Vietnamese Noodle Bowls with Lemongrass Chicken (Bun Ga Nuong)

Bun Ga Nuong in a bowl with a side of Mo Hanh and Nuoc Cham.

5 from 4 ratings

Vietnamese Noodle Bowls with Lemongrass Chicken (Bun Ga Nuong)

Made in 30 minutes or less, this refreshing Vietnamese noodle bowl with lemongrass chicken is the perfect example of balance. Savory lemongrass chicken is served with fresh vegetables, vermicelli noodles, and a drizzle of nuoc cham.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Keyword: bun ga nuong, lemongrass chicken noodle bowls, vietnamese noodle bowls with lemongrass chicken

Servings: people

Calories: 711kcal

Author: Becca Du

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

2 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cut into ~½ inch pieces
2 tbsp lemongrass minced, see note 1
1 shallot minced, see note 2
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce see note 3
2 tbsp vegetable oil see note 4
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp light brown sugar see note 5

Vermicelli Bowl

4 cups lettuce
¼ cup pickled daikon
¼ cup pickled carrots
½ cup cucumbers thinly sliced
¼ cup mint
16 oz vermicelli noodles boiled
2 tbsp peanuts optional, crushed, see note 6
½ cup Vietnamese dipping sauce

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Add all the ingredients for the chicken marinade to a bowl. Mix and let marinate for 15 minutes.
While the chicken is marinating, prepare your other ingredients. Boil your vermicelli noodles. Cut your lettuce and cucumbers. Make your Vietnamese dipping sauce. Set all of it aside.
Heat a pan over high heat. Make sure your pan is hot before cooking your chicken. That's what gives it the "grilled look" without the grill. Cook the chicken in batches for 1-2 minutes on each side.
Now you're ready to make your vermicelli bowls! Add vermicelli noodles to a bowl. Follow with a few pieces of lettuce, pickled daikon, pickled carrots, cucumbers, and mint. Finish it off with crushed peanuts and a drizzle of Vietnamese dipping sauce.

Notes

Lemongrass substitute. If you can't find lemongrass, substitute with 1 tbsp of lime juice and the zest of 1 lime. The flavor won't be exactly the same, but it will be good enough.
Shallot substitute. Substitute with sweet yellow onion. Use ~3 tbsp of onion.
Soy sauce substitute. Use any kind of soy sauce you can find. Substitute with tamari to make this recipe gluten free.
Vegetable oil substitutes. Substitute vegetable oil with grapeseed oil or olive oil.
Light brown sugar substitutes. A good substitute for light brown sugar is dark brown sugar. If you want to make this dish processed sugar free, use another tablespoon of honey.
Peanuts. This is an optional ingredient, but it's highly recommended if you want the most authentic experience. A good substitute for peanuts is fried shallots.
Other vegetables you can use. Bean sprouts, cilantro, perilla leaves, and Thai basil.
Marinate chicken overnight. For the best flavor, marinate the chicken overnight.
How do you store this dish? Store each component separately and put it all together when you are about to eat. Chicken and cooked vermicelli noodles can keep up to 3 days in the fridge. The vegetables can last ~1 week.

Nutrition