Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Thighs
🇻🇳 Vietnam
Ingredients
- 4 lemongrass stalks, bottom third only, cut into 1" pieces
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/3 cup fish sauce
- 1-2 serrano chiles
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal, or 1 3/4 tsp Morton)
- Vegetable oil, for grill
- Zest and juice of 2 large limes
- 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar, or more to taste
- 1 mini seedless cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, tough stems removed, chopped
- Cooked rice noodles, steamed rice, or grilled bread, for serving (optional)
Steps
- Blend lemongrass, garlic, vinegar, fish sauce, and serrano chiles until a fine purée forms, about 1 minute.
- Strain purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Set aside 1/4 cup of the purée for the dressing.
- Add chicken thighs and salt to the remaining purée; massage until salt dissolves. Cover and marinate at least 20 minutes, up to 12 hours (refrigerate if longer than 30 minutes).
- Prepare a grill for high indirect heat and oil the grate.
- Remove chicken from marinade and grill over direct heat, moving to indirect heat if browning too fast, turning halfway, until cooked through and browned, 8-12 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to a wire rack over a baking sheet and let rest 10 minutes.
- Whisk lime zest, lime juice, and sugar into the reserved 1/4 cup lemongrass purée to make a dressing; adjust sugar to taste.
- Arrange chicken on a platter, pour dressing over top, and scatter cucumber matchsticks and cilantro over it.
- Serve with rice noodles, steamed rice, or grilled bread if desired.
Source: www.epicurious.com