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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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
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
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!!!
My son has a fish allergy- would it still taste ok without the fish sauce in the marinade? Would you substitute it with anything?
Hi Nagi, Thank you for giving us such a helpful, yummy recipes! I’d love to try Vietnamese Noodle Bowl, but can’t eat chicken(I’m vegan). Is there any suggestions that I can marinate and cook instead of chicken… May be Tofu or …Please give your advice. Thanks!
I checked this recipe and your shrimp version, and neither uses Basil as a topping. I’m just getting starting in Vietnamese cook, but I thought Basil was essential. Or is that just in Pho?
Hi Setsuko, tofu would be amazing here!
It doesn’t appear you cook your Nuac Chom sauce? I decided to bring mine to a boil, not sure if it made a different flavor, but I hate fish sauce raw. I absolutely loved this recipe and plan to make this a regular week night dinner. Thanks!
Hi Lola ,you can cook it if you prefer!
Looks delicious! Do you think it’d be possible to sub the noodles for zoodles? If so, would anything in the recipe change besides that swap?
Hi Alicia, noodles would be perfect here, no adjustments need to be made ❤️
Hi, love these recipe.
Can you tell me, how much is a cup in tablespoons?
In my country we have no cups.. :p
Hi Marv, 1 cup is 250ml or just over 16 tablespoons – N x
Perfection! Whole family loved it.
Wahoo, that’s so great Rachel!
Can i change the chicken with pork chops?
I tried with chicken and it was awesome. Just wondering if it would be same with pork.
I had in NZ before with pork chops instead
It would be amazing Saffiera!
I came back to this recipe and realized I didn’t comment the first time I made it.
It is refreshing and scrumptious. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re so welcome!!!
I think I’ve become too immersed in non-Asian lifestyle when I can’t remember that bean sprouts can be eaten raw 😉
Yum! I made this for the first time last night, and it was delicious!
Only substitute I needed to make was to use jarred stalks of lemongrass (couldn’t find fresh or crushed). Still, it came out great!
Thanks Nagi!
Hi Imogen, I love that stuff, always a great substitute!
I made the recipe last night and the family loved it so much and asked that I do it again tonight! We go to a Vietnamese restaurant nearby once a month which is excellent, but your recipe was actually better! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
That’s great Rock! Thanks so much!
I’ve made bun ga nuong with many different marinade recipes over the past few years, but I think this one is the keeper! Super easy and a delicious balance of flavors. My husband kept muttering “mm, wow” under his breath while we ate dinner.
That’s so great to hear Carly!
My goodness! My 15 year old son’s reaction to his first bite was “mmmm wwwooOW! What did you put in the chicken?!!” That made me feel so great.
Even my husband said “this is the only way to cook chicken….and your adobo” (which I treasure so, I’m Filipina). That should tell you how much we loved this marinade. Ha!
Really enjoyed the chicken although my sauce was too strong, one T to top my bowl was enough. 3 T was overwhelming with vinegar that I added…I must have goofed it somehow I don’t know but adding more veggies and rice noodles to my bowl fixed that. Lol.
I loved how the mountain of veggies on my platter leveled down when we were done and watching my son nibble on leftover carrots after 2 big helpings was priceless.
I already see this meal as a staple in our household and will serve as my contribution to future potlucks with family and friends….think I’lll be following your lead on that. 🙂
Thank u for a such a great recipe!
That’s wonderful to hear Dee! With the dressing – you could always add more water to dilute it so you could pour on more ❤️
Yes sure thing! No time to fry this time but marinated big chicken breasts (without lemongrass—store was out) baked 350 for 45 min, juicy and delicious!! Served w/steam jasmine rice and asian salad! Great busy weeknight dinner! Thanks again!
Wow. So delicious. Can’t wait for lunch tomorrow so we can finish the leftovers. Chicken thighs are a must to avoid dry meat. I’ll double the sauce next time, as well. This dish is a winner!
I’m so happy you love it! Yes I definitely prefer to use thighs here ☺️
made this last night and it was amazing. Will definitely make it again and again and again. It was better than our local Vietnamese restaurant.
Woah what a compliment! Thanks so much!!!
I love this recipe. We cook it all the time. I want to try it with shrimp rather than chicken. How long would you marinate and would you change anything to work better with shrimp?
Hi Anna, I’d marinade the shrimp for 30 minutes prior to cooking, it will be fabulous!
This recipe sounds delicious! Can’t wait to make it—however, I have family members that for health reasons, need a low sodium diet. Any suggestions as to how to make this dish less salty? I couldn’t think of any ways, except to just use a smaller portion of the fish sauce. Thank you!
Hi Nicole, you can use low sodium soy and adjust the fish sauce – N x
Hey Nagi!
I love making this. P.S. I was gloating about this to a Vietnamese friend, and he said that Bun Bo Xao is Stir-Fried BEEF noodle. Apparently for chicken it’s Bun Ga Xao… Ga being chicken 😛
Learned something today! 🙂
Hi Tina, yes Ga for chicken – this one is Bun Ga Nuong! I’m so glad you love this one!
Hi Nagi,
great recipes, I see in this comment and in the video title you say Bun Ga Xao but in the title it’s Bun Ga Nuong, is there a difference between the two, I’ve made Bun Bo Xao and the ingredients are similar. Thanks
Xao is more for frying or stir-frying, whereas nuong is grilling. So it’s chicken that’s either stir-fried or grilled depending on which word is used. 🙂
What an awesome recipe. I was delicious. You even went to the trouble to explain these ingredients. Thank you.
I’m so happy you loved it Sandy!!
One try of the lemongrass chicken recipe makes one fall in love with the simplicity of Vietnamese cooking.
Really appreciate your sharing of the recipe！The flavours achieved are unbeatable!
Just perfect Nagi. We made it this evening and prepared the chicken with your Chinese restaurant velveting technique.
It brought normally tough and dry chicken breasts to a whole new level!
I spent some time in Melbourne and all the flavours really brought back memories of classic Vietnamese dishes that I grew up with. 5 stars!
Hi there I really need some help here I really want to make this chicken in bulk is there any chance i can cook up the chicken then freeze it in portion sizes please.