLE by using frozen lemongrass that has already been minced. You could use fresh lemongrass if you like (see MasterClass.com article on how to prepare), however frozen minced lemongrass makes things so much easier when it comes to prep! And, it's just as delicious!
You should be able to find frozen minced lemongrass in the freezer section of Asian grocery stores. To use it, remove from your freezer for around 15 minutes and allow to thaw a bit. You can then scrape off the portion of lemongrass that you need.
You will need the following ingredients for this great recipe:
- Lemongrass
- Chicken thighs
- Minced garlic
- Shallots (minced)
- Vegetable oil
- Oyster sauce
- Vietnamese Fish sauce
- Red Chili flakes (or Bon Chili aka Bon Cabe very hot!)
- Lemon juice
- Sugar (can use white or brown sugar)
- Black pepper
- Spring onions (as garnish)
Ok, now that we have our ingredients, let's make some INSANELY DELICIOUS Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken!
The Super Easy Method To Make This Fragrant and Zingy Dish!
Making Lemongrass Chicken is easy and quick! There is some marinating time involved (for best results I recommend at least one hour) but other than that, prep and cooking takes about 15 minutes!
Begin by mincing the garlic and shallots. Using a food processor will help make mincing these ingredients a snap.
Then combine the sweet and savory marinade ingredients. The marinade ingredients are: 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chili flakes, lemon juice, and sugar.
Now add the marinade to chicken thighs which have been cut into bite sized pieces and stir to coat. Cover and allow to marinate in your fridge for about an hour (longer if you have more time).
After the marinating time, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and get ready to stir fry.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil (on high) in a large skillet (prefer cast iron). Now add the chicken. Stir fry constantly until the chicken is cooked through, around 3-4 minutes.
It's optional, but adding freshly ground black pepper at the end of cooking really makes a delicious difference!
Your ABSOLUTELY FRAGRANT AND DELICIOUS Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken is now ready to serve!
How To Serve Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
Garnish with spring onions, and serve with jasmine or white rice. Grab your favorite chopsticks, and enjoy the beautifully delicious flavors in this dish, of which fragrant lemongrass is the star!
I hope you will agree that this wonderful dish is as good as what you would get at a Vietnamese restaurant!
FAQ
Absolutely! Chicken and lemongrass pair perfectly and the lemongrass gives the chicken a lemony and zingy taste which is out of this world delicious!
Lemongrass is an essential ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. Sometimes the stalks are used in stews and soups, and it's also used chopped such as in this Lemongrass Chicken recipe.
Store Lemongrass Chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days in your refrigerator.
Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!
Garlicky, Buttery, and Cheesy Asian Noodles!
Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!
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Cheers!
Grace
Simple and Delicious Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken!
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet or wok preferred
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs cut up into bite sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Marinade Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup lemongrass finely minced; using frozen lemongrass works a treat! Find it in the frozen aisle at your local Asian grocer
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 each shallots minced
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 ts red chili flakes can also use Bon Chili!
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 ts sugar can use white or brown sugar
- 2 each spring onions sliced for garnish
Optional Add In At The End
- black pepper add at the end to your taste!
Instructions
- Combine the marinade ingredients: 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chili flakes, lemon juice, and sugar.
- Add to the chicken which has been cut into bite sized pieces and stir to coat. Allow to marinate in your fridge (covered) for a minimum of one hour. If you have time to leave it for a few hours longer so much the better!
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil (on high) in a skillet (prefer cast iron). Now add the chicken. Stir fry constantly until the chicken is cooked through, around 3-4 minutes.
- Add some freshly ground black pepper to your tastes. Serve with jasmine rice and garnish with spring onions. Enjoy!
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