Skip to main content

Pounded Lemongrass Chicken

5.0

(1)

Image may contain Plant Citrus Fruit Fruit Food Lime Cutlery Fork Dish and Meal
Alex Lau

This aromatic Vietnamese-inspired dish calls for pounding the chicken breasts to a uniform thinness, which eliminates any dryness.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    50 minutes

  • Yield

    4 Servings

Ingredients

4 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, chopped
1 medium shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to ½-inch thickness
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Lime wedges (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Process lemongrass, shallot, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes in a food processor to a fine paste. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in a resealable plastic bag. Add lemongrass mixture; chill at least 30 minutes.

    Step 2

    Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Remove chicken from marinade, scraping off excess, and cook until golden brown, 6–8 minutes; turn and cook until cooked through, about 2 minutes longer.

    Step 3

    Serve chicken with lime wedges for squeezing over.

    Step 4

    Do Ahead: Chicken can be marinated 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

Read More
Stir-frying slices makes this dinner doable on any given night.
This chicken salad nails it—creamy, herby, and endlessly riffable.
Loosely inspired by pasta Amatriciana, a few pounds of zucchini stand in for tomatoes.
No grill needed for this just-charred-enough sweet and spicy chicken.
Assembled right in the skillet, no bowls needed.
Country-style lemonade with a salty-tangy twist.
Attention, martini drinkers and spritz drinkers: Please for a single line.
Zesty jalapeño halves make the perfect vehicle for these crunchy, juicy, meat-filled snacks.