Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Recipe
An authentic recipe for Grilled Lemongrass Chicken bursting with Vietnamese flavor! Simple, easy, and delicious.
How to Make the Best Grilled Lemongrass Chicken
This Grilled Lemongrass Chicken is a taste of authentic Vietnamese cuisine that’s surprisingly easy to make at home. The fragrant lemongrass paste infuses the chicken with bright, citrusy notes while the five-spice powder adds depth and warmth. It’s a recipe that delivers bold, complex flavors with minimal effort.
The secret to this dish is in the lemongrass paste—processing the lemongrass with shallots, garlic, and aromatics creates a marinade that penetrates the chicken and caramelizes beautifully on the grill. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are the ideal choice here because they stay juicy and tender even over high heat.
Serve this flavorful grilled chicken over a bed of rice noodles with fresh herbs like mint and Thai basil, crunchy cucumber, and a drizzle of nuoc cham for the full Vietnamese experience. It’s perfect for summer cookouts or any time you’re craving something bright, fresh, and absolutely delicious.
Grilled Lemongrass Chicken
An authentic recipe for Grilled Lemongrass Chicken bursting with Vietnamese flavor! Simple, easy, and delicious.
Ingredients
Chicken
Lemongrass Paste
Instructions
Make the Lemongrass Paste
- Thinly slice the tender white parts of the lemongrass stalks and place in a food processor. You should have roughly 1/2 cup.
- Add the garlic cloves and rough-chopped shallot. Pulse repeatedly until lemongrass gets broken down.
- Add oil, soy sauce, salt, sugar, five-spice, and optional chili garlic sauce. Process into a paste, scraping down sides as needed. Process for a couple of minutes until lemongrass is finely chopped and it looks like a paste.
Grill the Chicken
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Coat all sides of the chicken with the paste. You can do this ahead and refrigerate up to 48 hours, or grill right away.
- Oil the grill well. Grill chicken over medium-high heat until deep grill marks appear, about 3-4 minutes. Do not move chicken around too much or you will lose the lemongrass.
- Use a thin metal spatula to flip. Cook 3 more minutes, check for grill marks, then lower heat, cover with lid, and cook all the way through. You can also finish in a 350°F oven, uncovered.
- Serve over rice noodles with cucumber, mint, Thai basil, and nuoc cham dressing, or simply over rice.
Notes
- The lemongrass paste can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
- For best results, slice the lemongrass thinly before processing to avoid stringy pieces.
- Adjust the chili garlic sauce amount (1-3 teaspoons) based on your heat preference.
