This lemongrass chicken is super simple, to make and perfect to meal prep. All it takes is some simple ingredients for the marinade and you are set to go. Something important to note is that the sugar in the marinade will cause the meat to brown fast to be sure to check on the chicken during the cooking process.
What type of lemongrass to use?
For the marinade, lemongrass is extremely important for the overall flavor and taste. You may use fresh lemongrass but this would require you to blend it up yourself. I have found in the past that it is quite difficult to break down lemongrass which is why I resort to frozen lemongrass. I buy it at the grocery store frozen and already minced. This way I am able to just scoop out however much I need at a time.

Cut of meat in lemongrass chicken
For this recipe, you can actually use any type of chicken you like. I prefer chicken thighs because they are more flavorful, and absorb the marinade better than chicken breasts. I also remove the bones from the thighs in order to reveal more surface area to the marinade. This will make it extra flavorful especially if you do not plan on marinating overnight. Pictured below are chicken thighs that haven’t been de-boned yet.

How long should I marinate?
I would highly recommend marinating the chicken overnight to get the best results. If not, 30 minutes or 1 hour will make a big difference as well. However, you can also cook the chicken immediately but I would recommend basting halfway through with some more of the marinade to make sure there is enough flavor.


Easy Lemongrass Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken thighs
Marinade ingredients
- ½ cup minced lemongrass
- 2½ tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tbsp black pepper
- 4 cloves minced garlic
Instructions
- Using a knife, debone the 6 boneless chicken thighswhile keeping the skin on. Remove any excess fat.6 boneless chicken thighs
- Into a bowl add all of our marinade ingredients and mix well.½ cup minced lemongrass, 2½ tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp sesame oil, ½ tbsp black pepper, 4 cloves minced garlic
- Add the deboned chicken thighs into the bowl, mix well and let marinate overnight if you have time.
- Air fry at 350F for 15 minutes or bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Flip halfway through and check every 5 minutes to prevent any burning from the high sugar content.
- Serve with rice, fried egg, and green onions
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Hi.. I am not keen on fish sauce, is there a substitute sauce I could use to replace it.? I like the combination of hoisin sauce and oyster sauce .. will that work? and instead of brown sugar and soya sauce can I use sweet soya sauce?
Thank you in advance.
Carol
fish sauce is a key component of the sauce but if you dislike it alot then just leave it out
Thank you for a great recipe! I made this last night w boneless, skinless thighs. We didn’t have lemon grass so I grated a big knob of ginger instead, all other ingredients used as listed. Yum. Easy and delicious.
Love to hear it!