Description

🔥🍗 Satisfy your cravings with Grilled Vietnamese Chicken—a savory, aromatic masterpiece! 🌿✨ With a perfect balance of spices and a smoky char, this dish will transport your taste buds straight to Vietnam. Great for dinner or a BBQ, it’s a flavorful delight you won’t forget! 🌶️🍽️

#VietnameseChicken #GrilledPerfection #AromaticEats #FlavorsOfVietnam #GrilledGoodness #SavoryDelight #ChickenRecipe #FlavorJourney #BBQSeason #DeliciousMeals 🍗🔥

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chicken:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
Garnish (optional): 2-3 green onions

For the Vietnamese Chicken Marinade:

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 small lime)
1 1/2 tablespoons neutral or vegetable oil (vegetable, canola, or olive oil—but not extra virgin)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium is fine)
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce (Note 1)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 garlic cloves)
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (or more if desired) (or a pinch of ground ginger)
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (medium to medium-mild heat)
1 tablespoon cilantro (and more for garnish if desired)

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Instructions

1. Prepare the Chicken

Begin by trimming any large pieces of fat from the chicken. You don’t need to worry about smaller bits, as they’ll cook off during grilling.
Next, pound the chicken to an even thickness. This helps ensure the chicken cooks evenly, preventing some parts from being overcooked while others remain undercooked. You can use the bottom of a pot or the heel of your hand to gently pound the meat to an even thickness.

2. Marinate the Chicken

In a ziplock bag or a sealed container, combine all the marinade ingredients. Add the lime juice, oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, red chili flakes, and cilantro. Seal the bag or container and give it a good squish or shake to mix everything together.
Place the chicken in the marinade. Seal the bag or container tightly, ensuring the chicken is well-coated with the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or for even deeper flavor, marinate it overnight in the fridge.

3. Preheat the Grill

Heat your grill to medium-high. While it’s heating, lightly oil the grill grates by either using a paper towel dipped in oil or spraying them with a cooking spray. This will help prevent the chicken from sticking and ensure a nice, charred finish.

4. Grill the Chicken

Once the grill is hot, remove the chicken from the marinade (but save the marinade if you want to make a sauce later—see Note 2).
If you’re using low-sodium soy sauce, lightly sprinkle the chicken with salt to balance the flavors. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. For best results, use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature—it should read 160°F (71°C) when the chicken is fully cooked.
If you’re using green onions as a garnish, add them to the grill during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. This gives them a chance to soften and caramelize slightly.

5. Rest and Serve

Once the chicken has finished grilling, transfer it to a plate and cover it loosely with foil. Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes. This step is crucial as it allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, ensuring a juicy bite.
After resting, slice the chicken into strips or serve it whole. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and green onions if desired.

Notes

Substituting Ingredients: If you’re out of fish sauce, you can substitute it with a splash of Worcestershire sauce or even a bit of soy sauce. While the flavor won’t be quite the same, it will still provide the umami depth that fish sauce brings to the dish.
Adjusting the Heat: The red chili flakes add a nice amount of heat to the dish, but you can adjust the spiciness according to your preference. For a milder version, use a pinch of chili flakes or omit them entirely. On the other hand, if you love spice, feel free to add more.
Chicken Alternatives: While chicken thighs are ideal for grilling due to their tenderness and juiciness, you can also use chicken breasts. If using breasts, consider pounding them to an even thickness to prevent drying out during cooking.
For a Smokier Flavor: If you want to add a smoky flavor to your chicken, you can try using a charcoal grill or even a smoker. The wood smoke will enhance the depth of the dish and create an even more aromatic experience.
Make a Sauce: If you’d like a sauce to go with the grilled chicken, you can simmer the leftover marinade in a small saucepan over medium heat for a few minutes to cook off any raw garlic and ginger. This will create a flavorful sauce to drizzle over the chicken.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes