Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
Fragrant stir-fried chicken with bruised lemongrass, red chilies, scallions, and roasted peanuts. A quick Vietnamese weeknight dinner ready in under an hour.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
15 minREADY
55 minThis Vietnamese lemongrass chicken is the kind of recipe that fills your whole kitchen with the most intoxicating smell the moment the lemongrass hits hot peanut oil.
Bone-in chicken pieces get marinated with bruised lemongrass, scallions, salt, and pepper, then stir-fried fast in a screaming hot wok with red chilies until the edges caramelize and the meat cooks through.
A splash of chicken broth, a scatter of chopped roasted peanuts, and a drizzle of nuoc mam to finish. That’s it. Simple, bold, and incredibly satisfying.
Kitchen Tips
- Bruise the lemongrass with a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a knife. This cracks the fibers open and releases all that citrusy fragrance.
- Use a sharp cleaver to hack through the bones. Bone-in pieces hold more flavor and stay juicier during the high-heat stir-fry.
- Serve this with rice paper wrappers, fresh mint, and Thai basil for a hands-on, wrap-it-yourself dinner that everyone at the table will love.
Variations
- Swap chicken for pork chops or shrimp. Both take beautifully to the lemongrass marinade.
- Add a squeeze of lime juice at the end for extra brightness.
Ingredients
Directions
Hack the chicken into small serving pieces, chopping through the bones with a very sharp cleaver.
Remove the outer leaves of the lemongrass and finely slice the tender white part at the base of the stalks.
Bruise with a mortar and pestle or the handle of a cleaver.
Finely slice the scallions, including the green tops.
Mix the chicken with the salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, the lemongrass and scallions and set aside for 30 minutes.
Heat a wok and add the oil, and when the oil is hot add the chicken mixture and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
Add chile peppers and stir-fry on medium heat for 10 minutes or until chicken no longer looks pink.
Season with sugar and pepper and add the chicken stock.
Stir for a few minutes.
Garnish with the peanuts, “nuoc mam” and coriander.
Serve with rice, if desired.
This quickly prepared but terrifically flavorful dish is great served with rice paper wrappers.
I love it with a few leaves of mint and basil.
Comments
