I'm slowly working on my spice tolerance, and this lemongrass chicken rice bowl was a good kick start (I mean, I literally licked the bowl each day). It's got that perfect kick without making me cry, but you can always turn up the heat (my partner loved it spicier). This is one of those easy dinners that feels restaurant-level fancy but is super easy to make at home.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Rice bowl. It's a full balanced meal in one bowl making it perfect for a chicken meal prep, just like Greek chicken rice bowl or teriyaki chicken poke bowl.
Chicken thighs. They stay tender and flavorful, similar to my chorizo and chicken thigh paella or peri peri chicken thigh bake
Asian flavours. A mix of lemongrass, garlic, lime, and fish sauce-like our Vietnamese beef noodle bowl. You could also try chicken red pepper onion stir fry or orange chicken and rice for a similar Asian-vibe.
Ingredients
Chicken thighs. I chose thighs because they're super juicy and really complement the tang from the sauce. But you can substitute with chicken breast.
Lemongrass. This is the base of the marinade and stalks will give you the biggest punch in flavour. But, if you can't get your hands on it, the paste works well.
Garlic cloves and limes. Similar to lemongrass, I recommend the fresh version, but you can use jarred or bottled if this is all you can get.
Fish sauce. This is what brings the "funk" that's common in Vietnamese cooking. I don't recommend substituting for more soy sauce (unless that's all you have).
Brown sugar. The sweetness helps to balance the savoury and will also give the chicken that amazing brown coat.
Chilli. I use a relatively mild chilli because I'm not huge on the spice, but you can adjust to your preference and go super spicy or omit if you're not into it at all.
Rice. Jasmine rice is traditional for its fragrance and texture, but any long-grain rice works (e.g. basmati).
Veggies. You guys know I'm a fan of incorporating veggies where possible. I used carrots, cucumbers and red bell pepper (capsicum) for a bit of variety, but you can adjust to your preferences.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions and variations.
Substitutions and variations
Vegetarian. Swap chicken thighs for crispy tofu or tempeh-still delicious with the same marinade.
Adjust the spice. Use less chilli or none at all for mild heat, or add fresh sliced chillies after cooking for more kick; or just go all-out and get a spicier chilli.
Try another carb. Rice noodles or quinoa (or even add some quinoa into your rice) would work well.
How to make a lemongrass chicken bowl
Step 1: Mix together lemongrass, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and fresh chilli to make the marinade.
Step 2: Marinate chicken thighs for at least 30 minutes (overnight is best).
Step 3: Grill or pan-fry until caramelized and cooked through.
Step 4: Make nuoc cham sauce by mixing water, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and sliced chilli.
Step 5: Assemble bowls with rice, sliced veggies, grilled chicken, peanuts, and a drizzle of nuoc cham.
My Top Tips
Marinate overnight. The flavours deepen and make the chicken insanely good. But, we all know how tight time is so if you're not organised, just let it sit for 30.
Don't skip the sugar. It helps balance out the tang and spice and will caramelize the chicken edges.
Cast iron. I recommend grilling on a cast iron, you'll get an amazing smokiness (plus, it makes amazing zucchini tuna pasta) that you won't get with other ways of cooking.
Storing and reheating
This recipe is perfect for meal prepping because all the parts-rice, chicken, veggies, and sauce-hold up well. I recommend keeping the chicken and rice on one side of a container and the veggies and nuoc cham separately to keep them crisp.
That way, you can reheat the chicken and rice together (with a splash of water) and add the fresh veggies and sauce after reheating.
Pro Tip: Sprinkle chopped peanuts and fresh herbs like cilantro or mint after reheating to give the bowl that just-made freshness.
Freezing
I don't recommend freezing the whole dish as the fresh veggies won't hold up. If you have leftover marinated chicken, this is excellent to freeze raw (or cooked) and then cook or reheat fresh.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
Lemongrass paste is super convenient and still gives you that citrusy, slightly floral flavour. It's great when you're short on time or can't find fresh stalks. But fresh lemongrass stalks have a brighter, punchier flavour because they release more of their essential oils when bruised or minced.
Pro Tip: If using fresh stalks, trim off the tough outer layers and smash the stalks with the side of a knife before chopping-this helps release all that amazing flavour.
Jasmine rice is the gold standard-it's lightly fragrant, fluffy, and pairs perfectly with Southeast Asian flavours. The grains stay tender and separate, making it ideal for rice bowls.
If you want to switch it up, basmati rice works for a lighter, drier texture, while short-grain rice (like sushi rice) makes for a stickier, heartier bowl.
Other chicken thigh meal preps
Or, you can have a browse through my chicken thigh recipes for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Rice Bowl
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Equipment
- Cast Iron Pan, optional
Ingredients
Chicken
- 500 g (1 lb) Chicken thighs, approx.4
- 2 stalk lemongrass, or 1tbsp lemongrass paste
- 3 garlic cloves
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) lime juice, fresh recommended
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) fish sauce
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) soy sauce
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) brown sugar
- ½ red chilli, see note 1
- 5 g (1 teaspoon) olive oil
Nuoc cham sauce
- 125 ml (½ cups) water
- 45 g (3 tablespoon) fish sauce
- 30 g (3 tablespoon) white sugar
- 45 g (3 tablespoon) lime juice, fresh recommended
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ red chilli, see note 1
Rice Bowl
- 200 g (1 cups) Rice, yields approx. 3]/adjustable] cups
- 80 g (3 oz) Carrots, approx.1
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) Cucumbers, approx.1
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) bell pepper / capsicum, approx.1
Instructions
Prepare
- Remove the hard outer layer and white of the 2 stalk lemongrass. Push down to bruise and thinly dice.
- Thinly dice ½ red chilli.
- Mince: 3 garlic cloves then mix together with 30 g (2 tablespoon) lime juice, 30 g (2 tablespoon) fish sauce, 30 g (2 tablespoon) soy sauce, 30 g (2 tablespoon) brown sugar, 2 stalk lemongrass and ½ red chilli. Add 500 g (1 lb) Chicken thighs to the mixture and let marinate for at least 30 minutes
- Thinly slice: 80 g (3 oz) Carrots, 100 g (3 ½ oz) Cucumbers, 100 g (3 ½ oz) bell pepper / capsicum
- Mince 3 garlic cloves and ½ red chilli then mix together with the rest of the nuoc cham sauce ingredients - 125 ml (½ cups) water, 45 g (3 tablespoon) fish sauce, 30 g (3 tablespoon) white sugar, 45 g (3 tablespoon) lime juice, 3 garlic cloves
Cook
- Prepare 200 g (1 cups) Rice your way or follow my tips and tricks for cooking.
- Preheat a large pan with 5 g (1 teaspoon) olive oil then add marinated chicken thighs until caramelized and cooked through to 160°F / 69°C (approx. 5 minutes each side)
- Assemble bowls with rice, sliced veggies, grilled chicken, and a drizzle of nuoc cham.
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