These Vietnamese-inspired lemongrass chicken rice bowls combined caramelised chicken thighs marinated in Vietnamese flavours, crunchy vegetables and a tangy nuoc cham sauce for an easy fresh meal prep.
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).
As you'll see later in this post, you don't need divider containers to have this for meal prep. You can store your hot and cold components separately in a single container (multiple different ways!) so you don't have to stress about those fresh veggies losing their crunch.
TL;DR
- Servings: 4
- Prep time: 10 minutes (plus at least 30 min marinating) Cook time: 15 minutes
- Meal prep: Balanced with a serve of carbs from the rice, protein from the chicken thighs and freshness from the veggies.
- Fridge storage: 3-4 days in airtight container (keep hot and cold components separate)
- Freezer storage: Freeze chicken and rice separately. Don't recommend freezing the vegetables.
- Reheating: chicken and rice only for 1 minute intervals (will take approx. 3 minutes depending on chicken thickness)
- Customise: Adjust flavour profile of the marinade and dressing depending on preferences, add extra veg.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Meal prep friendly. The chicken and rice reheat well, while the fresh veggies and nuoc cham sauce can be kept separate and even mix-and-matched for versatility.
Fresh and savoury. Lemongrass, garlic, lime, fish sauce and chilli give the chicken plenty of flavour!
Asian flavours. The flavours in the chicken marinade get better each day - which is why I'm always a fan of an Asian-themed meal prep.
Ingredients
Chicken thighs. Boneless chicken thighs stay juicy during the high-heat cooking needed to caramelise the marinade, and they remain tender after reheating for meal prep.
Lemongrass. Use the tender white and pale-green section of the stalk and mince it very finely so you do not end up with tough fibres in the finished chicken.
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 brings the savoury, salty "funk" that gives both the chicken marinade and nuoc cham their depth. Soy sauce can increase saltiness if you are stuck, but it does not give the same flavour, so I would not treat it as a like-for-like substitute.
Brown sugar. It balances the salty fish sauce and acidic lime while helping the outside of the chicken caramelise during cooking. Keep the heat around medium to medium-high because the sugar can burn if the pan is too hot.
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.
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.
Should I make my own nuoc cham sauce?
You can definitely use a store-bought version if you're stuck, but making your own means you can adjust the flavours depending on your preference.
This sauce is salty, sour, sweet and slightly spicy (but definitely still fits within the white-girl spice tolerance bucket).
Taste the sauce before serving and adjust with a little extra water if it's too pungent, lime juice if it's too sweet, sugar if it's not sweet enough and extra chilli or some chilli flakes if you like a bit of heat.
Substitutions and variations
Chicken breast. You can swap out thighs for breast, but consider halving them horizontally and marinating for at least an hour as these are typically thicker. They will also take longer to cook. You could also use mince for a cheaper, different texture.
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.
Lemongrass. Fresh lemongrass gives the brightest flavour, but lemongrass paste is a practical shortcut when fresh stalks are hard to find.
Extra veggies. Add shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, spring onion or even red onion depending on what you enjoy fresh.
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.
Add the chicken thighs to the marinade and let sit for at least 30 minutes (up to 24 hours in the fridge).
Step 2: Over medium-high heat, cook chicken thighs until caramelized and cooked through (approx. 4-5 minutes each side) (approx. 70C/165F as it will continue rising when resting).
Note - avoid cooking in a puddle of the marinade as you won't get the same caramelisation. Any excess marinade left in the container should be discarded.
Step 3: While you let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. Make nuoc cham sauce by mixing water, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and sliced chilli (don't use leftover marinade as this has touched raw chicken and not safe)
Step 4: Assemble bowls with rice, sliced veggies, grilled chicken, peanuts, and a drizzle of nuoc cham. You could also jazz it up a bit with some fresh coriander.
Lauren's Top Tips
Use only the tender part of the lemongrass. The woody green sections stay fibrous even after cooking, so trim them away and mince the pale section very finely.
Marinate overnight when you can. Thirty minutes gives good flavour, but several hours gives the chicken more time to absorb the lemongrass, garlic and fish sauce.
Don't cook the chicken in a puddle of marinade. Let excess marinade drip off before adding it to the pan so the thighs brown rather than steam.
Meal prepping with hot and cold components
This recipe is perfect for meal prepping because all the parts-rice, chicken, veggies, and sauce-hold up well when stored correctly. It gives you a bit of a different vibe to your typical chicken and rice veggies and a fresh element which makes this a perfect summer bowl.
Storing
For the best texture for leftovers, keep the cucumber, carrots and capsicum in a separate compartment or container. You can do this in divider containers, or by making an aluminium boat or using silicone cupcake moulds which can be removed when you want to reheat the chicken and rice.
Add the nuoc cham only after reheating so the vegetables stay crisp rather than sitting in dressing for several days. But, if you prefer your vegetables with a little bit of a pickle, you can store the nuoc cham sauce over it. Just note the vegetables will take up some of the moisture so you'll have less leftover to coat the rice and chicken when eating.
Stored properly, this will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheating
Remove the cold ingredients and nuoc cham sauce then add a teaspoon or two of water over the rice, then microwave the rice and chicken for 60-90 seconds. Continue in 30-second intervals until hot throughout.
Lauren's Meal Prep 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.
For freezer prep, combine the chicken and marinade in a freezer bag or container and freeze it raw. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then cook as normal. This gives you the flavour of an overnight marinade without needing another prep session.
You can also freeze cooked chicken (make sure to scoop up the marinade from the stove top to help keep the chicken moist). Freeze this separately to the rice so the rice doesn't go mushy from the marinade.
AAAAAND, I almost forgot! If you have extra nuoc cham sauce you can freeze this too in single serve portions for a Plan B meal when you just need a little extra flavour
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.
The sugar in the marinade caramelises quickly, so the pan may be too hot. Reduce the heat slightly and cook the chicken long enough to brown without scorching the marinade.
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 2tbsp lemongrass paste
- 3 garlic cloves, fresh recommended
- 2 tablespoon lime juice, fresh recommended, approx.1
- 2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ red chilli, see note 1
Nuoc cham sauce or ½ cup store-bought
- ½ cup water
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoon white sugar
- 3 tablespoon lime juice, fresh recommended, approx.1.5
- 3 garlic cloves, fresh recommended
- ½ red chilli, see note 1
Rice Bowl
- 250 g (1 ½ cups) rice, yields approx. 4]/adjustable] cups cooked
- 1` carrot carrot
- 1 cucumber
- 1 bell pepper / capsicum
Instructions
Prepare
- Remove the tough outer layers of the 2 stalk lemongrass and trim away the woody green section. Use the tender white and pale-green part, bruise it with the side of a knife, then mince very finely.
- Mince: 3 garlic cloves and thinly dice ½ red chilli then mix together with 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 stalk lemongrass (diced) and ½ red chilli. Add 500 g (1 lb) Chicken thighs to the mixture and let marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours (in the fridge)
- Thinly slice: 1` carrot carrot, 1 cucumber, 1 bell pepper / capsicum
Cook
- Prepare 250 g (1 ½ cups) rice your way or follow my tips and tricks for cooking.
- Preheat a large pan over medium-high heat then add marinated chicken thighs until caramelized and cooked through to 160°F / 70°C (it'll continue rising when resting) (approx. 5 minutes each side)Note - avoid cooking in a large pool of the marinade otherwise it won't caramelise as well. Discard excess marinade.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes. While waiting, make your nuoc cham sauce by mincing 3 garlic cloves and ½ red chilli then mix together with the rest of the nuoc cham sauce ingredients - ½ cup water, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp white sugar, 3 tbsp lime juice, 3 garlic cloves
- Assemble bowls (or meal prep containers) with rice, sliced veggies, grilled chicken, and a drizzle of nuoc cham.
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