Here’s a quick and easy Lemongrass Chicken Stir fry recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes. This flavorful Vietnamese-inspired dinner is perfect for busy weeknights. Watch the video. (It’s Vegan-adaptable.)
Here’s a quick, flavorful Vietnamese-inspired stir fry that is full of so much flavor- Lemongrass Chicken! Serve this easy stir-fry over rice, rice noodles or even cauliflower rice for a low-carb version.
For the fastest preparation, make this with ground chicken (or sub-ground turkey, ground beef, bison, or ground lamb, for that matter). You can also use very thinly sliced chicken breast or plant-based meat (even crumbled tofu works!), chopping it up finely.
Add seasonal veggies, such as bell pepper, matchstick carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, snow peas, bok choy, or even a handful of greens, and you’ll have a healthy dinner in 20 minutes.
Ingredients in Lemongrass Chicken stir fry
Ingredient Notes
- Protein: Ground chicken, or chicken breast chopped up finely. Or sub ground beef or ground turkey or ground lamb. A plant-based “meat” would also work here, or even firm tofu, crumbled.
- Lemongrass: Use fresh lemongrass, lemongrass paste or frozen chopped lemongrass (especially handy and available at most Asian Grocery stores).
- Shallots: Shallots are more flavorful than onion here, so opt for them if possible.
- Seasonings: Fish sauce, lime juice, and 5-spice really make this dish, so don’t leave them out.
*See the recipe card below for detailed ingredients and measurements.
How to make Lemongrass Chicken
Prep the ingredients: Slice the shallot, bell pepper and bok choy, chop the garlic and lemongrass, and have it ready by the stove.
Make the stir fry sauce. Mix together the stir-fry sauce and set it aside.
Stir fry: In a wok or skillet, stir fry the shallots in oil until tender, then add the lemongrass and garlic and a few dried chilies ( or use chili flakes). Slide this onto a plate and set it aside.
To the same pan, add the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and five spice and brown it well.
Combine. Once the chicken is cooked, add the veggies and lightly stir-fry, until tender-crisp. Fold in the cooked shallots/lemongrass mixture. Pour in the stir-fry sauce and cook for 2 more minutes.
Season. Stir in fresh mint, and taste, adjusting the salt, lime juice and spice level to your liking.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with jasmine rice and or rice noodles and a lime wedge and enjoy!
Storing your LemonGrass chicken
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or freeze for up to three months.
Recipe Faqs
Lemongrass chicken is tangy, spicy and slightly sweet with depth of flavor from fish sauce, garlic and shallots. It’s refreshing and light.
Yes, make this ahead and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for later.
Serve over rice, rice noodles or for a low-carb option, serve in lettuce wraps or with cauliflower rice.
Yes, use firm tofu, and crumble it, blotting it well first.
More Vietnamese Recipes
- Vietnamese Vermicelli Salad with Chili Vinaigrette
- Vietnamese Spring Rolls
- Seared Scallops with Coconut Lemongrass Sauce
Enjoy this quick, easy dinner idea and please rate it below!
Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry | 45-sec Video
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Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3-4
- Category: dinner
- Method: stir-fry
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Description
Here’s a quick and easy recipe for Lemongrass Chicken that comes together in under 20 minutes, a flavorful Vietnamese- inspired dinner, perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons oil – peanut, coconut or wok oil.
- 2 fat shallots, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup lemongrass, finely chopped (see notes)
- 4–5 dried thai chilies (or dried arbol chilies) or 1/2 teaspoon of chili flakes
- 1 lb ground chicken or ground turkey (or substitute finely minced chicken breast, ground beef, ground lamb, or crumbled tofu, or other plant-based options- see notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-Spice
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 1 bell red or yellow bell pepper (or sub other quick cooking veggie)
- 2 baby bok choy, about 2 cups, sliced (or sub other quick cooking green or veggie)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup mint leaves or thai basil
- Lime wedges
Serve with jasmine rice.
Instructions
Set rice to cook if using.
In an extra-large skillet, heat oil over medium-heat heat. Once hot, add shallots, stir fry until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, lemongrass and dried chilies, stir-frying until fragrant. Scoop this all into a bowl and set aside.
In the same pan add a splash of oil, increase heat to high, add ground chicken and season with salt and pepper, breaking it apart with a spatula and browning just a bit. Add five spice, bell peppers and bok chok, lower heat, and stir fry until bell peppers are just tender, about 3 minutes.
Add fish sauce, lime juice and honey mixture, along with cooked shallots/garlic/ lemongrass ( removing the thai chilies).
Taste and adjust flavors- to taste.
Add fresh herbs and serve!
Notes
I love purchasing frozen chopped lemongrass from the Asain Market and having it on hand in the freezer or quick easy dinners. Lemongrass paste also is also a timesaving option.
If using fresh lemongrass, use the tender white root end (3 inches), chop it as finely as humanly possible and mash it a bit to release the oils. It takes a little muscle. 🙂
If making this with beef or lamb, I would drain off the fat.
If making with plant-based meat, leave out the salt and fish sauce and sub soy sauce – starting off lightly ( 1-2 tablespoons, adding more to taste. )
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup without rice.
- Calories: 327
- Sugar: 7.8 g
- Sodium: 849.8 mg
- Fat: 12.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 21.9 g
- Cholesterol: 96.3 mg
Very good
Made it with a prepackaged vegan lemongrass pork product
Great, glad you enjoyed Phil!