Vietnamese Chicken Lemongrass

Remember when I posted about Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)? And how I mentioned that when I was feeling under the weather, my boyfriend took me to a little Vietnamese place for a steaming hot bowl of pho?  Well, the one point I forgot to mention here is that while I was slurping away, he was often eating his other favorite Vietnamese dish.... Chicken with Lemongrass.

The succulent chicken tossed with fragrant lemongrass, red chili, fish sauce, and crunchy peanuts is a winning combination. And believe it or not, it is super easy and quick to make.

As you can see from my photos, I used a mix of chicken legs and thighs with bones. However, you could use chicken breasts or boneless thighs. To be honest, I prefer dark meat in this recipe because the end result is juicier. 

So, treat yourself to a yummy Vietnamese dinner any night of the week with this easy and tasty recipe!

Vietnamese Chicken Lemongrass

Serves 4

2 stalks Fresh Lemongrass, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (or 4 tbsp chopped lemongrass)

3 tbsp Fish Sauce

4 Cloves Garlic, crushed

1 tbsp Curry Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

2 1/2 tbsp Sugar

1/4 cup Scallions, chopped

3 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 kg Chicken Pieces (I used legs and thighs but you could use any parts you prefer)

1 Large Onion, diced

3 Small Red Chilies, chopped

3/4 cup Unsalted Roasted Peanuts, chopped

1/4 cup Water

In a large bowl, combine the lemongrass, fish sauce, garlic, curry, salt, pepper, sugar and scallions. Add the chicken pieces and massage with the marinade until all the pieces are coated. Let marinate for 15-20 minutes.

Then, heat the oil in a large pan. Add the chicken pieces and all of the marinade and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Add the diced onion, chilies and peanuts and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Then stir in the water, cover, and cook for about 5-8 minutes until chicken pieces are cooked through. (This time will be less if you are using just chicken breast pieces).

Serve over steamed rice and garnish with some chopped scallion.