Thai Lemongrass Grilled Chicken

By
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt
Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.
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Updated on 06/15/21
Thai Lemongrass Chicken

kimree / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Marinate: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
581 Calories
32g Fat
23g Carbs
56g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 581
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 41%
Saturated Fat 10g 48%
Cholesterol 291mg 97%
Sodium 1682mg 73%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 56g
Vitamin C 25mg 123%
Calcium 82mg 6%
Iron 6mg 33%
Potassium 1026mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Grilled chicken never tasted so good! This lemongrass grilled chicken blows other recipes out of the water. Plus it's super simple to make. Just toss a few ingredients into your food processor, marinate, and grill. In Thailand, they would more likely to use a pestle and mortar for this process, but the results are just as good with our more high-tech equipment. We like ours medium-spicy, hence the 2 chiles in the ingredients list, but feel free to adjust this according to your own spice-o-meter. (Try not to skimp too much though—the chiles make it extra good!)

The longer the chicken marinates the better. Try to let it sit covered in the refrigerator for at 2 hours or up to 6. Serve it up with rice or over salad. There's no need for a side sauce—it's that flavorful!

Ingredients

  • 4 to 6 chicken thighs, skin on or off

  • 2 stalks lemongrass

  • 1/2 lime, juiced

  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 red chile peppers, minced, or up to 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes, or to taste

Steps to Make It

For the best results, use a food processor for this recipe.

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Open up the chicken thighs and lay flat, preferably in a flat, baking-type dish.

  3. Cut off the bulb end of each lemongrass stalk, then slice up the rest. Toss out the upper stem. Add it to the food processor and pulse to create a fragrant, watery-like paste. Combine it with the fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar to make the marinade paste.

  4. Pour the paste over chicken, turning the pieces to get each one saturated. Use a spoon to spoon the onions, garlic, and chiles onto the tops of the chicken.

  5. Cover and marinate for preferably 2 hours or up to 6.

  6. Brush a hot grill with a little vegetable oil, then grill chicken to well done.

  7. Plate up the chicken with a nice portion of Thai jasmine rice or a side salad, and you're good to go.

  8. Serve and enjoy!