Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken

Recipe video above. This Vietnamese lemongrass marinade is exceptional - you'll absolutely love it! This is one of my siganture recipes - it's as delicious as it is healthy, ideal for making ahead, for midweek meals and a cheap (impressive) meal idea for large groups. DON'T BE DAUNTED by the list of ingredients - the ingredients for the marinade and sauce are largely the same!

Recipe by Nagi on October 19, 2019

Prep time: PT20M

Cook time: PT10M

Total time: PT30M

Rating

4.99 stars (227 reviews)

Keywords

lemongrass chicken, vietnamese noodles

Ingredients

600 - 800g / 1.2 - 1.6lb chicken thigh fillets (, skinless and boneless or breast (or pork, beef or any seafood))
1 stalk lemongrass (, white part only, bruised them sliced into pieces easy to pick out later (Note 1))
2 garlic cloves (, finely chopped or minced)
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce ((Note 2))
1 tbsp soy sauce ((all purpose or light, NOT dark soy))
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup fish sauce ((Note 3))
4 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 cup water
2 garlic cloves (, finely chopped)
1 red birds eye chilli (, finely chopped (Note 4))
3 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tbsp oil
200 g / 7 oz vermicelli noodles (, dried)
2 carrots (, julienned)
2 cucumbers (, julienned (optional: remove seeds))
5 cups iceberg lettuce (, finely sliced)
3 cups bean sprouts
Handful of mint leaves
Handful of cilantro/coriander
Sliced red chilli ((for garnish - optional))
Lime wedges ((to serve - optional but recommended))

Cuisine

Vietnamese

Steps

Lemongrass Chicken
- Combine Chicken and Marinade ingredients and set aside for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours. (Note 4)
- Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat (or heat the BBQ). Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off large bits of lemongrass (small bits should fall off during cooking).
- Place chicken in the pan and cook each side until dark golden brown and chicken is just cooked through - about 6 to 8 minutes in total.
- Remove from pan, shaking off any remaining bits of visible lemongrass and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into thin pieces.
Nuoc Cham Sauce
- Combine the Nuoc Cham ingredients and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Adjust to your taste (spiciness, lime, sweetness) and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
Assemble
- Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for 3 minutes (or according to packet instructions), then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the noodles from sticking together.
- Individual servings: Place noodles in bowl. Top with vegetables and herbs, and sliced chicken pieces. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham Sauce (be generous, ~ 4 tbsp per serving) and serve with lime wedges.
- DIY (my preferred way): Place chicken, vegetables, herbs, noodles and sauce in separate bowls / piled on platters. Then let everyone make their own bowls!

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 653 g
Calories: 540 kcal
Carbohydrates: 65.2 g
Protein: 39.9 g
Fat: 13.6 g
Saturated Fat: 2.6 g
Cholesterol: 75 mg
Sodium: 1963 mg
Sugar: 16.9 g
Unsaturated Fat: 11 g

Reviews

Lisa on 2025-07-25 (5 stars):
Delicious! I've been looking for a grilled meat recipe, that closely matches our local Vietnamese restaurant's Vermicelli & grilled beef dish, and your marinade is perfect. Since finding your recipe, I have made it 3 times for my family, with rave reviews each time. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Savanah Williams on 2025-07-20 (5 stars):
So yummy!! Best viet recipe , you’ll end up wanting to drink the sauce because it’s so yummy.
Cynde Schiewe on 2025-07-17 (5 stars):
I LOVE that you included a recipe in today’s email for “the other side of the world” especially as we stare down 95 degrees Fahrenheit/35 degrees Celsius today. I save all the emails from you- I ought to peruse what was in them six months back. I made this before and it was delicious- my first time ever using lemongrass. I will make it again for sure! I love Dozer.
Jen on 2025-07-15 (5 stars):
Delicious! A bit more time-intensive than the recipe suggests but not difficult by any means. I subbed jalapeños from the garden and used what veggies we had on hand (romaine, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots) and it was divine. Topped with some crushed peanuts for a bit of crunch. Even my picky 15-year-old loved it!
Brandi on 2025-07-09 (5 stars):
I made this on a whim and it was so delicious. I loved all of the flavors. My boys (16 and 9) ate it with the listed veggies and said it was really good. So happy it turned out because it was a LOT of work, but absolutely worth it! I tipped my bowl with chili crisp and sesame seeds. I did use lemongrass paste as a sub and left out the bean sprouts. Would definitely make again.
Diane on 2025-07-03 (5 stars):
I have made this recipe a few times and it is delicious though every time I’ve made it, either with thighs or boneless breasts I’ve had to cook the chicken quite a bit longer than the recipe says. I’m going to buy an instant read meat thermometer to take away the guessing as I don’t want to serve undercooked chicken. Great website, recipes are always delicious!
Shelly on 2025-07-02 (5 stars):
Amazing! Made it twice and loved it each time
Donna Leenknecht on 2025-06-30 (5 stars):
Thank you! I did not change a thing and it was perfection! Our favorite Vietnamese restaurant closed in Dallas, TX several years ago. Your dish is identical to the flavors I miss so much at East Wind. And now I can make it myself! Thank you again!
Audrey on 2025-03-05 (5 stars):
I love this... I have been making it for years but with less fish sauce in the nuoc cham... and I use italian spaghettini as it seems to hold up better.... boy was I happy to see Nagi on Australian Masterchef... I'm an American in the Netherlands and a huge fan.
Audrey on 2025-03-05 (5 stars):
I love this! Have made it many times, my only change (other than I may add some daikon radish and peanuts and use spaghettini pasta, it holds up better than vermicelli (or what we have here which are ramen noodles) is LESS fish sauce for the nuoc cham... I've read your other recipes using nuoc cham and they all use less... I've toned it down a bit.
Cathy on 2025-03-04 (5 stars):
Why did I wait so long to try this!? Super easy to just throw in the fridge to marinade. Comes together so quickly, perfect for weeknight. Cooked on the Weber Q. This would be perfect to throw together for a large group and build your own bowls. *Chef kiss*
Staci on 2025-01-31 (5 stars):
Just perfect. My best friend’s mom is from Vietnam and your Nuoc Cham is just like hers! We’ve been going low carb but I serve this with lettuce cups to make wraps. I add red bell pepper to the veggie plate as well. So delicious
Kath R on 2025-01-29 (5 stars):
Made this exactly as written apart from that I baking the chicken as per your Vietnamese Baked Chicken recipe in the Dinner recipe book. I also used the lemongrass paste sub because it’s way easier :) hubby and I loved this (especially me). Healthy and delicious, and a really nice meal for summer
Stefanie on 2025-01-06 (5 stars):
Just finished this dish. It was amazing!! Thank you for my new favorite meal!
Sarah on 2024-10-29 (5 stars):
This recipe is so bomb. I went all out the first time I made it, but we've since also improvised - especially with the veggies. We've done just broccoli, roasted carrots, I think we may have even done green beans since those are more commonly found in our standard groceries. I've also had to improvise a lot because lemongrass is weirdly difficult to find near me - it's either unavailable or sold out every time I look. I've found using lemon zest works just fine - that chicken marinade is still so incredible. I also have become obsessed with chicken thighs - I'd underestimated them and now ADORE using them. I'm writing this one down to make sure I have a copy on hand. Thank you so much for this recipe - it's absolutely delectable.
Playa on 2024-10-14 (5 stars):
Sensational! Will make on repeat, Nagi you’ve done it again.