Hi! This is Leanne’s husband, Dan. Because Leanne’s on book tour, she hasn’t been able to post a new recipe in ages. However, when I remembered this fantastic dish that Leanne developed for her sister about 5 years ago, I knew I had to dig it out of the archives for you.

This isn’t quite a Good and Cheap recipe because it’s pretty heavy on the meat (can be a little expensive) and neither lemongrass nor fish sauce are everyday ingredients, but I promise it’s delicious — and pretty affordable if you already have fish sauce in the fridge.

If you aren’t familiar with fish sauce, it’s what gives that uniquely pungent/sour flavor to a lot of dishes from Thailand, Vietnam, and other southeast Asian countries. It certainly isn’t for everybody, but I love it.

Lemongrass Chile Chicken

Chicken, stir fried with lemongrass, fish sauce, garlic and chili and served over rice or noodles.

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Course Main Course

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Marinade

• 1 Tbsp lemongrass finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 3 cloves garlic grated
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp sambal oelek (chile paste)
• Salt and pepper

The Rest

• 2 chicken breasts or thighs chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 shallot or red onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp lemongrass finely chopped
• 1 - 2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth or water with 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• oil for frying

To Serve

• rice, noodles or a wrap or
• cooked vegetables

Variations

• tofu or any other meat in place of chicken
• skewer the chicken and bbq it instead

Instructions

 

• To prepare the lemongrass, start by peeling off any very dry layers and slicing off the very end of the stalk. Thinly slice the next 2 to 3 inches of the bottom of the stalk (enough for 2 tablespoons), then chop the slices up finely. You'll only use the bottom of the stalk, not the top. Use 1 tablespoon of chopped lemongrass in the marinade and save the other tablespoon for when you're cooking.
• Mix the marinade ingredients together, then toss it with the chicken (or other protein) until thoroughly coated, either in a freezer bag or a large bowl. Leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge, still in the bag or bowl, for 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
• Once the chicken has marinated, put some oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the remaining lemongrass and stir fry for 30 seconds or so. Add the shallot and cook for about a minute, until it starts to turn translucent. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
• Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the chicken all at once along with the marinade sauce. Try to make sure all the chicken is touching the pan so it can get browned. Leave for about 2 minutes, until that side of the chicken is cooked and a little browned.
• Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side.
• Add enough broth to almost cover the chicken in the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and everything is cooked through.
• Serve over rice (maybe fried rice) or in a wrap with cooked vegetables like green beans, pea pods, or carrots.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!