I told you about clearing out my fridge in my last post, so this is the second installment where I used the leftover lemongrass, shallots, and chicken breasts as the main ingredients.
I found this Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe on a recent copy of Food & Wine magazine–an article about Vietnamese recipes.
I believe this is not the most authentic lemongrass chicken recipe around, but it worked out really well and I enjoyed it, especially the caramelized sweet taste of this dish.
I am not going to write a lengthy post because of some last-minute shopping that I have to do, but I shall leave you with this wonderful recipe of Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken.
Enjoy!
Related Recipes:
- Vietnamese Tau Hu Ky or bean curd skin with shrimp
- Vietnamese Cha Tom or Hue shrimp patties
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Recipe
Lemongrass Chicken Recipe. Simply the most aromatic and delicious Asian chicken dish ever. So easy to make and no-fuss.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast/thigh, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, tender inner white bulbs only, minced
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 chilies, seeded and minced
- 1 scallion for garnishing
Instructions
-
In a bowl, combine the fish sauce, garlic, curry powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the sugar. Add the chicken meat to coat.
-
In a small skillet, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of the water and cook over high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cook without stirring until a deep amber caramel forms. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of water. Transfer to a bowl.
-
Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the lemongrass, shallot, and chilies and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the chicken and caramel and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened. Transfer to a bowl and top with the scallion. Serve with steamed white rice.
Latest Recipes:
If you try my recipe, please use hashtag #rasamalaysia on social media so I can see your creations! Follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter for new recipes, giveaways and more.
Goldie C.
I made this dish tonight and it came out excellent.Full of flavor and aroma. Quick and easy to prepare ! Best of all, I got to use my homegrown lemongrass , scallions and Butter crisp lettuce .: My top dish to make !!!
hermsoven
Very tasty and easy to prepare.
I find the curry overwhelms the other flavors,
however. Perhaps using less or none is the answer. Bottom line: I just made and consumed a pan full with a guest and enjoyed every morsel. Thanks for posting this.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you may cut down the curry.
annie
Are we supposed to use white sugar or brown sugar for this recipe?
Rasa Malaysia
I used white sugar but brown is fine.
Alan Holden
That was absolutely yummy. Substituted pork for chicken and was still outstanding as well as simple and quick.
chris
the reduced fish sauce caused this dish to way too salty….less fish sauce?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes less fish sauce. Some fish sauce is saltier than the other.
Joel Aldo
I tried this recipe almost exactly. I
Couldn’t find the time to find shallot so I substituted a small white onion instead and it was fine. I was thighs. This was amazing!!!
Would this work on any other meat ?
Rasa Malaysia
I think chicken would taste the best but you can try pork or beef, or shrimp.
Vivian Tanis
You have a very clean blog website and I love how we can click on the recipe with the option to print with / without photos – and the bonus – no ads. The food looks excellent I will try this weekend.
Rasa Malaysia
Awwww thanks so much for the compliments. :)
Rebecca Richards
This recipe is AMAZING! A little too hot for the kids,but my husband and I loved it! I added some asparagus…sooo goood!
Rasa Malaysia
That’s great that you love it.
Angela
I know that there are lots of curry powders out there, can you tell me what color/kind of curry powder you would recommend for this dish?
Pauly
Hi Rasa! Just cooked this recipe today and it’s stunning. But I have one question: My meal looks nearly as yours in the picture above, but I didn’t taste the lemongrass at all! Maybe I’m not used to the taste, because I used it the first time ever, but I thought the hint of it would be stronger. I chopped it in small little pieces with my kitchenknive and put it in with the shallot and the chilies like you iinstructed in your recipe. Did I do anything wrong?
Best regards & and thanks for the awesome site,
Pauly
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Pauly, did you use fresh lemongrass? Did you use the bottom part? Some lemongrass loses its fragrance if they are not fresh…use the flat side of the knife to “pound” the white stem to release the aroma. :)
Pauly
Hey Rasa, I used fresh lemon grass, yes. Maybe the quality in germany is not as good as in other countries or it was already older. I will try it again with your kind tips and let you know how it was!
Marie
Can I please ask how many serves does this make?
Rasa Malaysia
2-3
Josephine
H,
Thank you for this delicious recipe. Everyone just loved it.
I used dried lemongrass instead.
Please continue to give us your lovely recipes.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Josephine glad that you love the Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe. :)
Marla
Hi,
I tried this recipe and it tastes really good. However mine looks rather pale? I tried it twice and it doesn’t turn as brown as your picture. Did I not caramelize the sugar long enough? Thanks.
Ming
Hi, I really like your recipe and I will tried it.
Thanks!
I I
Gingybite
This looks really nice! I tried it but turned up I didn’t caramelise the sugar long enough hence the color was slightly lighter. Thanks for sharing!
Dympsing
I made this very tasty meal and simply enjoyed EVERY bite of it. I only used 1 chilli however as I didn’t feel confident about using 3. The result, for me, was terrific. I’m going to cook this for friends who are coming for dinner at the weekend. Thank you.
Katherine
Thank you so much for replying to my post!
I did luckily find fresh lemongrass at my local grocery store- maybe I never noticed it before now but I’m glad I found it. I’m definitely making this tomorrow!
onur
we have just cooked this recipe, it is amazing..
we have decided to try a few other recipes from your site.
thank you
Katherine
Hi, I really love your website! I really want to make this dish but I only have dried lemongrass and minced lemongrass in a tube at my house and I don’t have access to an Asian market. Is it possible to use dried lemongrass or the minced lemongrass that comes in a tube? Is so, roughly how much would I use?
Thank you very much!
Everything I have made from your website is soo good! I also am very tempted to by your book from Amazon!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Katherine,
I am not sure I have never used that. You can try I think it’s OK to use them just don’t know how much.
Maitri Fischer
Hi, this recipe was great. I was looking for something to do with my tempe and this worked great. Thanks a lot for the great recipe.
BTW are you aware that food and wine has plagiarized the recipe word for word? http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lemongrass-chicken-october-2007
Maitri Fischer
Oh my bad, you took the recipe from them. haha
Rasa Malaysia
LOL yes, I actually used their recipe…:)
phildedog
I love this dish and your page. Thanks so much
Jan
This recipe is amazing! I keep making it and we simply can’t get enough, the favors are blended perfectly:) Even kids love it!
DanS
Thanks for sharing this great recipe. Photo looks amazing!
I would like to try to use lemongrass, but I am not a big fan of fish sauce. Can I just eliminate it or there are substitute for it?
Thank you!
busymom
can I substitute chicken breasts for thighs?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes
busy mom
can I substitute chicken breasts for thighs??
Amrita
I cooked this recipe of yours tonight. Turned out well but unfortunately it’s not as Caramelized and brown as yours and I’m not sure why? The curry powder you think? I used baba meat curry powder. It tasted great but I pound the lemongrass into a paste next time instead as there was a crunch to the lemongrass. Could be my lemongrass tho?
sandi149
I made this last night for my family and it was absolutely delicious!!! Will definitely be making again. Could I also use shrimp instead of the chicken with this recipe?
pumpatch
Stumbled onto your site the other day and decided to try this recipe. I had a big bush of lemon grass and didn’t know what to do with it besides making satay. This dish was delicious!!
This weekend I am trying about 4 of your chinese recipe for a dinner party of 9. Can’t wait!!
Thanks for your recipes!
Traycie
I love lemongrass in many dishes, it really brings out a very nice and light fragrent to any dishes. I added chopped ginger to this and I carmalized with splenda with olive oil,once carmalization was completed I added my fresh ginger and lemongrass mixture. After the fresh spices was dry *looking* i threw in the marinated chicken and stir fried on high until the there wasn’t any oils/carmel left in the pan. I never thought about adding curry, tried it with curry…LOVED IT!!! Thanks!! Coming from a Halfie(Vietnamese/French)
Jen
Did you get the caramel with using a splenda
LindaB
A tip for those who don’t like making caramel — it can be tricky and messy — instead, try mixing some dark corn syrup with a bit of water…same flavor, same texture, and same great dish!
Elsie Hui
Thanks for the recipe for the LemonGrass Chicken! :) I love it!
lyaxoxo
Hi…I tried this recipe once before and enjoyed it! So, I came back to find the recipe again but, I’m having a really hard time finding the actual recipe here. All I see now are the 80 comments and no recipe :( Please help!
Rasa Malaysia
The recipe is on page 2. :)
https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-vietnamese-lemongrass-chicken/2/
Chrissy Wei
I tried this recipe today. “Excellent”was my husband’s comments and he is a pretty harsh critic when it comes to food, especially Asian cuisine. …. On another note, definently adhere to the 3 chili(s), I used double, ( 3 red, 3 green) and it was almost too spicy for my husband, other then that, it has a great flavor( spicy, and yet sweet)
a nice even blend! ……….
Renee
Great recipe!! My family loved it.
Simon
Looks really delicious. It’s 2011 and I’m really surprised that a vendor don’t know what fish sauce is. Just go to a thia store and ask for “nam plah”. However, I tried this recipe and it turned out really delicious:).
poisanmusroom
good i like this so am using this recipes in my restaurant in nepal
Summer
Wow. This was Google’s first suggestion for “lemongrass chicken”.. it was easy, delicious and I learned some new techniques! Thanks for posting, I shared it on Facebook where I’m sure all of my foodie friends will learn to love it as well!
arllontabanao
Hi I’m from philippines I tried this recipe and it’s really delicious although I cook it unperfectly but still taste good my family really like the recipe.
Su Hui
This is a great recipe and was very easy to follow despite my inept cooking ability. Thanks and kudos!
keekerngcheng
Hi Ms Low Bee Yinn
I cooked this for dinner tonight and both my hubby and daughter like it. It tastes a bit like the Malacca version of what is known as satay chicken. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.
Umashree
hi…I’m from India,Hyderabad.
The fish sauce used in this recipe isn’t available here as far as i know,so is there any other sauce i could use in place of the fish sauce which will give me the same flavour??
Please advice.
Thank you :)
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Umashree – you can use Chinese oyster sauce.
Umashree
wow!!!
i just love this!!
thanks for recipe!! :)
hector rojo
I am lucky enough to be half Vietnamese and half Mexican. A product of the US going to Vietnam. lucky for me i didnt get left like some kids did. (i have a half brother and a half sister that were killed because they had the same american father i did.) i loved this dish. in fact my mom would make it for me once a week, and when i moved out she would try to bribe me to come over with this dish and brasied pork belly and egg. my wife has had my mothers chicken with lemon grass and when i cooked it for the second time over the memorial day weekend she confessed she liked mine more. (dont tell my mother) i was suprised at how much it looked like your picture. thanks for the basic recipe.
Khesanh Doan
hi, i read your post and i was amazed this may be way off topic but WOW half Vietnamese half Mexican thats got to be a good mix!! im half Vietnamese half English ,my mother was English and ba was viet which was not around long but lucky for me mom learnt a few things braised pork belly and egg love it and ginger chicken pigs feet soup pho etc alot of great dishes Vietnamese have but im sure theres more out there that mom dont know about so i was curious to know if u have any other recipes that u wouldnt see in restaurants and that but more there home style cooking recipes that u may want to infrom me on so i can try i would appreciate alot please
thank you Khesanh :D
KOC
Hi, I stumbled upon your site and have been looking at all your recipes the entire day… and trying some of them today :-)
One thing I don’t understand thou – what’s this “fish sauce” that appears so frequently in your recipes? I asked at our local grocery shop (in KL) and they don’t seem to know what it is…
Rasa Malaysia
Fish sauce is used in all Thai and Vietnamese cuisines, I am very surprised that grocery shops don’t know.
Perverted Pete Gluttonking
You got better chances of finding fish sauce in supermarkets.
Jun
Hi,
I’m new to cooking and would love to try this recipe. I have come across many dishes requiring the use of lemon grass. But how do I pounce or minced the lemongrass? Put it in a blender?
I would appreciate it if you can advise.
Thank you and I love your website.
Regards,
Jun
Rasa Malaysia
You can use a grater or mortar or pestle. Or chop it finely with a cleaver.
susan
One can get frozen minced Vietnamese lemongrass from Asian grocery store.
lilian
Hi I am thinking of making this delicious recipe. Is it ok to use meat curry powder like Baba’s brand? And how long does it take for the caramel sauce to turn amber in colour? Cos I read that boiling it for too long even just less than a minute can result in a bitter taste. Thanks if you can reply asap.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you can use Baba. The caramel sauce should be golden brown, over-cooking will turn bitter. You will know when it’s done, it’s very intuitive.
Joe
I tried this with cumin and turmeric as the curry powder; it was great. Thanks for the inspiration.
you never answer questions
Why do people ask questions. It’s obvious that you never answer them.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi there – I receive hundreds of comments on a daily basis and I can’t afford to answer everyone of them.
Thanks for your understanding.
Anon
‘Recipe pretty much looks right on. The only thing that normally isn’t used is the curry powder =)’
I agree with the comment above. There is another dish, which people use fresh Turmeric, it calls ‘Ga xao xa nghe’, which translates as ‘Stir-fried chicken with lemon grass and Turmeric’ in that case people use Turmeric instead of Caramel sauce to give the dish a yellow colour.The combination of the two herbs gives the dish a different taste. Added crush unsalt peanuts for garnishing to both dishes you’ll get the perfect taste. Anyway, I really enjoy your blog and have tried many other recipes, thank for sharing. Happy cooking. :-)
Princess Mouseau
I’ve tested the recipe!
I failed to add water at the end of making the caramel and it hardened.. But it still tasted fantastic without the caramel! Thanks for sharing!
Martin & Emma
Travelled around in Vietnam in 2003 and enjoyed the lemongrass chicken. Tried the dish tonight and loved it!
Martin & Emma, Sweden
Anonymous
I tried this recipe yesterday and we all like it. It was yummy and i love lemongrass flavor. Definitely will be making it again.
Anonymous
I tried your vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe for my husband and now vietnamese lemongrass chicken is a favourite in our house.
GiGi
i hv tried your recipe, and it works really well!! the lemongrass aroma is everywhere in my little apartment and my 2 boys just keep on asking me, “mama, wat is that smell? it sound so delicious!” Oh! Man….Thanks alot, u make up my day:)
Yun
Thank you for posting this lemongrass chicken recipe. My partner loves this dish.
Dibs
sounds good. will try it this weekend
Sharon
I was searching for recipes to use up my leftover lemongrss and this just might be it! Thanks :)
Joy de Vivre
Wow. I made this last night – and it was just as good as the pictures looked! Not too much work either! Yuuuummmmmmmmyyyy!
Thanks!
Anonymous
I’m Vietnamese, and I have to say this looks very similar to the way my family makes this dish-I’ll have to try it soon! We deal with lemongrass a lot, and though I don’t particularly like the flavor, it’s a great addition to marinating meats and to recipes like this :) And you can find lemongrass in just about any asian market (I fortunately live near more than five of them), so the ingredients are really easy to get as well.
Claude-Olivier
hi, how are you ? I’ve just publish your recipe on my blog ;-) Have a look!
Have a very nice day
Cheers
Gay
I like to cook with lemon grass a lot – in soups, grills and stews. This one I must try. Thanks.
Julia
I made this a few nights ago and it was absolutely delicious! I grated in some fresh ginger too. Mine didn’t turn out such a beautiful caramel colour, but it became an instant fave for me and I’ll be making it often – thank you!
Dwiana P
WOW this chicken must taste very delicous! I don’t mind eating chicken everyday.
Rosa's Yummy Yums
Oh, I love Vietnamese recipes! That chicken dish looks gorgeous and ever so photogenic!
Cheers,
Rosa
A kitchen scientist & a white rat hubby!!!
my my…, somehow happened to stumble over this site, and trust me..have been sitting here in front of my monitor, and have gone thru all the posts, from Day 1 !!!
lov ur snaps, cud definitely see the quality rise in snaps from the initial to those now (from good to superb, i mean)…
the prawns balls, shrimp roll with popped out tail….got no words to say, except that i am just can resist tryin it out myself…
joey
That sounds sooooo good! Love things that are both sweet and spicy :) Love lemongrass too! Over here we call lemongrass tanglad :)
Amy
This sounds delicious! I think I will have to make it this week. :)
Sunkid
Another great shot there! Your recipe sounds divine, and one thing I’ve been wanting to ask you for a long time: Are you using a digicam or one of those SLR Digital cameras?
Graeme
Lemongrass Chicken – It’s just one of those things you KNOW you’ll love.
Beautiful photos as always. Really, really beautiful.
Piggy
Wow, another post that makes me drool! ;-)
"Joe" who is constantly craving
looks yum!!..i want to try this..but dis looks like i need to go for some grocery shopping
Andaliman
lovely shot and yummy indeed
Cynthia
I’ve had this dish at the home of some friends, the only thing is that they used chicken wings. It was soooooo good and was finished in no time :) No, No, not by me alone (lol)
Kate
Rasa , the colour of this chicken is so rich and gorgeous.Just wondering if 2. half tbsps would be too sweet ! oe maybe the curry pwd will balance it out. Looks fab …defi worth a try !
Jen Yu
another gorgeous looking dish. i want you to come to my house when i’m cleaning out MY fridge! thanks for the awesome posts and recipes – you keep me Asian, woman :)
JadedOne
RM – I made this last night and it came out beautfully! Thank you!
bea at la tartine gourmande
Delicious recipe. Everything that I like is in it. Lemongrass, such a lovely ingredient.
Lemongrass
Looks delicious! Nice pictures too!
Kevin
Sounds tasty. Now if only it wasn’t so hard to find lemongrass.
Jackson
oohh…the picture is awesome!! The recipe is great! I love anything with lemongras!
anh
Recipe pretty much looks right on. The only thing that normally isn’t used is the curry powder =)
meeso
I just found fresh lemongrass at the store and now I know how to use it! This sounds simple too :)
wmw
Aiyoh…one of my fave Viet dishes!
tigerfish
Wooo… I simply love lemongrass in anything. I made the so-called Baba coriander chicken before and it uses lemongrass too. YUMS!
yygarvin
looks absolutely delish! ur blog inspires me to cook! will try this recipe over the weekend. loving ur work!
Terry B
This sounds and looks wonderful! A quick question–what kind of chilies do you use?
ptanu
I love the flavor of lemongrass but I’ve never cooked with it much–my mum’s recipes always tend to be so complex. This is one I’m definitely going ot try!
JadedOne
Perfect! This is what I’ll make for dinner tonight :)
Marvin
Rasa, this looks really really good. I’ve never cooked with lemongrass, but I love it’s flavor.
veron
Wonderful! My practicing my Asian food cooking skills and I love lemon grass chicken so I guess I know what I’ll be making soon!
Happy cook
Wow they just look superb.When i saw the pic i thought u deepfried the chicken but it is the caramel which gives it suce a nice colour.
I am for sure going to try this recipe.
I don’t like the fish sauce can i omit that.
Lydia
A friend just harvested some lemongrass from her garden, and I’ve been making a list of recipes that use it. I’ll definitely try this one!
East Meets West Kitchen
I love your picture (as always), and since I have all the ingredients on hand, I can’t wait to try this tonight. Thanks!
Andreea
that sounds absoulety delicious. something for the weekend
i als overy much love how you created the 4 photo slide. any chance you could share the secret tool? i am obviously totally at the other extreme to tech savy :)
Claude-Olivier
Hi, it sounds so good that I will try this recipe this week, that’s for sure! I will travel throught Asia with your food ;-) cheers
Oh for the love of food!
I’ts a real pity that I don’t live where you are. I’d invite myself over everyday when you need to clear your fridge! Love your Lemongrass chicken, and your prawn balls with the wanton skin strips is a BLAST!Is there a lucky guy in particular that gets to savour all your Yummy stuff?
Cindy. Lo.
Can I have a bowl of rice please!
Cedar
That sounds incredible, I am saving the recipe, and am going to try it later this week!
Brilynn
Your blog makes me hungry at the most inopportune hours! I could happily eat a bowlful of this right now…
Nabeela
That looks lovely. My husband would love it…he is big on asian flavors! Thanks for posting :)
K & S
I wish I could get lemongrass here. This reminds me of the lemongrass chicken bahn mi I used to eat in Hawaii.
Debora
If you have an Asian market, some of them have some in the frozen section it’s grated in a plastic jar good luck in findinformation it
sigrid
I bought lemon grass in an asian market, let it sit in a glass of water until it rooted, then planted it outside. Now it is handy whenever I needed. try it
Joanne Kitching
If you can find some lemon grass, stick them in the soil, ever so easy to grow all year round.
Peter D
I’ve got so much lemongrass in my garden at the moment I’m looking at recipes to use it up.
Lyly
do u have to soak it in water first for it to root? or can u just put it into soil pot?
Michael
Was it on Maui?
MLee