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Closeup of Vietnamese lemongrass chicken in a bowl with chopsticks from above.
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5 from 3 votes

vietnamese lemongrass chicken noodle bowl

Make Vietnamese lemongrass chicken when you feel like a light, healthy but crazy delicious dinner.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: lemongrass chicken, vietnamese
Servings: 4
Calories: 464kcal
Author: romain | glebekitchen

Ingredients

Lemongrass chicken marinade

  • 2 stalks lemongrass - tender inside part coarsely chopped
  • 2 tbsp shallots - minced
  • 1 or 2 cloves garlic - crushed
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 lime - juiced

Vietnamese lemongrass chicken noodle bowl

  • 4 large chicken thighs - boneless, skinless or use boneless breasts if you like
  • 8 oz rice noodles
  • cilantro, mint, thai basil, baby greens, bean sprouts, julienned carrots and lime - basically whatever you feel like adding

Nuoc cham

  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 tbsp lime juice - about 1 large lime
  • 1 tsp sambal oelek
  • 2/3 cup hot water
  • red chilies to taste

Instructions

  • Prepare the marinade. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken and mix well. 
  • If using chicken breasts, slice the breasts in half along the horizontal axis. You want fairly thin pieces to maximize surface area. For thighs just pound them lightly to flatten.
  • Add the chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for about an hour.
  • While the chicken marinates prepare the nuoc cham. Combine all the ingredients and stir. Make sure the water is good and hot. You need to make the sugar dissolve. Set aside at room temperature.
  • Place the rice vermicelli in a large bowl. Pour boiling water the noodles and let soak until tender. This should take about 10 minutes. Once they are just tender drain through a colander. Rinse with cold water until the noodles are cool. Set aside at room temperature.
  • Prep your ganishes. Wash them as needed. Pull cilantro, mint and basil leaves off the stems. Julienne any vegetables. Slice the lime. The chicken won't stay hot long so be ready to go.
  • Prepare your grill for high heat. The chicken will cook quickly so you don't have long to get it to colour up. Grill over high heat until just done. This doesn't take long at all. Two to three minutes per side.
  • Build your noodle bowls. Divide the noodles into 4. Top with mixed greens and whatever garnishes you choose.. Slice the chicken into bite size pieces and scatter overtop. Drizzle with nuoc cham and pass additional nuoc cham along side to let everyone dress their bowls to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 2326mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 6.7mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2.2mg