Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Stir-Fry (Gà Xào Sả Ớt)
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Stir-Fry (gà xào sả ớt) perfectly combines tender and juicy chicken, fragrant lemongrass, chili peppers, and fish sauce. This dish is super quick and easy to make for daily meals.
Lemongrass has a distinct citrusy flavor and aroma that adds depth and complexity to many Vietnamese dishes. It goes well with all kinds of meat and seafood, such as with pork belly, fish, tofu, and clams. When combined with other aromatics like garlic, ginger and chili peppers, lemongrass creates a bold and savory flavor profile that is hard to resist.
I already shared this popular lemongrass beef stir-fry recipe some time ago. Today is the version with chicken which is equally delicious and can be cooked in one pan. Its Vietnamese name is “gà xào sả ớt“.
Every now and then, I come across creative Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipes on Pinterest that feature whole pieces of chicken baked or grilled. However, we don’t have these dishes in Vietnam. In Vietnam, we prepare lemongrass chicken by stir-frying bite-sized pieces or slices of chicken with lemongrass.
Ingredients
I recommend using boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Cut them into thin strips or slices for even cooking. If you use chicken breasts, the stir-fried chicken will be less juicy. We will marinate the chicken with a mixture of salt, pepper, five-spice powder, and some cornstarch to help flavor the chicken and tenderize it.
You may see a lot of julienned chili peppers in this dish but by using very mild chilies, the dish is usually not very spicy. I recommend using two types of chilies. One is spicy bird’s-eye chili for a spicy kick and another one is non-spicy or very mild red chili pepper. The dish is guaranteed to be too spicy if you use 100% bird’s-eye chili. Here I use red banana peppers (ớt sừng), but other chili varieties that are not spicy, or just mildly spicy will work too. Bell peppers will also work.
The stir-fry comes together quickly, so it is best to prepare all ingredients before cooking. Also, use a heavy-bottomed pan that retains heat well, such as a Lodge cast iron, to make the dish.
How to Serve
The most traditional way to serve gà xào sả ớt is with steamed rice. In addition, here are some creative options you can try:
- With rice vermicelli noodles: create your noodle bowl with this lemongrass stir-fried chicken, lettuce, and fresh herbs. You can check these pork noodle bowl and beef noodle bowl for ideas.
- With banh mi (Vietnamese baguette): stuff the bread with stir-fried chicken and add several slices of fresh or pickled cucumber and carrots, and cilantro. I have the recipe for pickled cucumber and carrots in my slow cooker pulled pork banh mi recipe.
- With lettuce: simply place the lemongrass chicken over lettuce to make healthy lettuce cups.
I hope you will give this easy Vietnamese chicken stir-fry a try and let me know how you serve it.
⭐️ I’d love to hear what you think about the dish, so please feel free to leave a comment and a rating if you have tried it. New recipes are added every week so let’s connect on Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates. You can find my collection of Vietnamese recipes here.
Lemongrass Chicken Stir-Fry (Gà Xào Sả Ớt)
Equipment
- 1 large heavy-bottomed stir-fry pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (450g)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons cooking oil (plus more to cook)
- 6 medium lemongrass stalks, white parts only, sliced very thinly (about 2/3 cup or 40-45g sliced)
- 1 tablespoon julienned ginger
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (to taste)
- 2 red banana peppers, or any non/mildly-spicy red chili peppers, seeds removed and thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup or 25g sliced)
- 1 bird's-eye chili, seeds removed and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
- Cut chicken thighs into thin slices or strips. Toss with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ tablespoon minced garlic and 1 tablespoon water. Then add 2 teaspoons oil and mix to combine. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
- Place a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add cooking oil to coat the bottom. Add lemongrass slices once the oil is hot, stir and cook for about 2 minutes until lemongrass has reduced in volume and looked slightly golden and it smells aromatic. Transfer most of the lemongrass to a clean bowl.
- Add julienned ginger and sauté until fragrant and softened, up to a minute. Then add the remaining minced garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, then add chicken and let them cook undisturbed for about 30 seconds to give them a nice sear. Then stir and cook for another 6-7 minutes.
- Add back lemongrass and also add oyster sauce, fish sauce and all the chili peppers. Stir and toss for 1-2 more minutes until chicken is fully cooked and flavors are combined. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Drizzle sesame oil over the chicken and give everything a final stir. Transfer to clean plates and serve.
Notes
- With rice vermicelli noodles: create your noodle bowl with the stir-fried chicken, lettuce, and fresh herbs.
- With banh mi (Vietnamese baguette): stuff the bread with the lemongrass chicken and add several slices of fresh or pickled cucumber and carrots, and cilantro.
- With lettuce: make healthy lettuce cups with the stir-fried chicken.
Nutrition
This recipe is great! I live in Vietnam and can easily find grated lemongrass, so I used that and it came out perfect. So easy to make and super flavorful 😋
Hi Shelly,
I’m glad to know it turned out great. Thank you for the feedback and have a great time living in Vietnam :).