Easy Juiciest Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

This Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken is the best weeknight recipe. It is so easy to make and takes only 2 minutes to prep!

This Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken is just like the chicken that you would find in your favorite Vietnamese Restaurant. This chicken is the star of any salad, banh mi sandwich, rice plate or vermicelli noodles. Traditionally Lemongrass chicken is topped with scallion oil (directions below) and served with a side Nước Chấm - Vietnamese dipping sauce (recipe here!). This is totally optional since the chicken is juicy and flavorful as is.

The best part of this recipe is that this JUICY Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken only takes 30 minutes from start to finish when using an Air Fryer !

My favorite cut to use for this dish and almost all chicken dishes is boneless chicken thighs WITH the skin on! I love how juicy the chicken thighs turn out and paired with super crispy skin. If you aren't familiar with deboning a chicken thigh, I have shared a reel on my Instagram

Have you had LEMONGRASS before?

Lemongrass has a very fragrant smell and a slightly floral, and citrus taste. Lemongrass also has some chew to it so its best to mince finely if using fresh lemongrass. If you are not sure if you like the taste, start off with a smaller amount in your first batch to try out.

Prepared Lemongrass is sold at most Asian markets in the freezer section.

Did you know you can buy pre minced or sliced lemongrass at most Asian markets? I was mind blown when I made this discovery. Buying frozen prepared lemongrass has been a huge time saver, and I recommend keeping a small tub or bag on hand.

How do I prepare fresh Lemongrass?

Minced lemongrass is the best in marinated meats. Remove a few of the outer leaves and discard and use the more tender leaves on the inside. Also remove about 2-3" of dried leaf tips from the top and also 1" from the bottom. If you have a food processor, you can quickly mince the lemongrass, and freeze and save the rest for later.

Every Air Fryer is Different.

I have 2 Air fryers, and one is 1400 watts, and one is 900 watts. Both air fryers cook this chicken very well. However, my stronger air fryer does crisp up the skin faster and cooks a few minutes faster as well, 15 mins vs 20 min. I would recommend at the 15 minute mark to always check on the progress of your chicken.

Not using boneless chicken thighs? Here are some cooking times and instructions for different cuts:

Bone In Chicken Thigh:

Air fryer (20-25 minutes total) - 400°F for 10 minutes skin side down, flip over and cook an additional 10-15 minutes skin side up.

Oven (30-40 minutes total) - 400°F for 10 minutes skin side down, flip over and cook an additional 20-30 minutes skin side up.

Drumsticks:

Air Fryer (20 minutes total) - 400°F for 10 minutes, flip over and cook another 10 minutes.

Oven (35-40 minutes total) - 400°F for 20 minutes and flip over and cook another 15-20 minutes.

Chicken Breast:

Air Fryer (16-19 minutes total) - 360°F for 10 minutes, flip and cook another 6-9 minutes.

Oven (20-25 minutes total - 400°F for 10 minutes, flip and cook another 10-15 minutes.

If you LOVE this Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken, here are some other Air Fryer recipes you might like. Check out these other Easy Air Fryer recipes:

• Soy Sauce Chicken
• Air Fryer Asian Chicken
• Cha siu pork

Equipment

• Air Fryer
• or Stove Top
• or Oven

Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 2 lbs Chicken (I used boneless chicken thighs- skin on)
• 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
• .5 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Garlic
• 1 Shallot
• 1 tbsp Lemongrass (Optional)

Scallion Oil (Optional)

• 4 stalks Green onion
• ⅛ cup Vegetable Oil
• ⅛ tsp Salt
• ⅛ tsp Sugar

Instructions

• Let's start by preparing our garlic and shallots. Mince about 3 pieces of garlic, and 1 shallot.
• Combine the following ingredients with the chicken and set aside for at least 10 minutes. The flavors will be even more amazing if you marinate overnight!1 tablespoon Fish Sauce,1 tablespoon Soy Sauce,.5 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce,1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce,1 tablespoon Sesame Oil,2 tablespoon Brown Sugar,1 tablespoon Garlic,1 Shallot,1 tablespoon Lemongrass (Optional)

Air Fryer Cooking Instructions (Oven Cooking instructions below)

• Preheat air fryer to 380, and add in the chicken skin side up. Check at the halfway point on the progress. Depending on your air fryer , it may take 18-20 minutes to cook fully for boneless chicken thighs. **Please see below for cooking times for other cuts of chicken.
• Bone In Chicken Thigh:Air fryer (20-25 minutes total) - 400°F for 10 minutes skin side down, flip over and cook an additional 10-15 minutes skin side up.Drumsticks:Air Fryer (20-22 minutes total) - 400°F for 10 minutes, flip over and cook another 10 minutes.Chicken Breast:Air Fryer (16-19 minutes total) - 360°F for 10 minutes, flip and cook another 6-9 minutes.
• Once your chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 deg, It's ready!
• Enjoy!

Oven Cooking instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400°F
• Boneless Chicken thigh:(20-25 min total) - 400°F for 20-25 minutesBone In Chicken Thigh:(30-40 minutes total) - 400°F for 10 minutes skin side down, flip over and cook an additional 20-30 minutes skin side up.Drumsticks:(35-40 minutes total) - 400°F for 20 minutes and flip over and cook another 15-20 minutes.Chicken Breast:(20-25 minutes total - 400°F for 10 minutes, flip and cook another 10-15 minutes.
• Once your chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 deg, It's ready!

Stovetop Instructions

• Boneless Chicken Thighs - Skin Side down 5 mins, flip and cook 5-6 min skin side upBone In Chicken Thighs - 10 Minutes skin side down, flip and cook 5-8 min skin side upDrumsticks - 8 Minutes larger skin side down, flip and cook 8 mins skin side up
• Once your chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 deg, It's ready!

Making the Scallion oil (Optional)

• Wash and slice your scallions (Green parts only) , Place into a heat safe bowl.4 stalks Green onion
• Heat up oil in a pan for about 1 minute on medium heat ⅛ cup Vegetable Oil
• Carefully pour the oil over your sliced scallions, mix well
• Let cool 5 minutes and add your sugar and salt (⅛ teaspoon Salt, ⅛ teaspoon Sugar)
• Garnish over your chicken

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