Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
Categories: Chicken | Interntional | Vietnam
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup lime juice, plus extra lime wedges for serving
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or any neutral-flavored oil)
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 small garlic cloves
- 2 stalks lemongrass, tender white parts only, roughly chopped (see below)
- 1 medium shallot, peeled and halved (or half of a small red onion)
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
Preparation:
- Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, maple syrup, oil, soy sauce, black pepper, garlic, lemongrass and shallot in a blender or food processor.
- Puree until smooth.
- Combine the chicken and marinade in a large bowl.
- Toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
- (If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 15 minutes before using.)
- Thread the chicken evenly onto the skewers.
- Once the grill is hot, place the chicken kabobs evenly on the grill.
- Cook for 10-14 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (no longer pink on the inside).
- Transfer the kabobs to a clean plate, and loosely tent with aluminum foil.
- Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes.
- Then serve warm while the chicken is hot and juicy, sprinkled with an extra squeeze of fresh lime juice (plus some thinly-sliced green onions) if desired.
- Or, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes:
- Lemongrass: To properly cut lemongrass, first pull off the reedy outer few leaves until you reach the more tender leaves on the inside.
- Then roughly dice just the white parts of the lemongrass, usually the bottom (white) 1/3 or so of the stalk.
- If you cannot find fresh lemongrass, you can substitute in 3 or so tablespoons of fresh lemongrass paste.
- Grill pan or sauté method: If you would like to cook this lemongrass chicken recipe inside on the stovetop, you can cook the skewers in a grill pan over medium-high heat (drizzle a bit of oil on it first) for about 5-6 minutes per side, until the chicken is charred and cooked through.
- Or you can cook the chicken in a large sauté pan (without the skewers, also drizzling a bit of oil in the pan first) for about 7-10 minutes, stirring and flipping occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.
