Lemongrass Chicken with Pickled Vegetables
I originally used this marinade for Lemongrass Chicken with Pickled Vegetables when I was making my recipe for Banh Mi Sandwiches. If you haven’t eaten one of these sandwiches you are in for a real treat. It’s a great lunch, full of flavor and all held together with a traditional French Bread Loaf.
I wanted to deconstruct the sandwich and make it more of a main meal suitable to serve to lots of people. So this easy Lemongrass Chicken Dish was born. I love to serve mine over white rice. The juicy chicken gets so flavorful in the marinade. I love to grill it outside or do it in a cast iron skillet inside. I’ve also used a non stick pan. My favorite is the All Clad Non Stick: https://amzn.to/3i720Gi
I will say in the summer months, grilling is my favorite way to cook these. It couldn’t be easier than putting some marinade ingredients in a plastic bag or bowl, tossing in chicken and then cooking it.
I like to use the Gourmet Garden’s Lemongrass Paste. They sell these herb tubes in the produce section at most grocery stores and I find the Lemongrass Tubes to be more convenient than fresh lemongrass. You’ve probably passed by them a million times, or maybe you are an avid fan already like me.
The pickled vegetables are really easy too. Just thinly slice the carrots and daikon radish and put them in a large mason jar or other bowl that you can cover. They are ready in about four hours, but get even better the longer they sit in the vinegar mixture.
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Lemongrass Chicken with Pickled Vegetables
Ingredients
For the Pickled Vegetables:
- 1 daikon radish sliced into thinly
- 2 carrots sliced thinly
- 3/4 C rice vinegar
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
For the Chicken:
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tube of lemongrass 4 oz such as Gourmet Garden’s Stir in Lemongrass Paste you can find it in the produce section near fresh herbs
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- zest of 1 lime
- Juice of 1 lime
- pinch of salt
- 3 C cooked white rice for serving optional
- cilantro leaves garnish
Instructions
For the Vegetables:
- Place the thinly sliced carrots and daikon radishes in the large mason jar or bowl. Sprinkle in the salt and sugar. Then pour over the vinegar and warm water. Stir or cover with a lid and shake to dissolve the sugar and salt. Place in the fridge and let sit for at least four hours. These pickled vegetables will last for weeks.
For the Chicken:
- Whisk together the lemongrass paste, fish sauce, minced garlic, lime zest and juice, and pinch of salt.
- Place chicken thighs in a bowl or large ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over and get the chicken coated well. Let this marinate for eight hours or overnight. (This is a good job to do in the morning before work, it takes less than five minutes to pull together and then it’s done marinating when you get home. )
- If grilling, heat a grill to medium heat. Place the chicken over the flame and cook until both sides are nicely browned and the internal temperature registers 165 degrees. About 4 minutes per side.
- If using a pan over the stove top, heat a large fry pan over medium heat. Once hot add in 1 tbsp canola oil. Allow this to shimmer and get hot. Then add in chicken and cook about 4 minutes per side until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Spoon the rice into a bowl or plate, top with the chicken, sprinkle with cilantro leaves and top with some of the pickled vegetables. Enjoy!
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