This grilled lemongrass chicken is bursting with bright, fragrant flavors that will have you reaching for seconds! Its citrusy and floral notes are just what you need this summer! Grill it up for your next weeknight dinner or weekend cookout!
I’m sure by now you know I love lemongrass! I’ve got a skillet lemongrass chicken thighs recipe, air fryer lemongrass chicken recipe, lemongrass pork recipe, and this Vietnamese grilled pork recipe that uses lemongrass. There’s always some in my freezer ready to be minced up to be thrown in a marinade. Now that summer is in full swing, I’m firing up the grill to make this lemongrass chicken on the grill! It has all of my favorite bright, floral flavors but with that signature smoky grill taste mixed in!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s super flavourful, thanks to the marinade and lemongrass especially. Simply combine everything and let it marinade in the fridge for a while and you’ll have this beyond flavorful lemongrass chicken.
- It’s a freezer friendly recipe. If you’ve got the ingredients, you can prep this for the freezer ahead of time. Then when you’re thawing it overnight, it’ll marinate at the same time, and come dinner time, just throw it on the grill.
- It’s super easy to make! It’s practically foolproof.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- lemongrass — if you do not have lemongrass, try using lemongrass paste. Lemongrass is an herb that smells like its namesake, lemon. It’s made from stalks of the lemongrass plant and is grown in tropical climates. Lemongrass is like a mix between lemon and ginger. You can get frozen lemongrass stalks to have them on hand at all times!
- garlic — I’m using minced garlic, but if you don’t have any, garlic powder works in a pinch.
- fish sauce — fish sauce is made from a mixture of fish and salt that has been allowed to ferment for up to two years. It’s fishy and salty, so a little bit will go a long way.
- soy sauce — I usually use low sodium soy sauce.
- lime juice — sometimes the bottles of lime juice have a slightly bitter aftertaste, so I always recommend using fresh lime juice, as it tastes more bright and fresh.
- brown sugar — light or dark brown sugar is fine for this lemongrass chicken recipe.
- red chili flakes — it’s not enough to make the chicken spicy, but it adds some extra flavor.
- oil — to brush the grill with.
- chicken breasts — I’m using chicken breasts, but you can marinate and grill any cut of chicken.
- optional — if you’d like to make homemade scallion oil, you just need scallions and oil!
How to Grill Lemongrass Chicken
- Combine the lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and red chili flakes and mix until well combined.
- Add the marinade to the chicken breasts and let it sit, covered, in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour (or more if possible).
- Heat the grill to 400ºF.
- Brush the grill with some oil and place the chicken breasts onto the grill, smooth side down. Discard the marinade.
- Grill the chicken breasts on direct heat for 12 to 16 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts.
- Flip the chicken breasts at the halfway mark. Make sure the lid is on between flipping.
- Remove the breasts from the grill and allow the chicken to rest for at least five minutes before serving.
- If you’d like to serve the chicken with scallion oil, heat the oil on the stove on medium high heat for around 30 seconds. Carefully pour the hot oil into the bowl of green onions and stir to combine.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Avoid moving the chicken when you first place it on the grill. The chicken will come off the grill once it’s ready. If you move it too early, the chicken will stick to the grill and tear.
- When you grill the chicken breasts, keep the lid on between flipping the chicken. The lid will trap the heat so the chicken will cook evenly.
- If the chicken is getting too dark too quickly, you can move it to indirect heat. My grill has a second set of grates on the lid to pop the chicken onto, so it still cooks but not directly over the flames.
- Always pat dry the chicken, especially if they were frozen beforehand.
- The smaller the bowl you use to marinade your chicken in, the less marinade you’ll need!
- Coconut rice goes really well with this lemongrass chicken as well.
- Do NOT use the marinade the baste the chicken. If you want to brush the chicken with the lemongrass marinade, set some aside ahead of time.
- The internal temperature of the chicken drumsticks should reach 165°F (74°C) before taking them off the grill.
My Recommendation
This is my go-to meat thermometer for making sure that the internal temperature of my meat is good to go. It’s also magnetic so I have it on my fridge door to save drawer space!
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked chicken breasts in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: allow the grilled chicken breasts to cool before transferring them into an airtight container before storing them in the freezer. They can last for up to 3 months.
- How to prep this for the freezer: place the marinade and chicken thighs in a large freezer friendly ziploc bag, to prep this meal ahead of time. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking.
Grilled Lemongrass Chicken
This grilled lemongrass chicken is bursting with bright, fragrant flavors that will have you reaching for seconds! Its citrusy and floral notes are just what you need this summer! Grill it up for your next weeknight dinner or weekend cookout!
Servings: 5 servings
Ingredients
For the Lemongrass Chicken
- 3-4 tablespoons minced lemongrass
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ tablespoons fish sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce, low sodium
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, (1 lime)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes, or more
- oil
- 5 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
For the Scallion Oil
- ¼ cup oil
- 2-3 stalks green onions
Instructions
-
Combine the lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and red chili flakes.
-
Add the marinade to the chicken breasts and let it sit, covered, in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour (or more if possible).
-
Heat the grill to 400ºF.
-
Brush the grill with some oil and place the chicken breasts onto the grill, smooth side down. Discard the leftover marinade.
-
Grill the chicken breasts on direct heat for 12 to 16 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts. Flip the chicken breasts at the halfway mark. Make sure the lid is on between flipping.
-
Remove the breasts from the grill and allow the chicken to rest for at least five minutes before serving.
To Make Scallion Oil
-
Wash the green oils and trim off the tops and bottoms. Pat them dry and slice them up and transfer them to a heat-proof dish.
-
Add oil to a pot or skillet and heat on medium high heat for around 30 seconds. Test if it’s ready by dropping one piece of sliced green onion into it. It should sizzle.
-
Carefully pour the hot oil into the bowl of green onions and stir to combine.
Notes
- Estimated calories do not include the scallion oil.
Nutrition Per Serving
Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1153mg | Potassium: 951mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1mg
More Grilling Recipes to Try
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