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:
it’s cheap and simple to make
can be fully prepared ahead (including the noodles and chopping the vegetables)
it’s gluten free (cater for dietary requirements)
healthy
versatile – use the same marinade for tofu, prawns/shrimp, fish, other meats
easy to serve a crowd – chicken can be cooked in large batches on the BBQ, or even baked
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!
Vietnamese Caramel Pork – another iconic Vietnamese food! Also see the Chicken version.
Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Bowls – the super quick version of the above
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And more of my favourite Asian Chicken marinades
All these are ideal for grilling but can also be cooked on the stove
Real Teriyaki Chicken – on my mother’s Japanese recipe website, RecipeTin Japan. Crispy skin, no oil – way better than westernised versions!
Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) – marinated in a fragrant Thai marinade
Thai Coconut Chicken – added richness and flavour from a coconut marinade
Asian Chicken – marinated in a great Asian marinade that’s sweet sand savoury
Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings – use this marinade on breast and thighs!
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!!!
I love this! Have made it many times, my only change (other than I may add some daikon radish and peanuts and use spaghettini pasta, it holds up better than vermicelli (or what we have here which are ramen noodles) is LESS fish sauce for the nuoc cham… I’ve read your other recipes using nuoc cham and they all use less… I’ve toned it down a bit.
Why did I wait so long to try this!? Super easy to just throw in the fridge to marinade. Comes together so quickly, perfect for weeknight. Cooked on the Weber Q. This would be perfect to throw together for a large group and build your own bowls. *Chef kiss*
I love this… I have been making it for years but with less fish sauce in the nuoc cham… and I use italian spaghettini as it seems to hold up better…. boy was I happy to see Nagi on Australian Masterchef… I’m an American in the Netherlands and a huge fan.
Just perfect. My best friend’s mom is from Vietnam and your Nuoc Cham is just like hers! We’ve been going low carb but I serve this with lettuce cups to make wraps. I add red bell pepper to the veggie plate as well. So delicious
Made this exactly as written apart from that I baking the chicken as per your Vietnamese Baked Chicken recipe in the Dinner recipe book. I also used the lemongrass paste sub because it’s way easier 🙂 hubby and I loved this (especially me). Healthy and delicious, and a really nice meal for summer
Just finished this dish. It was amazing!! Thank you for my new favorite meal!
This recipe is so bomb. I went all out the first time I made it, but we’ve since also improvised – especially with the veggies. We’ve done just broccoli, roasted carrots, I think we may have even done green beans since those are more commonly found in our standard groceries. I’ve also had to improvise a lot because lemongrass is weirdly difficult to find near me – it’s either unavailable or sold out every time I look. I’ve found using lemon zest works just fine – that chicken marinade is still so incredible. I also have become obsessed with chicken thighs – I’d underestimated them and now ADORE using them. I’m writing this one down to make sure I have a copy on hand. Thank you so much for this recipe – it’s absolutely delectable.
Have you considered growing your own lemongrass in a pot, at home? it’s so easy to grow and requires very little attention.
Sensational! Will make on repeat, Nagi you’ve done it again.
So delicious ! Finally got around to making this recipe and we couldn’t have been happier ! Definitely going to be our go to meal!
Another excellent recipe! It was simple, frugal, and very tasty, and it was a very light meal, so it was terrific for summer. Another poster said they added ginger which is a suggestion I love – I’ll have to try that!
Can I sub frozen lemongrass? And how much would I use?
Vegetarians: Last night for vegetarian guests I thick cut firm tofu and marinated it in exactly the same way for 24 hours (but with vegetarian fish sauce) and it worked very well.
I’ve made this many times and it’s always outstanding. Again last night for 14 people.
The one note I have – which has been true each time – is that you only need about a quarter to half the amount of cucumber, carrot and lettuce (last night I prepared half the stated quantity and had about half of that left over).
This lemongrass Vietnamese chicken was delicious. I used tenderloins instead of thighs (fussy eaters), added ginger to the marinade and sauce. Delicious and tasty. Btw we have just recently returned from Vietnam!😊
Dang gal, this is so dank, my family went crazy over it! My five year old was like, “OMG! I love this!” I got like ten high fives for it.
Pretty much followed the recipe to the letter. I did a double batch of chicken and put half in the freezer.
In my opinion, this is one of the world’s best salads and this version was no exception. Thanks for giving such great instructions so I can have this delight at home.
I haven’t had any misses from your site. Keep up the good work!
Long-time lurker and cooked a lot of your meals, every one a sensation! This is my first time leaving a comment lol
Great recipe, super tasty. I did make some adjustments to the sauce for anyone else looking for a slightly different flavour profile – some lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil, which made it a little bit of a different kind of yummy!
Made this tonight. Lovely. However, vermicelli was still al dente despite following a combination of RTE instructions and those on the pack. Will use hotter water next time!!
Love this recipe. Have made it so many times for the pickiest of eaters and it has always been a hit.
As it is 42deg here in Perth, I was looking for a fresh, light and tasty meal, which could be made ahead of time. Once again, a delicious and very tasty recipe from Nagi
A solid 9/10 from our little fam 🙂
A delicious, simple healthy and tasty meal. I love that I can just cook the chicken and noodles then let everyone assemble a bowl with the combinations and amounts of their choosing. An easy family friendly meal, thanks Nagi.