This Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe uses one of my favorite marinades, making for a tangy, citrusy, minty taste that is fabulously fresh and light. The simple lemongrass marinade infuses tons of flavor into juicy chicken thighs, then I just quickly cook them in the Air Fryer for a delicious weeknight dinner!
Lemongrass is a unique ingredient that lends a beautifully unique flavor to these chicken thighs. I love the earthy and citrus-y mix that comes through perfectly after marinating the chicken for just 30 minutes. I think it’s so easy to cook this chicken in the Air Fryer for nice, crispy skin–but I’ve added some simple instructions for oven-baking as well.
What’s in Lemongrass Marinated Chicken Thighs?
The star of this chicken thighs recipe is the lemongrass marinade, which has a complex tangy, umami, and citrusy taste!
- Chicken Thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on thighs for this recipe for the juiciest and most flavorful results.
- Lemongrass Powder: This unique ingredient is key to this dish, but you can swap in fresh lemongrass or lemongrass paste if needed. Check my notes below for more info.
- Soy Sauce: Adds a rich, salty flavor to the marinade.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds more umami flavor.
- Lime Juice: Adds bright, citrusy flavor to the marinade, and the acid helps tenderize the chicken.
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Adds zesty flavor to the lemongrass marinade.
- Garlic Salt: Adds a bit more earthiness to balance the marinade.
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Notes on Lemongrass
Lemongrass powder may be difficult to find outside of health food stores, specialty retailers, or online stores.
Instead, you can use 3 lemongrass stalks, which are more widely available at U.S. grocery stores–you can usually find them in the refrigerated produce section. To use these, mince the tender inside leaves of the stalks as small as possible, then use them in the lemongrass chicken marinade instead of the powder.
If you can’t find that, check for tubes of fresh lemongrass paste. You can use 3 tablespoons of that in place of the powder.
I recommend checking your local Asian market for this ingredient if you’re having trouble finding it elsewhere.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover lemongrass chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a 375°F air fryer or 350°F oven for 6-8 minutes, or until 165°F internally.
How to Freeze
Freeze lemongrass chicken thighs in an airtight container or resealable bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Notes and Tips
- You can marinate this lemongrass chicken for as little as 30 minutes, overnight, or up to 24 hours (or anywhere in between).
- I like to cook this chicken recipe in my Air Fryer, but if you prefer to bake it: Preheat the oven to 400°F, and cook marinated chicken for 30-35 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and juices run clear.
Lemongrass Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup lemongrass powder see note
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce see note
- ¼ cup lime juice from about 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- minced scallions optional, for garnish
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Instructions
- Combine the lemongrass powder, olive oil, soy sauce, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and lemon pepper in a small bowl.¼ cup lemongrass powder, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- Stir until everything is well-mixed and then transfer the sauce to a large Ziplock bag.
- Add the chicken thighs into the Ziplock bag and then seal the bag, removing as much air as possible.4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Slosh the chicken around in the marinade and then set in the refrigerator to marinate for 30-60 minutes.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F.
- Once the chicken is done marinating, transfer the chicken skin side down to the air fryer basket and cook in the air fryer for 10 minutes.
- Flip the chicken over and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Plate and serve the chicken with minced scallions as a garnish, optional.minced scallions
Notes
- Lemongrass Powder: You may need to order this online or buy in a health food store. You can also use 3 lemongrass stalks; mince the tender inside leaves of the stalks as small as possible and use them in the marinade instead of the powder. Another option is to use about 3 tablespoons of lemongrass paste.
- Soy Sauce: For a gluten-free alternative, use tamari or coconut aminos.
- Oil: Feel free to use vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil in the marinade instead of olive oil.
- Citrus: Lemon juice works just as well as lime juice. You can use either fresh limes or lemons, or juice from concentrate.
- Chicken: You can also make this with chicken breasts, but be careful not to overcook them.
- Like most chicken, this dish works great with a starchy side, like mashed potatoes, fries, rice, or noodles.
- You can also add a vegetable side, like a salad, steamed broccoli, creamed corn, etc.
- To use this lemongrass chicken in other ways, you can shred it (or any leftovers) and add it to a salad, a pasta, a bowl, or any meal that calls for shredded chicken.
- You can also add sauces and/or spices to this chicken. There are a lot of delicious sauces that this chicken can be dipped into, since it has a rather neutral flavor.
- You can also add some cayenne pepper or jalapeños to the recipe for some heat.
How to Make Lemongrass Chicken Step by Step
Combine Marinade Ingredients: Combine ¼ cup of lemongrass powder, ¼ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup of soy sauce, ¼ cup of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of garlic salt, and 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning in a small bowl.
Mix: Stir until all ingredients are well-combined, then transfer the marinade to a large resealable bag.
Marinate Chicken: Add 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs into the lemongrass marinade, then seal the bag and remove as much air as possible. Slosh the chicken around in the marinade to fully coat, then set it in the refrigerator to marinate for 30-60 minutes.
Air Fry the Chicken: Preheat your Air Fryer to 350°F. When the chicken is done marinating, place the thighs skin side down in the basket. Air Fry for 10 minutes.
Flip and Cook: Flip over the chicken thighs, and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove the chicken from the Air Fryer and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Serve: Serve the lemongrass chicken garnished with minced scallions, if desired.
Lemongrass is a tall herb with a lemony scent produced from the stalk of the lemongrass plant. It has a citrus flavor, similar to a cross between lemon, mint, and ginger.
Lemongrass can be intimidating if you’ve never used it before. It comes in stalks that are layered, similarly to leeks. In this recipe, I call for lemongrass powder, but you can also use 3 stalks of fresh instead. To prepare it, remove the reedy outer leaves until you reach the tender inner leaves. Then, chop just the white parts (the bottom third of the stalk). You can also often find lemongrass in a tube as a paste. If you use the paste, use 3 tablespoons.
Nope! While lemongrass has a pungent flavor when raw, it mellows out significantly when cooked, and it is not spicy.
While lemongrass is often available with the fresh herbs in the produce section of the grocery store, if you’re having trouble finding it, you can try a local Asian grocery store or order the powder online. In a pinch, you can use lemon zest, lime zest, or kaffir lime leaves, but the flavor will not be the same.
If you don’t have an air fryer available, you can bake your chicken in the oven at 400°F for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F and juices run clear.
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