Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

Marinated with lemongrass, fish sauce, and honey, this authentic Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe is the perfect dish for your weeknight meals. It is really easy to make and packed full of flavor, making it the ultimate crowd pleaser.

This easy Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe is the perfect weeknight meal or in those moments when you’re just too tired to cook. Chicken is marinated with lemongrass, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and honey to give it the perfect balance of salty and sweet. It is then seared on the stove and finished in the oven. I have to tell you this is one of my go to recipes for weeknights! It’s just so easy to make and you can eat it with a variety of things.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

• Chicken thighs – You can use any cut of chicken for this recipe. I chose to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs because I love how juicy and flavorful they are. If you do choose to use different cuts, make sure to adjust your cooking time accordingly. Different parts of the chicken cook differently.
• Lemongrass – This is the main flavor component of this dish. It has a light, lemon-y like flavor that works really well with meats. There isn’t a substitute for lemongrass. If you can’t find lemongrass, use a tablespoon of lime as a substitute or lemongrass paste.
• Fish sauce, oyster sauce & soy sauce – These 3 sauces add different variations of umami and salty flavors to the chicken. My preferred fish sauce brands are Three Crabs or Red Boat. My preferred soy sauce brand is Kikkoman. Use tamari as a substitute for soy sauce if you want to make this dish gluten free. My preferred oyster sauce brand is Lee Kum Kee. If you don’t have oyster sauce, substitute with more soy sauce.
• Garlic & shallot – Add more flavor to the chicken.
• Honey & brown sugar – Adds different variations of sweetness to the dish.
• Vegetable oil – Vegetable ensures the chicken doesn’t stick to the sheet pan. Any kind of neutral oil works for this recipe.

How to make my easy Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe

First marinate your chicken thighs. Add all the ingredients for the marinade into a bowl. Mix and add the chicken thighs. Make sure the chicken is coated in the marinade. Marinate for 3 hours or overnight. I would highly recommend marinating overnight for the best flavor.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Next sear your chicken. Heat some oil in a pan over medium high heat. Sear chicken thighs, skin side down, for 1-2 minutes. Place chicken thighs on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with rice, fresh vegetables, and a fried egg.

Tips on how to make the perfect Vietnamese lemongrass chicken

Adjust the cook time accordingly when using different cuts of chicken

You can use any cut of chicken for this recipe, but they will cook differently depending on thickness and if they included bones. For example, I used bone in chicken thighs which cook for 30-35 minutes in the oven. However, boneless chicken thighs will cook for 20-22 minutes. You can even use a whole chicken but that will require you to double or triple the amount of marinade and increase the cook time to 1 hour 25 minutes. For a more detailed guide on how to roast a whole chicken, check out my Vietnamese Roasted Chicken recipe.

Sear the chicken skin to trap in flavor and keep it crispy

This is a cool tip I learned from watching Gordon Ramsey cook. He always says “no color, no flavor”.

Do not cut into the chicken immediately after cooking

If you cut into chicken or any meat right after you cook it, its juices will spill out. Letting it rest will allow the juices to redistribute into the meat, creating for a juicy, yummy texture.

How do you serve lemongrass chicken?

Lemongrass chicken has strong flavors, so serve this dish with a bland dish. Traditionally, this dish is served on a com tam dish or a Vietnamese rice dish. Com tam is usually served with white rice or a version of white rice called broken rice garnished with mo hanh with a little pickled vegetables, cha trung hap, and nuoc cham.

I personally love broken rice! I highly recommend broken rice if you can find it. Other things you can serve it with are brown rice, red rice, quinoa, or even sweet potatoes. You can also make a version of this dish to put in a sandwich and make lemongrass chicken banh mi!

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

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