Chicken With Lemongrass And ALL The Flavor
Lemongrass is the subtle flavor that ties this dish together. A chicken breast is simmered with lemongrass, ginger and garlic before it’s shredded for the salad. Sliced lemongrass, fish sauce, lime juice, and brown sugar are cooked together to make a savory-sweet dressing. This can be a light meal on its own, or served as part of a larger table set with Cilantro Lime Rice, Sticky Shrimp Lettuce Wraps, Tofu Lettuce Wraps, and Chicken Satay.
What Is Lemongrass Chicken?
Lemongrass chicken is a signature Vietnamese dish that we love for its range of flavors. Lemongrass is a fragrant and citrusy herb used commonly throughout the cuisines of Southeast Asian countries, and lends a light lemon and pepper scent to whatever it’s paired with. The unique flavor of lemongrass goes well with the garlic-cilantro-lime dressing we toss with the shredded chicken and cucumber and tomato salad.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Chicken With Lemongrass
Lemongrass – When you’re shopping for lemongrass, buy stalks that are nice and firm and bright green.
Fresh ginger – Or at least the fresh ginger that you have in the freezer for times like this when you need it!!
The best herbs for salads – Basil, mint, and cilantro and lots of it. We’re calling for a half cup of each, so you’re probably going to have some stuck in your teeth after you eat this.
Cherry tomatoes – These little guys are great for salads, because they don’t lose too much water and retain their shape well.
Persian cucumbers – Seedless and tender, you can use a regular cucumber if that’s what you have on hand, but the Persian cucumber is more delicate and blends well with the other ingredients.
Fried Shallots – We like to make our own Fried Shallots, but store bought ones are also great.
How to Make Lemongrass Chicken Herb Salad
Make the chicken. Simmer the chicken with lemongrass, ginger, salt, peppercorns, and garlic.
Cook the green beans. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the green beans to cook them briefly. They will be bright green, and cooked but still crunchy.
Make the dressing. In a small saucepan, combine the lemongrass, green onions, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, red pepper flakes, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved, about one minute.
Shred the chicken. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Make the fresh herb salad. Add the shredded chicken, cilantro, mint, basil, tomatoes, and cucumbers to the bowl with the green beans.
Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
Serve! Divide between two bowls and top with fried shallots.
How to Store Lemongrass Chicken Herb Salad + Tips
Substitutions: This salad would be delicious with many other proteins. You could easily substitute ground pork, rotisserie chicken, or Grilled Chicken Thighs!
What if I don’t like fish sauce? Fish sauce has a strong flavor, but when balanced with the acid of the lime juice and the caramelized sweetness of the brown sugar, we think it’s almost drinkable! If fish sauce is still not your flavor, the Scallion Dressing we serve over our lemongrass chicken thighs would also pair nicely with this salad.
Make ahead! Prep your herbs and fixings. Make your chicken. Make the dressing. When ready to devour, toss it all together! The components can all be prepped up to two days ahead!
Storage: The shredded chicken can be frozen for up to three months in an airtight container. The salad is pretty juicy and should be eaten within a couple of days of preparation.
More Great Recipes With Lemongrass
Lighten Up With Lemongrass
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