Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

This recipe for Vietnamese lemon chicken is made with the best citrus lemon marinades, and it can be grated, baked or sautéed.

We have been eating the main foods of Vietnam recently and tried to master some of our favorite dishes at home (especially because it is difficult to find good Vietnamese food here in Barcelona). And I have to say that our recent attempt may be better than the restaurant version that inspired it - Lemongrass Chicken! Or, if you are not chicken, this marinade can be easily used to make lemongrass beef, pork, shrimp, scallops, fish, grilled vegetables, etc.

In general, this marinade will make you want to lemon everything. ♡

Fresh lemongrass, with its signature tender, spicy, lemon, mint, slightly ginger flavor, is the main ingredient here and somehow transforms a plain garlic-soy marinade into one that has an incredibly fresh and light taste. And when paired with a slightly charred juicy chicken - be it grilled, roasted or sauteed - I tell you, this slightly sweet, spicy, citrus combo is just irresistible.

Bonus? I saved us a bunch of chops with this recipe and favored just pouring the marinade ingredients into the blender, making this recipe faster and easier to prepare. And I can joke that the lemongrass recipe also holds up well in the fridge for a few days if you want to prepare it in advance. (Or do what I do and make a double batch of marinade, so you can get it back for dinner later in the week!) When you cook the chicken lemongrass itself, it can be served with everything from rice to rice noodles, salads , veggies and more. And of course, that makes for amazing leftovers itself.

If you are not working with a louse, do not worry: it's a really easy ingredient to use and I will bring you everything you need. So look for some sticks the next time you're in the grocery store and let's make some lemon chicken!

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

Instructions:

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.

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