Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken is one of my favorite meals of all time, especially when served with rice noodles, fresh herbs, fresh vegetables, and a Vietnamese dipping sauce (Nuoc Cham).
This chicken is bursting with flavor from the lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce, and fish sauce. When you add this Vietnamese lemongrass chicken to a bowl of rice noodles, fresh herbs, and vegetables, it is easily a meal that you will come back to over and over again.
Whether you’re already a fan of Vietnamese cuisine or just diving in, this is one of those must-try Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipes that’s bursting with flavor.
What is Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken?
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken is a classic dish that highlights the bold and vibrant flavors typical of Vietnamese cooking—savory, sweet, tangy, and aromatic all at once.
This recipe uses tender chicken thighs marinated in lemongrass, garlic, soy sauce, and fish sauce, then cooked to perfection. It’s often served with rice or noodles, fresh veggies, and a side of nuoc cham, a flavorful dipping sauce that pulls the whole dish together.
Why You’ll Love Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
- Super Flavorful Marinade: The lemongrass and fish sauce combo packs a punch and makes this chicken anything but boring.
- Quick Cooking Options: You can air fry it, oven-bake it, or even pan-fry it—whatever suits your kitchen setup.
- Versatile Serving Ideas: Serve it with rice noodles, a fried egg, a salad, or over jasmine rice—endless options.
- Meal Prep Friendly: The marinade works wonders overnight, so you can prep ahead and cook the next day in a flash.
If you like this easy chicken recipe, then you will love my Honey Butter Chicken and Gochujang Chicken Thighs recipes!
Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs: Juicy and flavorful, these are perfect for soaking up the marinade.
- Garlic: Brings deep savory flavor to the marinade.
- Minced Lemongrass: This fragrant herb is the heart of Vietnamese lemongrass chicken.
- Fish Sauce: Adds umami depth and that classic Vietnamese flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Helps balance saltiness and adds richness.
- Dark Soy Sauce: Deepens the color and adds a hint of molasses flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Gives the chicken a caramelized edge and balances the saltiness.
- Lime Juice: Brings brightness and a tangy finish.
- Water: Dilutes the nuoc cham so it’s not too intense.
- Sugar Sweetens the dipping sauce to balance out the fish sauce.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: Adds acidity and extra tang to the nuoc cham.
- Thai Chili: Brings heat to the dipping sauce—make sure to adjust to your spice level!
- Garlic: Adds extra flavor and punch.
Customizations
- Swap the Protein: You can sub chicken thighs with chicken breast, tofu, pork, or even shrimp—just adjust the cooking time.
- Adjust the Heat: Add more Thai chilis to the dipping sauce or keep it mild if spice isn’t your thing.
- No Lemongrass? Try lemongrass paste (found in tubes at many grocery stores) or a combination of lemon zest and lemon juice if fresh lemongrass is hard to find.
How to Make Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
Marinate the Chicken
In a large bowl, mix chicken thighs with garlic, minced lemongrass, fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice.
Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes, but ideally a few hours or overnight for the best flavor.
Air Fry the Chicken
Preheat your air fryer to 425°F (218°C). Add the marinated chicken thighs to the basket in a single layer (cook in batches if needed).
Air fry for 11–13 minutes or until browned and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Make the Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce
While the chicken is cooking, combine fish sauce, water, sugar, lime juice, rice vinegar, minced Thai chili, and minced garlic in a bowl. Stir well to dissolve the sugar and set aside.
This sauce is vibrant and stores well in the fridge for up to a month.
Slice and Serve
Once cooked, let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes, then slice into strips.
Serve with rice noodles, fresh veggies, fried egg, and a generous drizzle of dipping sauce.
Alternate Cooking Methods
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake the chicken at 400°F for 25–30 minutes or pan-fry it for about 4–6 minutes per side until fully cooked.
Storage
This Vietnamese lemongrass chicken is best eaten fresh, but leftovers store well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tips
- Marinate Overnight for Maximum Flavor: The longer it sits, the better it tastes—let the flavors soak in overnight for the best results.
- Save the Sauce: The nuoc cham is so good, you can save any extra to use with spring rolls, grilled meats, or even salad dressing for the next meal.
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemongrass Chicken
- 1.5 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoon minced lemongrass
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 lime juiced
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ⅓ cup water
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 small Thai chili minced
- 1 garlic clove minced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add chicken thighs, garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice. Marinate for 15 mins up to overnight preferred.
- Preheat air fryer to 425F (218C) for a few mins. Add chicken thighs to the basket (don’t overcrowd and cook in batches as needed) and air fry for 11-13 mins until browned and cooked through (internal temperature should be at least 165F [74C]).
- While the chicken is cooking, make the dipping sauce by adding fish sauce, water, sugar, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, minced Thai chili, and minced garlic in a bowl or jar. Stir well to combine and set aside. You can store the extra sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the air fryer and cut into strips. Serve with rice noodles, salad, cucumber, fried eggs, and dipping sauce.
Notes
- If you don't have an air fryer, you can pan-fry the chicken on each side for 4-6 mins or bake them in the oven at 400F for 20-25 mins. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 165F.
- You can store extra sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month.
Laura says
So, SO delicious!!!! Followed the recipe to a T and wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe!
Herman says
Thank you so much and glad you liked it! 🙂
Raina says
I made this! And it was delicious! Will definitely keep this in my rotation as it is so easy to make and tasty. Thank you! 🙂
Herman says
I'm so happy you liked this dish! It's definitely on rotation on my house too so glad it is on yours as well.
Lee says
Yum
Herman says
Thank you!
Jacinta says
I have made this twice in the last week my husband loved it that much. Easy to prepare & the flavours are so good, that dipping sauce, WOW! I think this will be a weekly dish.
Herman says
I'm so happy to hear you love this one, thanks for the review!
Emily says
This was so good. We’ll be adding this into our regular rotation. Thanks for sharing!
Herman says
So glad you liked it! Thanks for the positive review 🙂
Angeline Nam says
my boyfriend and i make this at least once a month!! it’s so easy to make and so delicious. it’s a staple in our dinner rotation!
Herman says
It's one of my favorite dishes to make and I make it all the time too! Sometimes I'll use it in spring rolls too. Thanks for the review!
Melissa North says
Absolutely excellent! Served over vermicelli noodles with cucumber, lettuce, carrots, and crushed peanuts. had to make more noodles because my kids wanted seconds! Super easy weeknight meal.
Gary Bastoky says
I cooked this and I'm trying to be mindful that all air fryers are different. Mine doesn't even go as high as 425 F, so I set it at 390 because I've cooked chicken thighs before at this temp. I checked it at 10 minutes at it was at the point of being charred. The marinade and the sauce were excellent and I may try making this using the oven method next time or even better, adjust it for stir frying. I'm almost at the point of giving up on air frying anything because no matter how careful I am, I end up with dried out or overcooked food.
Herman says
Hi Gary, thanks for sharing your review! I'm curious what brand of air fryer you have as it seems like your highest temperature is different than my temperatures. In any case, you can adjust the times based on your specific air fryer and even flip the chicken halfway to ensure it doesn't burn on top. Hope this helps!