3Tablespoonslemongrass paste, or scraped from white part of stalks
3Tablespoonsfish sauce
2Tablespoonssoy sauce, low sodium recommended
2Tablespoonslime juice
2Tablespoonslight brown sugar
2clovesgarlic, minced
2teaspoonsginger paste, or 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
1teaspoonSambal Oelek, optional
Vietnamese Cucumber Salad (optional):
1/2largeEnglish cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise and sliced into half moon shape
3Tablespoonsrice vinegar
2Tablespoonsmirin, or 2 tsp of honey
2Tablespoonshoney
2teaspoonsvegetable oil
2teaspoonssesame oil
1/2teaspoonAsian chili garlic sauce
1/2teaspoonsalt
PinchRed pepper flakes
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Instructions
For the chicken: unfold the chicken thighs and press to flatten. Place in a bowl or a plastic zipper bag.
Mix together the lemongrass chicken marinade ingredients. Pour into bowl or bag and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours to marinate.
*If you'd like to use the leftover marinade to baste the chicken, transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil before using. You can also microwave it until boiling, then use it to baste the chicken while it cooks.
For oven grilling: Place a grill pan (or cast iron skillet, if you don't have a grill pan) into the oven and preheat the oven with the pan inside to 450F. Once preheated, remove the pan, spray with cooking spray and place chicken onto the hot pan. Return to the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, flipping the chicken half-way through cooking. Cook until chicken is golden in colour and registers 165F internal temperature.
For BBQ grilling: preheat BBQ to about 450F. Place chicken onto the top rack, then close the lid. Cook for about 8 minutes, then flip over. Close the lid again and cook another 5-8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked to 165F internal temperature. You can finish the chicken on the man grill rack if it needs a bit more colour.
For the optional cucumber salad: combine all the salad ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss to coat well, then cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
Notes
Nutritional information for lemongrass chicken only and does not include the optional cucumber salad.Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips on making this recipe.