Vietnamese Noodle Bowls with Lemongrass Chicken (Bun Ga Nuong)

Made in 30 minutes or less, this refreshing Vietnamese noodle bowl with lemongrass chicken or Bun Ga Nuong is the perfect example of balance. Savory lemongrass chicken is served with fresh vegetables, vermicelli noodles, and a drizzle of nuoc cham. Perfect for both weeknight dinners and dinner parties.

One of my favorite things about Vietnamese cuisine is that it is full of fresh herbs and vegetables. Even though the cuisine has a lot of intense savory flavors, it is always balanced out with all these fresh vegetables. The dishes that personify this more than any other are Vietnamese noodle salads or bún in Vietnamese. A variety of different proteins can be used to make bún but the one I have been gravitating towards recently is lemongrass chicken. Bun Ga Nuong or Vietnamese noodle salad with lemongrass chicken is so simple to make, and I have to say I really love my recipe. Even my mom loves it, and that’s the best validation.

My take on Bun Ga Nuong

Bun Ga Nuong is a popular type of bún, dishes that are eaten with vermicelli noodles, an assortment of herbs, do chua, and a protein with nuoc cham as a dressing. Some popular bun dishes are bun bo xao, bun thit nuong, and bun cha hanoi. Yes it’s essentially a salad! That’s why the most popular season to eat this dish is in the summer, but Vietnamese people love this dish all year round. It’s also very versatile because it can be eaten in a bowl or in the form of chicken spring rolls.

The most traditional way to prepare the lemongrass chicken for this dish is to grill it. “Ga Nuong” literally translates to grilled chicken. The grill imparts yummy earthy flavor to the dish. However, I do not have a grill at home, so in developing this recipe, I chose to use a saute pan. The results were still very tasty.

Some deets about key ingredients

• Chicken thighs – I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Use any cut of chicken you want. Chicken breast is a great substitute for thighs.
• Lemongrass – If you don’t have lemongrass, I would use a tablespoon of lime juice and the zest of 1 lime. The flavor won’t be the same as lemongrass, but it’s a good enough substitute. Check out my guide on how to use lemongrass for tips on how to cut this ingredient!
• Shallots – Shallots can be substituted with sweet yellow onion. I would use about 3 tbsp of onion.
• Vegetable Oil – Substitute with grapeseed oil or olive oil.
• Light brown sugar – Light brown sugar can be substituted with dark brown sugar. Note that dark brown sugar is sweeter, so that will make the dish sweeter. If you want to make this dish processed sugar free, use another tablespoon of honey.
• Peanuts (optional) – If you don’t like peanuts, leave it out. A good substitute for crushed peanuts is fried shallots.

Other kinds of vegetables you can use

This vermicelli noodle bowl can include a variety of different herbs and vegetables. In addition to those mentioned in the recipe, some others you can include are bean sprouts, cilantro, perilla leaves, and Thai basil.

How to make Bun Ga Nuong at home

Tips on how to make the perfect Bun Ga Nuong

Use a grill for the best and most authentic flavor

As mentioned above, the most authentic way to make this dish it with a grill. I love making this on the grill (when I have one) because it adds the most amazing flavor to the chicken. Use either an indoor or outdoor grill for this dish.

How to to get that grill look without a grill

As I mentioned above, I don’t have a grill, but as you can see in the pictures, the chicken looks grilled. To get the “grill” look on my chicken, I heated the pan over high heat, and cooked the chicken after the pan gets hot. The heat from the pan will give the chicken a nice dark sear on the outside and also some of that grill flavor.

Marinate lemongrass chicken overnight for the best flavor

I have marinated this chicken for 15 minutes, and I have marinated it overnight. The shorter marinating time works, but the chicken has the best flavor when it is marinated overnight. The flavors of the marinade have more time to penetrate the chicken. I would not marinate the chicken more than 24 hours because the marinade starts to break down the chicken and it becomes a weird texture. It is also unsafe to keep chicken in the fridge for more than 2 days.

How do you reheat Bun Ga Nuong?

I would first microwave the vermicelli noodles for ~1 minute and then let it sit for 5 minutes. When you store vermicelli noodles in the fridge, all the moisture from the fridge makes the noodles stick together. Microwaving the noodles helps them come apart, and it also helps evaporate some of that excess liquid. You need to let them cool down because the noodles tend to soak up more dressing when they’re warm, so you tend to overdress the dish when the noodles are warm. The noodles are best served at room temperature.

As you are waiting for the noodles to cool, you can prep the vegetables and microwave the chicken for 1-2 minutes. After the noodles have cooled, I would put it all in a bowl and drizzle on some nuoc cham. If you want a more detailed guide on how to use vermicelli, see my post on how to cook vermicelli.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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