Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry
This Vietnamese lemongrass chicken stir fry is a restaurant-quality dish that you can make at home with just a few simple ingredients.
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 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon chicken granulated bouillon , (optional) - or use mushroom seasoning
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil , (such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil)
- black pepper, (to taste)
Sauce:
- 1½ tablespoons brown sugar , (for a lighter taste, use 1 tbsp)
- 1½ tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce, (for a lighter taste, use 1 tbsp)
Stir Fry:
- 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh lemongrass , (click here for a complete instruction)
- ¼ cup sliced shallots
- 1½ tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons 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 tablespoons 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.
Notes
If you love spicy, you can add some red chili pepper flakes or freshly diced red chili pepper into the stir fry.
Vietnamese Fish Sauce: I used Viet Huong Fish Sauce (also known as Three Crabs Fish Sauce). You can find them at Target, Ralph's, or any Asian grocers for around $4-$6 per big bottle.
Please note that not all fish sauce products/brands are created equal and they usually have different sodium levels (ex: Thai fish sauce has a lower sodium content than Vietnamese fish sauce).
To add saltiness to the dish, just add a small amount of salt. Do not go overboard with fish sauce or all you’ll taste is fish sauce.
Also, go easy on fish sauce and brown sugar mixture when you use it and make sure to taste it as you cook.
Nutrition
Calories: 356kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 19gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 709mgPotassium: 350mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 88IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 2mg
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