Lemongrass Grilled Chicken (with Nuoc Cham Sauce!)

This juicy, charred Lemongrass Grilled Chicken with nuoc cham sauce is bursting with bold Vietnamese flavor. It's perfect for rice bowls, salads, wraps...

If you're looking for something fresh and delicious to shake up your summer dinner rountine, this Lemongrass Grilled Chicken has your name written all over it! We've been enjoying it on repeat, as there are so many ways to change it up. I also sent the recipe to my daughter, Cait, for testing. She reported that the whole family gave it a huge thumbs-up!

💕 Why We Love This Recipe

• ✅ It's loaded with vibrant, fresh Vietnamese-inspired flavor.
• ✅ The chicken gets juicy and golden on the grill.
• ✅ The prep is simple and make-ahead friendly.
• ✅ It's totally cusomizable with lots of fresh veggies and herbs.
• ✅ The homemade nuoc cham sauce adds a delicious layer of flavor.
• ✅ It's so versatile - Serve it as a grilled lemongrass chicken bowl with rice, noodles and an array of colorful veggies, in lettuce wraps, as a protein-packed salad, in a sandwich...
• ✅ There's no need to heat up the oven on a warm summer day.

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

For the Lemongrass Grilled Chicken

• skinless chicken breasts or thighs - Either works! Thighs are juicier, breasts are leaner.
• brown sugar - light or dark. Balances the savory and helps with caramelization on the grill.
• low-sodium soy sauce - Adds that delicious umami (If you need to keep things gluten-free, you can use tamari.)
• neutral oil - avocado, vegetable, sunflower, canola or grapeseed oil, all will work.
• finely minced lemongrass - Or use lemongrass paste (available in the produce section in many larger grocery stores) for convenience.
• finely grated fresh ginger - Or ginger paste.
• fish sauce - Adds that authentic Vietnamese flavor!
• garlic - Fresh is best!

For the nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce)

• fish sauce
• rice vinegar
• sugar
• fresh lime juice
• water
• chili garlic sauce - Adjust to your spice preference.
• garlic

Optional garnishes & bowl toppings

So many options! Use a few or go all out like we do!

• fresh herbs: cilantro, mint, and basil
• fresh lime wedges
• shredded carrots
• shredded red cabbage
• pea pods or sugar snap peas
• julienned daikon radish
• sliced cucumber
• crushed peanuts

👩‍🍳 How to make this Lemongrass Grilled Chicken

These flavor-packed bowls come together in a few simple steps:

✅ Step 1: Prepare the chicken

Place the chicken in a zip-top bag or shallow dish. Lightly pound the thick end of each breast to ensure even cooking.

✅ Step 2: Make the marinade

In a food processor, combine all of the marinade ingredients and blend until smooth. Reserve 3 tablespoons for basting, then pour the rest over the chicken. Seal the bag and massage to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to 24 for max flavor).

✅ Step 3: Grill the chicken

Preheat the grill to medium-high and oil the grates. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for 3-4 minutes per side, basting with the reserved marinade as you go. Continue grilling until the internal temperature reaches 160˚F. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

✅ Step 4: Make the nuoc cham

Combine all nuoc cham ingredients in a small jar and shake well until the sugar is dissolved. Adjust spice to taste.

✅ Step 5: Assemble the bowls

Serve the grilled chicken over rice or noodles. Add your favorite toppings and drizzle with nuoc cham. Serve extra sauce on the side, and a little hoisin is also delicious!

🍽️ Serving suggestions

This Lemongrass Grilled Chicken is incredibly versatile and works beautifully in a variety of meals. Here are some of our favorite ways to serve it:

🥢 Build-your-own bowls

Let everyone customize their own bowl. Start with rice or Asian noodles (we love using ramen noodles). Then top with fresh veggies and herbs and a drizzle of nuoc cham, hoisin sauce or, for a fabulous, unique twist, this Cilantro Buttermilk Dressing (so delicious!).

🥬 Lighter option: lettuce wraps

Pile the sliced grilled chicken and toppings into butter lettuce leaves or little gem lettuce for a fresh and healthy handheld meal.

🥖 Summer sandwich idea

Slice the grilled chicken thin and layer it on a toasted baguette with quick-pickled veggies, herbs, and a swipe of mayo mixed with hoisin or sriracha -hello, Bánh Mì vibes!

🍱 Perfect for meal prep

Store the grilled chicken, rice/noodles, veggies, and sauce separately for easy, flavorful lunch bowls all week long. Just reheat the chicken and rice and add toppings.

🥗 Make a salad

Use your favorite greens then add sliced cucumber, slivers of red onion and a load of fresh herbs. Top with the Grilled Lemongrass Chicken, crushed peanuts and a drizzle of this Cilantro Buttermilk Dressing or this Asian Honey Sesame Dressing.

❓Lemongrass Grilled Chicken FAQs

🥄 We love hearing from you!

We hope this Lemongrass Grilled Chicken becomes a go-to favorite in your kitchen as it has in ours! However you decide to serve it, it's one of those meals that feels fresh, fun, and a little bit special. If you try it, we'd love to hear what you think... leave a comment and give it a star rating. We also are inspired when you share how you made it your own! Your feedback helps others (and means so much to us!). Bon Appétit! 💛

Thought for the Day:

For now we see in a mirror dimly,
but then face to face.
Now I know in part;
then I shall know fully,
even as I have been fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:12
What we're listening to for inspiration:

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📝 Lemongrass Grilled Chicken Bowls

Chris Scheuer

These Lemongrass Grilled Chicken Bowls are bursting with bright, bold flavor! The chicken is marinated in a lemongrass-ginger mixture, grilled until golden and juicy, then served with rice or noodles, crisp veggies, and a zesty Vietnamese-style nuoc cham sauce.

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 253

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

.5x1x2x

For the Chicken:

• 1¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)

For the Marinade:

• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil, like avocado or vegetable
• ⅓ cup finely minced lemongrass, or lemongrass paste
• 1 ounce fresh ginger, finely minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 8 garlic cloves

For the Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce):

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup water
• ½ to 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste, adjust to taste
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced

Optional Garnishes:

• Fresh lime wedges
• Julienned or shredded carrots
• Shredded red and green cabbage
• Julienned daikon radish
• Sliced cucumber
• Crushed peanuts
• Fresh cilantro, mint, and basil leaves
• Cooked rice or noodles, jasmine, basmati, ramen, or rice noodles

Instructions

 

Prepare the Chicken:

1. Place the chicken in a zip-top bag or shallow dish. Pound the thick ends slightly to even out the thickness for more consistent grilling.1¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)

Make the Marinade:

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. ⅓ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 33 tablespoons neutral oil ⅓ cup finely minced lemongrass 1 ounce fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 8 garlic cloves
2. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the marinade for basting.

Marinate the Chicken:

1. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag and massage to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Grill the Chicken:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard excess. Grill for 3-4 minutes or until the chicken releases easily from the grill.
2. Repeat the 3-4 minutes on the other side and begin basting with the reserved marinade. Once both sides have been grilled, flip every 1-2 minutes and keep basting.
3. Grill until the chicken reaches 150-155˚F internal temperature. If it's nice and golden but the temp has not reached 150-155, lower the heat a bit and cover the grill, checking the temp every minute.
4. Tent the chicken loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Make the Nuoc Cham:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small jar and shake well until sugar is dissolved. Adjust heat level to taste. 2 tablespoons fish sauce 3 tablespoons rice vinegar 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice ¼ cup water, ½ to 1 teaspoon chili garlic paste 1 garlic clove

Assemble the Bowls:

1. Serve sliced chicken over rice or noodles with your choice of garnishes. Drizzle with nuoc cham and serve additional sauce on the side. A spoonful of hoisin sauce is also delicious! Fresh lime wedges Julienned or shredded carrots Shredded red and green cabbage Julienned daikon radish Sliced cucumber Crushed peanuts Fresh cilantro Cooked rice or noodles

Notes

Café Tips for making this Lemongrass Grilled Chicken

• Lemongrass paste is a great shortcut and works well in this marinade.
• No grill? Use a grill pan or cook the chicken under the broiler.
• For meal prep, store ingredients separately and assemble bowls when ready to serve.
• Lemongrass and fresh ginger can be a bit fibrous. A food processor makes quick work of the marinade and ensures all those bright flavors are evenly blended.
• Don't skimp on the marinade time. While an hour works in a pinch, giving the chicken 4 to 24 hours to soak up the marinade makes a big difference in flavor and tenderness.
• Lemongrass marinade has natural sugars that can stick. Be sure to clean and oil your grill grates thoroughly to prevent sticking and encourage those golden grill marks.
• For juicy, perfectly cooked chicken, grill until the thickest part reaches 160˚F, then let it rest. The temperature will rise slightly as it rests, locking in all those juices.
• This is a great meal prep recipe. Grill extra chicken and store it in slices for wraps, bowls, or salads throughout the week.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 28gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 1575mgPotassium: 472mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 37IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 2mg

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Course: Main

Cuisine: Vietnamese-inspired