INGREDIENTS:
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs – main protein in this recipe
- Marinade – lemongrass stalks, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes
- Vegetable oil – is used to cook the chicken
- Dried rice vermicelli noodles – main carbs in this recipe
- Vegetables – carrots, English cucumber
- Herbs – mint and cilantro leaves
- Garnish – coarsely chopped peanuts and lime wedges
- Nuoc cham sauce – binds all the ingredients together: garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and water
HOW TO MAKE LEMONGRASS CHICKEN VERMICELLI BOWL:
To make the lemongrass chicken, first marinade the chicken thigh with the paste mixture of lemongrass stalks, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and crushed red pepper flakes. Then, refrigerated it for 1 hour up to overnight. Next, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and then pan fried it until brown and cooked through. Set it aside for 5 minutes and slice into thin pieces.
Next, soak the rice vermicelli noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes. Rinse it under cold running water and drain it.
To make the nuoc cham sauce, combine together the garlic, crushed pepper flakes, sugar, lime juice, fish sauce and water and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
The final step is to assemble the bowl. First place some noodles in a bowl. Top with the sliced chicken, julienned vegetables and herbs. Garnish with the peanuts and lime wedges. Serve with the sauce.
TIPS:
- Chicken thigh is the perfect cut to use in this recipe because it is flavorful and juicier compare to chicken breast.
- The chicken thigh is pounded to an even thickness so it is cooked through
- It is better to marinade the chicken thighs overnight for a more flavorful lemongrass chicken.
Lemongrass Chicken Vermicelli Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 lemongrass stalks , tough outer layers removed and sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 shallot , peeled
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs , pounded to an even thickness
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 8 oz dried rice vermicelli
- 5 oz carrots , peeled and julienned
- ½ English cucumber , julienned
- A handful of fresh mint leaves
- A handful of fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup peanuts , coarsely chopped
- Lime wedges , optional
Nuoc cham sauce
- 2 cloves garlic , chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice or 4 tablespoons white vinegar
- 4 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Prepare the lemongrass chicken:
- Place the lemongrass, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and pepper flakes in a food processor and process until it turns into paste. Place the chicken thigh and paste in a resealable plastic bag, seal and toss to coat the chicken pieces completely. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off any excess marinade from the chicken. Discard the marinade.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, flipping halfway through, until brown and no longer pink inside, 8 to 10 minutes total. Set aside for 5 minutes and then slice into thin pieces.
Prepare the vermicelli:
- Bring a pot of 6 cups water to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add the noodles and let stand for 5 minutes. Rinse under cold running water and drain well.
- Prepare the nuoc cha sauce:
- Combine all the nuoc cham ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar.
To assemble:
- Divide the vermicelli noodles among 4 bowls. Top with the sliced chicken pieces, carrots, cucumber, mint leaves, cilantro leaves and peanuts.
- To serve, drizzle with the sauce and a squeeze of lime juice, if using.
Nutrition
Super quick and easy! I added some spices and the family couldn’t get enough.