Lemongrass Grilled Chicken
The secret to this chicken is the texture of the marinade. By pounding the lemongrass into a paste rather than just chopping it, you release the essential oils that would otherwise remain trapped in the woody stalks.
Control the fiber
Use only the bottom three inches of the lemongrass stalk; discard the dry, woody top. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, pulse the aromatics in a food processor until they reach a coarse, wet sand consistency.
- Mortar and pestle
- Large mixing bowl
- Gas or charcoal grill
- Tongs
What goes in.
- 2 lbchicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in
- 3 stalkslemongrass, trimmed to the white bulb and minced
- 4 clovesgarlic, peeled
- 2 tbspfish sauce
- 1 tbspbrown sugar
- 1 tbspshallot, minced
- 1/2 tspblack pepper, freshly cracked
Release the oils
Pound the garlic, shallot, and lemongrass together with the sugar until a fragrant, pulpy paste forms. This paste acts as a structural seasoning that clings to the chicken skin.
The method.
Prepare the marinade
Combine the lemongrass paste, fish sauce, brown sugar, and pepper in a bowl. Rub this mixture thoroughly under and over the skin of the chicken thighs.
Rest the meat
Cover and refrigerate for at least five hours. If you go longer than eight hours, the fish sauce will begin to cure the meat; five to six hours is the sweet spot.
Prep the grill
Prepare a two-zone fire. You want a hot direct-heat zone for marking and a cooler indirect zone for finishing.
Grill the chicken
Place chicken skin-side down over direct heat. Cook for 5 minutes until the skin turns deep mahogany. Flip and move to the cooler side of the grill, covering it to finish cooking through until the meat pulls away slightly from the bone, about 15-20 minutes.
Other turns to take.
Spicy Version
Add two bird's eye chilies to the mortar when pounding the lemongrass for a sharp, lingering heat.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Wipe away large clumps of charred lemongrass before serving if you prefer a cleaner look.
If the sugar in the marinade begins to burn too quickly, move the chicken to the cool zone sooner.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes off the grill before cutting to keep the juices contained.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use chicken breast instead?
You can, but reduce the cooking time significantly. Breast meat dries out faster and lacks the fat content needed to withstand the high heat of a grill.
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