This Vietnamese lemongrass chicken stir fry is a restaurant-quality dish that you can make at home with just a few simple ingredients. It's so delicious and better than take out. The chicken is packed with flavors, no marinating is required.
Vietnamese lemongrass chicken stir fry is one of the most common dishes you can find on a Vietnamese restaurant menu. If you have ordered and tried it, you've likely fell in love with it. You probably always wondered how the restaurants make this dish taste so good. I sure have.
Also, check out this highly-rated VIETNAMESE CARAMELIZED PORK BOWLS recipe.
Chicken Stir Fry
Well today, I am going to show you how a good recipe for lemongrass chicken using ingredients that you are familiar with.
My first few times eating out Vietnamese food I gravitated right to the spring roles and pho. They were both delicious so I made that my thing and didn't explore the menu too much beyond that. I then tried Vietnamese soups with different broths and had a number of different rice and noodle dishes.
Finally I gave the lemongrass chicken a try and wondered what took me so long to do so.
Lemongrass is one of those flavors that takes me on a journey and changes an entire dish. It makes every bite of the rice and chicken delightful, a definite favorite ingredient of mine. If you want to learn more about lemongrass, please check out this HOW TO COOK WITH LEMONGRASS article.
Easy stir fry ingredients
To make this lemongrass chicken, you will need the following ingredients:
- Chicken thighs
- Lemongrass
- Vietnamese fish sauce
- Brown sugar
- Garlic
- Turmeric
- Shallots
- Dry Sherry
- Chicken granulated bouillon (optional)
How to make chicken stir fry
Step 1. Prepare and Season the Chicken
- To start, you need to pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels then cut the meat into 2-inch pieces.
- Transfer the chicken pieces into a bowl. Add turmeric and the optional chicken granulated bouillon. Stir to combine and set aside.
Step 2. Pre-Cook Chicken
- In a large skillet, heat oil on high heat.
- Cook the chicken, skin side down for about 2-3 minutes then flip and continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked. Transfer the meat to a plate and reserve about 2 tbsp of cooking oil to cook the other ingredients.
Step 3. Stir Fry All Ingredients
- Add lemongrass and shallots into the skillet. Stir for about 1 minute then add garlic and keep stirring just until fragrant.
- Add the pre-cooked chicken back into the pan. Pour in some dry sherry. Continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated and the meat is coated with the sauce. Adjust seasoning if needed.
How to store leftover cooked chicken
You can store the leftover cooked chicken in the fridge or freezer. Properly stored, this lemongrass chicken can last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.
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Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thighs, skin on, (net weight after debone, pat chicken dry with paper towels then cut into 2-inch pieces, skin on)
- ¾ tsp turmeric powder
- ⅛ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp chicken granulated bouillon , (optional)
- 2 tbsp neutral oil , (such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil)
- black pepper, (to taste)
Sauce:
- 1½ tbsp brown sugar , (for a lighter taste, use 1 tbsp)
- 1½ tbsp Vietnamese fish sauce, (for a lighter taste, use 1 tbsp)
Stir Fry:
- 3 tbsp finely minced fresh lemongrass , (click here for a complete instruction)
- ¼ cup sliced shallots
- 1½ tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp dry sherry, (or dry white wine)
Instructions
- Transfer the chicken pieces into a bowl. Add turmeric, kosher salt, black pepper, and the optional chicken granulated bouillon. Stir to combine.
- In a large skillet, heat oil on high heat. Cook the chicken, skin side down for about 2-3 minutes then flip and continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked. Transfer the chicken to a plate and reserve about 2 tbsp of cooking oil to cook the other ingredients.
- Add lemongrass and shallots into the skillet. Cook at high heat for about 1 minute then add garlic and keep stirring just until fragrant.
- Add the pre-cooked chicken back into the pan, stir for about 2-3 minutes. Add dry sherry and the sauce mixture (fish sauce and brown sugar). Continue cooking and stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated and the meat is coated with the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt, black pepper, or extra sauce if needed. Serve with white rice.
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