Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken (Bun Ga Nuong) is one of my signature dishes! Vermicelli noodles topped with fresh vegetables and herbs, an incredible lemongrass marinated chicken and drizzled with Nuoc Cham, the chilli garlic sauce that’s served with everything in Vietnam!
Easy enough for midweek meals, and a sensational CHEAP meal idea for large groups! Either cook the chicken in large batches on the BBQ, or even bake them, and put out all the toppings in bowls for people to help themselves!
Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken
This is a recipe that has many fond memories associated with it because it’s one of my signature recipes that I make as a meal for large groups. Other than how delicious it is (and the Vietnamese lemongrass marinade really is exceptional!), here’s why it’s one of my all time favourite recipes:
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it’s cheap and simple to make
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can be fully prepared ahead (including the noodles and chopping the vegetables)
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it’s gluten free (cater for dietary requirements)
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healthy
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versatile – use the same marinade for tofu, prawns/shrimp, fish, other meats
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easy to serve a crowd – chicken can be cooked in large batches on the BBQ, or even baked
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no assembly – lay all the components out on the table for people to help themselves
Camping, on boats, weekends away, hen’s night – these Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken has made an appearance at many events!
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
The entire Vietnamese noodle bowl as a whole is so delicious, but I have to say that the Lemongrass Chicken is the stand out. The marinade is fantastic. The earthy lemony flavour from the lemongrass combined with the garlic and complex savoury flavours from the fish sauce and soy sauce makes a killer flavour that will have your neighbours popping their heads over the fence if you cook this on the outdoor grill!
What goes in Lemongrass Chicken
Here’s what goes in the Lemongrass Chicken.
Fresh lemongrass is best here, but if you can’t find it, then lemongrass paste works very well too.
I know some people aren’t a fan of fish sauce which is quite pungent smelling in raw form! But it’s really the “secret ingredient” here, it’s got far more complex flavours than soy sauce and adds incredible depth of flavour in the chicken. And don’t worry, it doesn’t taste fishy once cooked!
This Vietnamese lemongrass marinade is truly incredible. Everybody raves about it!
Substitute for fish sauce?
If you’re allergic to fish sauce, or really can’t get your hands on it (but please try!!), then substitute the fish sauce with more soy sauce but be aware that your marinade will lack the complexity of flavour in real Vietnamese Lemongrass marinades.
Toppings and sauce
And here are the toppings for this Vietnamese Noodles bowl. Lots of fresh vegetables and herbs, and Nuoc Cham, the Vietnamese chilli garlic sauce that makes an appearance alongside everything in Vietnam (I exaggerate not!!).
Nuoc Cham is made with fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, chilli, sugar and lime juice. It’s got a wonderful balance of sweet/savoury and tang, and basically makes everything taste better – whether you drizzle or dunk things in it!
Feel free to switch up the fresh vegetables! Try snow peas, cabbage, capsicum/bell peppers and other crunchy fresh greens!
How to make it
The making part is very straight forward. You’ll see me cook the chicken on a grill in the video – Lemongrass Chicken is traditionally cooked over charcoal in Vietnam – but you can of course cook it on the stove or even in the oven or under the broiler!
This Vietnamese dish is healthy eating without compromise!
To me, these Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken is the epitome of healthy eating without compromise. Low in fat, lots of fresh salads brought to life with bright zingy flavours. The Nuoc Cham sauce has so much flavour, you can scoff down loads of the salad and go light on the chicken and noodles if you’re really wanting to cut down on the calories.
And one last tip – the marinated lemongrass chicken is perfect for popping in the freezer. So make a batch right now!! 🙂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Vietnamese Noodles with Lemongrass Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade
- 600 - 800g / 1.2 - 1.6lb chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless or breast (or pork, beef or any seafood)
- 1 stalk lemongrass , white part only, bruised them sliced into pieces easy to pick out later (Note 1)
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped or minced
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (all purpose or light, NOT dark soy)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Sauce)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce (Note 3)
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 1 red birds eye chilli , finely chopped (Note 4)
- 3 tbsp lime juice
Noodle Bowl
- 1/2 tbsp oil
- 200 g / 7 oz vermicelli noodles , dried
- 2 carrots , julienned
- 2 cucumbers , julienned (optional: remove seeds)
- 5 cups iceberg lettuce , finely sliced
- 3 cups bean sprouts
- Handful of mint leaves
- Handful of cilantro/coriander
- Sliced red chilli (for garnish - optional)
- Lime wedges (to serve - optional but recommended)
Instructions
Lemongrass Chicken
- Combine Chicken and Marinade ingredients and set aside for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours. (Note 4)
- Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a fry pan over medium heat (or heat the BBQ). Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off large bits of lemongrass (small bits should fall off during cooking).
- Place chicken in the pan and cook each side until dark golden brown and chicken is just cooked through - about 6 to 8 minutes in total.
- Remove from pan, shaking off any remaining bits of visible lemongrass and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into thin pieces.
Nuoc Cham Sauce
- Combine the Nuoc Cham ingredients and mix well to dissolve the sugar. Adjust to your taste (spiciness, lime, sweetness) and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
Assemble
- Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for 3 minutes (or according to packet instructions), then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the noodles from sticking together.
- Individual servings: Place noodles in bowl. Top with vegetables and herbs, and sliced chicken pieces. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham Sauce (be generous, ~ 4 tbsp per serving) and serve with lime wedges.
- DIY (my preferred way): Place chicken, vegetables, herbs, noodles and sauce in separate bowls / piled on platters. Then let everyone make their own bowls!
Recipe Notes:
- Make this kid friendly by just serving the chilli on the side.
- To make it GLUTEN FREE, ensure you use GF tamari.
- Sub the vegetables with other vegetables of choice eg. capsicum/bell peppers, snow peas (finely sliced)
Nutrition Information:
Originally published January 2017, updated October 2019 with a brand new spruced up video and new photos!
Get your Vietnamese food fix!
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Vietnamese Caramel Pork – another iconic Vietnamese food! Also see the Chicken version.
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Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls – the super quick version of the above
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Browse all Vietnamese recipes
And more of my favourite Asian Chicken marinades
All these are ideal for grilling but can also be cooked on the stove
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Real Teriyaki Chicken – on my mother’s Japanese recipe website, RecipeTin Japan. Crispy skin, no oil – way better than westernised versions!
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Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) – marinated in a fragrant Thai marinade
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Thai Coconut Chicken – added richness and flavour from a coconut marinade
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Asian Chicken – marinated in a great Asian marinade that’s sweet sand savoury
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Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings – use this marinade on breast and thighs!
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Chinese Chicken (Char Siu!) – Chinese BBQ chicken
Life of Dozer
Yes, that’s the tripod that holds my camera worth several thousand dollars…..don’t stand up Dozer!!!
Chris says
Are the noodles served cold ?
Nagi says
Hi Chris, yes they are, you cook them and rinse under cold water ❤️
Sumara says
Any instructions for baking the chicken with marinaded. Planning on making it with chicken breast. Love your recipes
Nagi says
Hi Sumara, I would pound the breast out to be no thicker then 1.5cm at the thickest part, cook in at oven at 425F/220C (standard) or 390F/200C (fan / convection) for around 18 minutes. I hope you love it!
Margot Tugwell says
Nagi – I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice now in the last few weeks – so fresh and healthy – it is now one of my firm favourites. Thanks SO much! Cheers Margot
Nagi says
PS Tried this with zero cal noodles yet??!! I can’t… I can’t!!! 😂
Nagi says
Greta Margot, that’s so good to hear!
Jan says
I made this yesterday and luckily there’s some left for my lunch today! It was delicious and even my son who never comments said so. Even though it’s winter here in England it was a fantastic meal. Thanks Nagi x
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Jan, thanks so much for letting me know ❤️
Becca says
Hi Nagi,
As I’m vegetarian I would need to sub out the fish sauce. I noticed that you said you just use soy sauce– in the marinade should you use 3 tbsp of soy sauce (the 2 tbsp sub and 1 tbsp called for), or would you reduce to just 2 as it can make a dish really salty.
I also noticed another comment using a soy sauce and teriyaki blend. What do you think is the best substitute?
Thanks!
Becca
Vanessa says
Vegan Fish Sauce
-2 tbsp tamari
-2 tbsp coconut sugar
-1/4 cup pineapple juice
-1/4 cup warm water
Whisk all ingredients together. I use this when making vegan Kimchi. Might work well with this dish. Going to try it out!
Nagi says
Hi Becca, It’s hard because fish sauce is key in Vietnamese cooking and there’s nothing quite like it. I have seen vegan fish sauce available (but I’ve never tried it) – N x
Becca says
Thanks for the speedy response! I use vegan Worcestershire sauce in any recipe that calls for it and no one has ever noticed a difference, so hopefully the vegan fish sauce will work the same (I suppose I’ll never really know though as I’ve never eaten actual fish sauce).
Thank you for all the AMAZING recipes Nagi! 🙂
Nagi says
That’s so great to hear!
Becca says
And I love that pic of Dozer! What a cutie! How did he manage to get under there without knocking it over? Such clever little creatures aren’t they?
Kim says
This marinade is to die for. Totally delicious and fresh summer dinner. One query, recipe for dipping sauce states white sugar but video states, and shows, brown.
Ree says
Is Rice Vinegar the same as Rice Wine Vinegar? Can you please show me which one you use? I cannot wait to make this.
Thank you! x
Nagi says
Hi Ree, yes thats the same! Any brand is fine to use ❤️
Ree says
Thanks so much. I thought so! 🙂
I am loving you’re Asian recipes. Makes me never want to buy a jar again. I always thought I had to get a lot of things from Asian grocers making it hard for me, but I was wrong. You make it so simple. Thank you!!
Nagi says
You can definitely make Asian food at home with minimal ingredients, once you start you won’t look back!!!
Zerika says
I tried making this for my family, a winner!! So tasty and refreshing!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you love it!
Niole says
Omg I tried this recipe! Perfect to a tea. Thanks for sharing
Nagi says
Awesome!!
Mim says
Thanks – great recipe! How long will the nuoc Cham keep in the fridge?
nick says
wow! just wanted to let you know how much fun i had making this meal. so delicious, my wife and i were so impressed! thanks so much!
Nagi says
That’s terrific to hear Nick! Glad you enjoyed this! N x
Lisa says
there is no sugar amount in the Nuoc Cham sauce…? But you mention it in the comments and also in the video ( show it being put in). Can you please confirm how much sugar ? Thank you 🙂
Nagi says
Hi Lisa! It’s the 3rd line under the Nuoc Cham 🙂 N x
Maryen says
How can I make this low sodium? Kind of don’t want to eat all my daily sodium in one meal.
Nagi says
Try halving the soy sauce and fish sauce. To be honest, the sodium in the nutrition will be far over because it adds up all the ingredients as is but it doesn’t take into account how much is actually absorbed into the chicken 🙂
Carly says
‘Packed with flavour!’ Was Mr Carnivore’s comment. 😄 He was genuinely impressed and pleased to have plenty left over for lunch too.
I made a vego version for me, with marinated tofu and a soy sauce/teriyaki dressing (fish sauce is too fishy for me).
Oh and we garnished with fried shallots and toasted slivered almonds. Yum!
Anne Marie says
Just made this for my parents and we loved it! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will definitely make this again.
Debbie says
I made the lemon grass chicken tonight with all the trimmings. Definitely a huge hit with the family. I cooked the marinated chicken breasts on the grill. Perfect! Will make this again and again!
Nagi says
Terrific to hear you enjoyed this!! Thanks Debbie! N x
Kerry Mooney says
Recipies look fantastic- excited to try them out with both chicken and shrimp
Nagi says
Hope you get a chance!
katherine says
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Katherine says
I had asked Nagi if it was okay to use lemongrass-turmeric paste and she assured me that would be fine. I made this recipe for my husband and daughter for lunch today. She has always rated my recipes with stars ever since she was able to make a star with a pencil. Today’s meal she rated 5 stars, her highest rating. Hubby added more red pepper and vinegar to his bowl, but claimed to be able to taste the fish sauce in the Nuoc Cham–daughter and I could not. We all loved this and it was really easy to make.
In addition to the use of lemongrass-turmeric paste I also used roasted garlic infused rice vinegar, since it was all I had on hand–worked fine. The only thing I would do differently is to break the rice noodles into smaller pieced before cooking. We used scissors to cut them as we drew them out of the serving bowl into our individual bowls. Also followed Nagi’s suggestion of using a platter for the ingredients with a bowl of noodles and a bowl of Nuoc Cham and ladle for a do it yourself plate. Yummmmmmy
Nagi says
Ohhh! Love hearing that! Means even more knowing it’s your daughters’ rating! N x
Lara says
It was such a pleasure to eat this, having marinated the chicken in the morning and made for dinner, it was like being in a Vietnamese restaurant, but not! 🙂 It made 4 generous portions (yay!)
The only hiccup was the chilly…. hubby said it was far too much. Next time I will de-seed them and it should be alright 🙂