This super quick, easy, and delicious chicken stir-fry dish is rich in authentic Vietnamese flavors. Juicy bites of tender chicken are cooked in flavorful aromatics enhanced with a refreshing kick from lemongrass. It’s just begging to be scooped onto a bowl of warm steamed rice!
Authentic Vietnamese Flavors
This recipe was an absolute staple in my childhood home. My mother would make this often and I could practically taste the lemony, minty, and juicy chicken just from the aroma alone.
Now that I have a family of my own, I love serving this at our dining table. This classic and flavorful combination of lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, and chili powder with the tender chicken is comforting, nostalgic, and uniquely Vietnamese.
I just love being able to share these flavors with my family. And now, I’ll also be sharing my authentic lemongrass chicken recipe with you!
How to Make Quick Lemongrass Chicken from Scratch
The beauty of this dish is how easy it is to put together. All you have to do is combine the ingredients into a marinade for the chicken. Wait for the flavors to permeate, then stir-fry.
If you marinate the chicken the night before, you can have dinner ready in as fast as 15 minutes!
The ingredients are also very easy to source. They are all staples of Southeast Asian cooking so, if you don’t have them in your pantry already, you should be able to find everything at your nearest Asian grocery store.
Best Chicken for Stir-fry
To get the most out of this recipe, I highly recommend using either chicken thighs or chicken legs. The fat content really complements the strong flavors of the marinade. These cuts will also stay nicely tender and juicy throughout the cooking process.
I don’t recommend using chicken breast as it tends to become dry and tough when cooked this way. Instead, you can use any chicken breasts you have to make shredded chicken breast topping for my Phở Gà. In that recipe, I also talk about my foolproof method for effortlessly juicy and tender poached chicken breast – so you may want to give it a look!
How to Serve Lemongrass Chicken
At home, we have this the classic Vietnamese way – with steamed white rice and fresh or pickled vegetables.
You can also serve it on rice noodle salad. The freshness of herbs combined with the tang of some Nước Chấmand the delicate texture of perfectly cooked rice noodles (using my no-fail cooking method) will make for a super satisfying and refreshing noodle salad dish!
I hope you enjoy this authentic recipe as much as my family and I do. Be sure to also check out my other Vietnamese recipes to enjoy more classic Southeast Asian cuisine from the comfort of your own home. As always, let me know if you tried my recipe and what you think. I would love to hear from you!I hope you enjoy this authentic recipe as much as my family and I do. Be sure to also check out my other Vietnamese recipes to enjoy more classic Southeast Asian cuisine from the comfort of your own home. As always, let me know if you tried my recipe and what you think. I would love to hear from you!
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken | Gà Xào Sả Ớt
Ingredients
- 1 lbs Chicken Drummies | Chicken Thighs I recommend against chicken breast since this dish cooks on very high heat and the breast may come out dry
- 1/2 tsp Tumeric Curry Powder would be a good substitute
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1.5 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 3 tbsp Lemongrass
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Chili Powder More or less depending on your spice tolerance
- 2 pieces Cloves
Instructions
- Mix chicken with all of the ingredients in a big bowl. Give the chicken a nice massage so that every part of the chicken has a coating of yummy goodness.
- Let the chicken marinate for an hour. If you have time, marinating overnights gives it the most flavor.
- Heat up your pot to medium to medium-high heat. Add a few teaspoons of cooking oil. Once oil is hot, add chicken and all the marinade juice. Cook for 7-8 minutes while stirring chicken quiet frequently.
