Healthy & Delicious Marinated Lemongrass Chicken Bowls
These Lemongrass Chicken Bowls are vibrant, healthy and will blow your mind! They include tons of fresh, wholesome ingredients that are packed with flavor. Once you make these, you will crave them all the time!
Cole and I go to a little Vietnamese place in town often for our favorite pho. When I don’t order pho, I get their lemongrass chicken and it is one of my favorite things ever! I wanted to create a similar flavor profile but with fresher and healthier ingredients. This bowl is just that.
If you have never had lemongrass, it is a very fresh and almost citrusy vegetable/herb with a slight ginger type note. You can find it at most grocery stores where the fresh herbs are. Lemongrass is quite tough and not enjoyable to eat, so it is used in the marinade to give the chicken a delicious vibrant flavor!
These Lemongrass Chicken Bowls start with a bed of vermicelli rice noodles, layered with fresh vegetables, and herbs like cilantro and basil. The marinated chicken gets cooked so it’s nice and crispy and it all gets finished off with a light chili fish sauce.
What is lemongrass and how do I use it?
As I mentioned above, Lemongrass is considered a vegetable/herb but is actually part of the grass family. It grows by the stalk and that’s how you will find it at the grocery store.
Lemongrass has a fresh an almost lemony taste to it, with hints of ginger type flavor. It is absolutely delicious and incredibly fresh tasting.
Because it is very tough in texture, you always want to remove the outer layer (that is the toughest) and you don’t actually eat it. It gets added most commonly to marinades, soups or sauces. Before eating, you remove the physical Lemongrass and are left with delicious flavor.
Lemongrass Chicken Ingredients
Chicken Thighs– You can use skinless or skin on. We love the skin because it goes so nice and crispy. If you prefer breasts, you can also use those but I recommend thighs.
Lemongrass– See above in post for notes about lemongrass. This is the star flavor in this recipe!
Garlic– There is fresh garlic in both the marinade and the chili fish sauce. Be sure to use fresh chopped garlic for ultimate flavor.
Lime– This is the perfect accompaniment to the fresh vibrant flavor of the lemongrass. There is fresh lime in both the marinade and the chili fish sauce.
Fish Sauce– Don’t let the sounds of this scare you. Fish sauce is an essential part of this dish that adds a beautiful depth of flavor.
Soy sauce– You can use soy sauce or tamari if you need gluten free.
Ginger– Fresh ginger is also in the marinade. I like to peel my ginger when I buy it then store it in the freezer. This allows you to grate it right into the marinade for perfect minced ginger.
Maple syrup– I use maple syrup for a touch of sweetness in the marinade. Brown sugar would also work.
Fresh Chili– These are the little tiny red ones you see in the produce section. They add a perfect kick that isn’t too spicy!
Oil– I add a couple tablespoon of oil to the marinade as you always need oil and an acid when making marinades. You can use any oil you like. My picks would be olive oil or avocado oil.
Rice Vinegar– There is rice vinegar in the chili fish sauce that adds a slight tang that is delicious.
For Serving The Lemongrass Chicken
Vermicelli Noodles– These are the really skinny rice noodles. You can use any thickness of rice noodles you like, but I love the lightness of the super thin ones in this bowl.
Fresh Vegetables– My vegetables of choice in these bowls are carrots, cucumber and red cabbage. You can add bell pepper if you like, bean sprouts or try green cabbage.
Cilantro & Basil– You can use just one of these or both! They are the perfect last touch of freshness and flavor in these Lemongrass Chicken bowls.
Lime- Top each both with a fresh lime wedge that can be squeezed over top.
The Steps
1.The night before, or minimum 12 hours before you want to eat, make the marinade for the Lemongrass Chicken.
2. Add the first 9 ingredients (excluding the chicken) to a bowl and whisk until combined. Place the chicken in a casserole dish or large zip loc bag and pour the marinade over, making sure all the chicken gets covered.
3. Place in the fridge and let marinade for 12-24 hours.
4. When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400F and lay the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Remove any lemongrass pieces that are stuck to the chicken. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through and golden on top. If you want it extra crispy, you can turn the oven to broil for a couple minutes at the end.
5. While the chicken is cooking, boil the vermicelli noodles for just a couple minutes then strain and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
6. Finally, make the chili fish sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowls and stir.
7. When its time to serve, slice up the chicken. Lay a bed of vermicelli in each bowl, top with all of the fresh vegetables, some cilantro and basil. Lay the chicken on top then spoon over some of the chili fish sauce.
8. Garnish with a lime wedge on each bowl and enjoy!
Now I am off to make this again for dinner tonight because editing all these photos made me crave it even more! Let us know in the comments if you try this recipe and we would love if you could give it a rating 🙂
Flavor packed lemongrass marinated chicken thighs over vermicelli and fresh vegetables, topped with a delicious chili fish sauce. * You can increase or decrease the amount of fresh chili if you want more or less spice. I wouldn't recommend completely removing it though, as it adds great flavor! * You can use additional vegetables in your bowls like bean sprouts or thinly sliced bell pepper if you like. * The chicken can be marinated any amount of time from 12-24 hours. The longer it marinades, the stronger the lemongrass flavor will be. 
Lemongrass Chicken Bowls
Ingredients
For The Sauce
For The Bowls
Instructions
Notes
