Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls made with lemongrass chicken thighs, rice vermicelli noodles, cucumbers, pickled carrots, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro and Thai basil, they are a flavor packed dinner.
These Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls are inspired by my favorite dish at a small, family owned Vietnamese restaurant that we frequent called Pho Bowl. It’s a mom-and-pop operation that is known for it’s Pho (duh). It’s our go-to “I don’t feel like cooking” restaurant. It’s close by, we have never waited for a table, the service is fast and the food is great. We joke because we like to watch Jeopardy at 7:30pm and if we go to Pho Bowl we can be in and out and home in time for Jeopardy, ha!
Just because it’s quick and easy, doesn’t mean the food is subpar, everything is always delicious. Since pho is their focus, at least the first 10 times we went there I ordered pho and was never disappointed. But one time I wasn’t in the mood for pho, so I got their Rice Vermicelli Lemongrass Chicken and I’ve never looked back.
What is Lemongrass Chicken?
Well, first off, what is lemongrass?
Lemongrass is an herb commonly used in Asian cooking. It has a subtle citrus flavor and is used in soups and marinades like we do with this chicken.
The outer shell of the lemongrass is tough, you need to remove it and use only the softer, white inside. In this recipe we chop that part of the lemongrass up very finely and add it to a mixture of fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar and spices. We use that mixture as a marinate for our boneless, skinless chicken breast. Once the chicken is marinated we grill it or fry it on the stove top. The lemongrass gives the chicken a fresh, citrusy flavor that is unmistakable.
What noodles should I use?
Rice vermicelli noodles are the best to use with this recipe. They are a very thin rice noodle. You can eat this dish hot or cold and rice vermicelli noodles work for both temperatures.
Follow you package instructions, but generally you just soak them in water after the water has come to a boil for 5-7 minutes, because they are so thin, they cook very quickly.
How to eat Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls
Topped with cucumbers, pickled carrots, bean sprouts, tons of herbs and an amazing sauce! That’s how I like to eat them, and if you follow this recipe that is how you will like them too 🙂
I use cilantro, mint and Thai basil to make a “herb salad”. I use a generous portion of herbs, I like a LOT of flavor! But you can choose to add as much or as little as you like!
The sauce is SO good! It’s made with fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, water and garlic. Pour it all over your bowl before diving in chopsticks first!
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls
- Yield: 4 large bowls 1x
Description
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls made with lemongrass chicken thighs, rice vermicelli noodles, cucumbers, pickled carrots, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro and Thai basil, they are a flavor packed dinner.
Ingredients
Lemongrass Chicken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
zest of 1 lime
juice of 2 limes
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
2 stalks lemongrass, hard outer layers removed, chopped
2 red Thai chilis, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
Pickled Carrots
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced into 2” matchsticks
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
water
Sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp white sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Noodle Bowls
7oz rice vermicelli noodles
1 cucumber
1 cup cilantro
1/2 cup mint
1/2 cup thai basil
1/2 cup bean sprouts
lemongrass chicken
pickled carrots
sauce
Instructions
Lemongrass Chicken
Pat chicken dry
Slice chicken thighs into pieces that are no more than 1/4 inch thick
In a medium sized bowl whisk together fish sauce, soy sauce, lime zest and juice, white sugar, coriander and salt
Add the lemongrass, chilis and garlic, mix
Put chicken in a gallon-sized ziplock bag, pour marinade over chicken
Put in refrigerator to marinate at least 4 and up to 24 hours
Once chicken is marinated, heat the olive oil in a skillet or grill pan* over medium high heat
Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until cooked through**
Set chicken aside
Pickled Carrots
Place carrots in an 8oz mason jar
In a small bowl, dissolve the white sugar and salt into the rice wine vinegar
Pour mixture over carrots
Fill the mason jar to the rim with water so all carrots are submerged
Close lid, marinade for at least 12 hours and up to 5 days
Sauce
In a small bowl whisk together fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, water, sugar and garlic cloves, set aside
Noodles Bowls
Cook rice vermicelli according to package instructions, set aside
Slice the cucumber into 2″ matchsticks
Chop half of the cilantro, mint and Thai basil to make an herb “salad”
Portion the cooked rice vermicelli into 4 large serving bowls
Top each with a quarter of the lemongrass chicken
Divide the cucumber matchsticks, pickled carrots and bean sprouts between the bowls
Top with chopped herb salad
Garnish with more herbs, if desired
Serve each bowl with a small portion of the sauce
Pour sauce over bowl before enjoying
Bowls can be served hot or cold
Notes
*I use this grill pan, if you use a grill pan use cooking spray instead of olive oil. You can also cook the chicken on a grill instead of stove top
**The chicken is thin so it doesn’t take long to cook, you may need to flip it a few times so it does not burn on the outside
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keywords: #noodlebowl, #vietnamesenoodles, #lemongrasschicken
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