Gà Xào Sả Ớt (Spicy Lemongrass Chicken)

Gà Xào Sả Ớt is a quick and easy Spicy Lemongrass Chicken that’s perfect for a midweek dinner! It’s an incredible emergency meal – simply marinate then stir fry – and you’ll be blown away by the exceptional flavor. The best part is it pairs well with just about anything!

For a vegetarian version, try Mum’s Easy Lemongrass Tofu!

Effortless without compromising on flavor

This Gà Xào Sả Ớt recipe is the Spicy Lemongrass Chicken recipe that everyone needs in their back pocket. If you want something super quick and outright sensational, you’ve found it right here!

There is nothing more satisfying than throwing marinated meat on the wok, hearing it sizzle and KNOWING that the end result will be a plate of gorgeously golden wings smothered in a spicy lemongrass coating.

And if you leave it on the heat for just a tad longer, you’ll be rewarded with beautifully charred bits that taste like pure flavor bombs.

That’s not even the end of it! Take a bite into the wings to experience tumeric absorbed deeply into the juiciest, most tender chicken you can dream of.

Have it in a noodle salad, with rice or just on its own and it will taste phenomenal!

Why this recipe works

• Marinating the meat in all the spices and aromatics ensures the seasoning penetrates deeply into the meat.
• Blitzing lemongrass at home means the dish is coated in the freshest flavor.
• Using tumeric powder gives the dish a beautiful golden color and earthy essence.

What you’ll need

About the meat

We used wings for this recipe, but you can substitute it for any other cut or any other protein including beef, pork or tofu.

How to make this recipe

Cut the lemongrass into 1cm (0.4″) segments and use a food processor to blitz everything until fine. Alternatively, use a knife to finely chop them.

Set aside 1/2 US cup of lemongrass then marinate the wings in tumeric powder, salt, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, fish sauce, garlic, red shallot and the remaining lemongrass for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Add oil to a heated wok on medium heat and brown the lemongrass and chili for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Turn the heat up to high and pour the marinated wings in to fry for 15 minutes or until cooked. Lower the heat to low-medium and let it simmer with the lid partially on for another 15 minutes or until tender.

Tip: Stir the contents every 5 minutes so all the sides are evenly cooked.

Serve immediately as is with a bowl of hot rice or noodles!

FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Marinate the chicken overnight. This is a tried-and-true technique for the seasoning to seep right through to the center of the meat.
• Use fresh aromatics. Frozen lemongrass is fairly easy to come by if you shop at Asian groceries, but nothing beats freshly chopped aromatics!
• Opt for fattier cuts. Cooking with fattier pieces means the heat will render the fat into juices, which keeps your chicken moist and flavorful.

Easy meals to serve this dish with!

• Begin your meal with a make-ahead Chao Tom (Sugar Cane Shrimp) that can be kept in the freezer until ready to fry.
• Give everything a spicy kick using our Sa Tế (Vietnamese Lemongrass Chili Sauce).
• Pair everything with some moist and simple Vietnamese Steamed Egg Meatloaf (Chả Trứng Hấp) that can be easily made in one dish then steamed.
• Balance everything out with a quick and incredibly fresh Vietnamese Beef Salad drizzled in a Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Mắm).
• Bring the dishes together with a healthy and light Stuffed Bittermelon Soup (Canh Khổ Qua).
• Finish it off with a refreshing Kem Chuối (Vietnamese Banana and Coconut Ice Cream)!

Want more home cooked recipes?

Subscribe to our email list and be the first to get recipe updates as soon as they’re posted. You can also follow Wok & Kin on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!

Join the family!