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.
