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Grilled Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

Grilled Vietnamese lemongrass chicken with a sweet-salty caramelized marinade and juicy charred edges. Marinate the thighs for hours, then grill until cooked through and serve with rice, fresh herbs, and lime.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
marinating (4 hours) 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Lemongrass marinade
  • 1 lemongrass stalks Minced.
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic cloves Minced.
  • 1 shallot Minced.
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp black pepper
Chicken and serving
  • 2 lb chicken thighs, boneless
  • 1 fresh herbs For serving (e.g., mint/cilantro).
  • 1 lime wedges For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. In a bowl, combine minced lemongrass, fish sauce, brown sugar, vegetable oil, minced garlic, minced shallot, soy sauce, and black pepper, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks glossy.
Marinate the chicken
  1. Add boneless chicken thighs to the bowl, coat well, cover, and refrigerate for 4-24 hours to let the flavors soak in.
Grill
  1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat so it’s hot enough to char the outside quickly.
Cook until charred
  1. Grill the marinated chicken for 6-7 minutes per side until deeply charred and cooked through.
Finish and serve
  1. Let the chicken rest briefly after grilling, then slice and serve with rice, fresh herbs, and lime wedges.

Notes

For maximum caramelization, pat the chicken lightly before grilling (keep the marinade on the surface but don’t let puddles drip). Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; freeze cooked chicken up to 2 months. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sodium fish sauce and soy sauce while keeping the same ratios for the sugar and aromatics.