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!!!
Holly says
This recipe was amazing, I have made it several times just grilling the chicken in the wok.
Having moved from a metro city to rural mountains, I really missed various cuisines and this really hit the spot! Honestly restaurant quality and amazing macros – yum thank you so much!
Karen S says
This was so delicious, fresh and clean. I substituted rice wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar as that was in my pantry and it was a hit with my family. I used a packet of spinach and rocket as my greens and it worked well with it too.
Zeenat says
Made this tonight and oh my goodness flavour explosion. This us definitely my new best favourite go to meal.
I marinated the chicken for 24 hrs and it was amazing.
Siobhan Hamid says
Haven’t made this yet but it’s definitely on my list. This is right up my street, flavoursome and can prepare in advance
Jacky says
We use this marinade on chicken breasts and then use them for absolutely delicious Banh Mi!
Shawnte says
I make this about once a month my family loves it! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Emily says
Unreal recipe. My family absolutely loved it! I julienned a red pepper and marinated/pan seared with the chicken, as well as adding power greens to incorporate more veggies.
Chrissy says
It was better than any restaurant I’ve had in a long while!! So fresh and tasty!!
T says
Beautiful clean flavours. Loved it!!
Cadie Sonnier says
I’m so glad that you shared this recipe. I’m making it for my family and we all love eating at our favorite Vietamese Family restaurant.
But, now I can make this dish at home. I’m very thankful.
Wendy Dunn says
Made this for the first time tonight after trying a noodle salad at our new local Vietnamese takeaway(I live in rural WA). I must admit that I wasn’t sure until I tasted it all together – this was amazing & so light! The family all loved it too. Definitely adding it to my spring/summer menu!
Khan says
a very well-done recipe. Thank you
Irenr says
Can i use lemon instead of lime? That’s what i have at the moment. Thanks.
Brittany says
Just made and this recipe is fabulous! We cooked 10 thighs thinking we would have leftovers but we wound up eating them all in one sitting! 😆
Nagi, sometimes your recipes are a little *too* good!
Cari Ann Bird says
Even better than our beloved local Vietnamese restaurant!! This will be on repeat all summer. Your recipes are always amazing, every single meal becomes a new favorite.
Grace says
Hi Nagi. You mention freezing the chicken. I am having surgery and want to have a heap of this delicious chicken in the freezer to pull out and add to freshly made noodle salad. Should I freeze the chicken as cooked, freeze it raw with marinade around it or just defrost raw chicken pieces in the marinade and then cook at time of eating?
holli palmer says
This was soooo good. I will definitely be adding this to my “go to” recipe list.
Amber says
Hello- we absolutely LOVE your Vietnamese lemongrass chicken bowl recipe!! I’m taking a beach trip with friends and was wondering if I can marinate the chicken and freeze ahead of time it or will the lime in the marinade make the chicken texture “off” ? I know it does this sitting in the fridge to long but will the freezer stop the process? Or is it best to just bring the marinade separately and add the day before making it ? Thank you so much for your wonderfully delicious recipe!!!
Nagi says
I would bring it separately and make it the day before – Vietnamese marinades can lose some of their bright flavour in the freezer! N x
Judy says
Thank you Nagi for another amazing recipe. Thumbs up all round.
Nagi says
I’m so glad you liked it Judy! N x
Lily says
This recipe is so easy and tasty! I’ve made it twice in a week. The trick is to get lemongrass paste. Highly recommend that you try this.
Nagi says
Woo hoo!!! I am glad you liked it Lily!! N x
Kate says
This recipe is absolutely fantastic. Due to what’s in stock at my local grocery store I don’t use lemongrass or chili, and I substitute the fish sauce for oyster sauce. Still tastes banging. Also I don’t use mint leaves because of personal preference, but still tastes good with. Also sometimes I’ll sprinkle crushed peanuts on top like what a local vietnamese restaurant does. I’ve made this recipe several times and it tastes amazing and it’s so healthy. I like to eat it when I’m feeling a little under the weather, it is the perfect pick me up!