Lemongrass Chicken Easy Thai Recipe

Lemongrass Chicken (with Sweet Lime Sauce) - Asian Comfort Food!
Li Lan - www.lilan.de / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Street cooking in Thailand is kept simple, with a minimal list of ingredients, and yet the food tastes so exquisite. You'll find the same to be true with this easy recipe for Thai lemongrass chicken. Don't be fooled by the simplicity of the ingredients - when they are put together, the results are so delicious. This recipe is derived from my adventures talking to street cooks in Thailand and watching what they do - the only difference here is that the chicken is baked instead of grilled or stir-fried. I love to make this dish with quarter chicken pieces, but thighs and even chicken breast work well (be sure to leave the skin on for best results). Wonderful with rice or even potatoes if you don't mind a little East-meets-West on your table. ENJOY!

Ingredients

  • 4 quarter-chicken pieces (or 1 small whole chicken)
  • 2 stalks lemongrass
  • 1/4 cup onion (finely chopped)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 fresh red chili (minced or up to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes)
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 can thick coconut milk

Steps to Make It

  1. Thinly slice the lemongrass and then chop it up as finely as you can (alternatively you can use a food processor or chopper for the mincing part). Also mince the onion, garlic, and chili.

  2. Set chicken in roaster or flat baking pan, and rub these herbs all over the skin, all sides. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

  3. Cover and leave in the refrigerator to marinate at least 1/2 hour or up to 6 hours.

  4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and coconut milk. Stir together until sugar is dissolved.

  5. Drizzle this over chicken, turning to saturate. Try to get as many of the herbs as possible on the surface of the skin.

  6. Add 1/4 cup water to the roaster/pan in and around chicken.

  7. Cover and set in the middle of your oven to roast 45 minutes for chicken pieces, or 1 hour for a whole chicken.

  8. Remove cover and roast an additional 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is golden-brown (roasting time may be longer for whole chicken).

  9. Top with slices of fresh lime and chili, if desired, or just serve as is. Accompany with plenty of Thai jasmine rice on the side and ENJOY!

Great Side Dishes: This dish is nicely set off by something crisp and green. In Thailand, this would be as simple as slices of fresh cucumber garnishing the side of each plate. Or, for a wonderful Thai salad that goes well with this dish, try this Easy Thai Tossed Green Salad with Coconut Dressing, or - if you have more time, this Thai Cucumber Salad, which I've found to be very popular with guests. Hope you enjoy the ensemble as much as we do!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
530 Calories
32g Fat
24g Carbs
38g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 530
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 41%
Saturated Fat 18g 88%
Cholesterol 105mg 35%
Sodium 1648mg 72%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 38g
Calcium 112mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)