One of our restaurant’s best selling dishes, this Thai Coconut Chicken is redolent with the tastes and smells of a tropical island. Creamy coconut milk, a blast of citrus from lemongrass, and juicy chicken make this an incredibly satisfying dish. And it’s so quick! Served over rice to soak up the rich sauce, it’s a complete meal. Try it tonight and shake up your chicken routine!

Coconut Sauce

The real star of this chicken is the coconutty sauce. People always tell me they could just drink it straight. And with only 4 ingredients, it couldn’t be easier to make. Kaffir lime leaves add authentic Thai flavor, and the fish sauce gives it a hint of funky complexity.

Combine the leaves, coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Chicken Thighs

At the restaurant, we use chicken breast, but I really prefer to use chicken thighs for this dish. They have more flavor that really stands up to the rich sauce. And even if you let them braise a few minutes longer, they are still going to be moist and flavorful. I cut each thigh into 3 long strips, and then cuts those strips into generous bite sized pieces.

The dried chilis mostly add a pop of color; this is not a spicy dish. But you might want to warn people they are in there and not to bite into them if they don’t love spicy food.

At this point, the sauce has thickened to a velvety creaminess. I serve this family style, with rice, and let people help themselves. (If you are carb watching, it is also fabulous over cauliflower rice.) This Thai Coconut Chicken has been thrilling customers for 20 years. Make it tonight and enjoy a Thai feast. Extra points if you serve it with Lychee Mai Tais.

Please take a moment to rate this recipe and leave a comment below, we love hearing from you!  You can also tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen.

Thai Coconut Chicken

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• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 Minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: serves 4
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Thai

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Ingredients

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Sauce:

• 1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 ½ Tablespoons fish sauce
• 3–4 kaffir lime leaves

Chicken:

• 1 ½ lbs chicken thighs
• ½ large onion
• 3–4 dried chilies (this is mostly for color)
• 3 oz spinach
• 2 Tablespoons chopped lemongrass
• 1 Tablespoon neutral oil

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Instructions

1. Make the sauce: Strip the hard stem off the back of the kaffir lime leaves. Stack the leaves and cut into thin strips. Then mince the leaves by moving your knife back and forth through the pile. Combine the kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, sugar, and fish in a cup. Stir to combine, making sure to dissolve the sugar. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Cut the onion in half (so the pieces will not be so long) and then slice across the onion into thin ⅛ inch pieces. Set aside. 
3. Cut the chicken thighs into 3 pieces and then cut across the pieces to create large 1 inch pieces. Set aside.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil, swirl it in the pan and then add the chicken in one layer. Let the chicken cook untouched for 1-2 minutes and then stir fry it for another minute.
5. Add the onion and stir fry for another 2 minutes until the onion starts to become translucent. Add the lemongrass and stir to combine.
6. Add the sauce and bring the mixture to a simmer. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, and letting the sauce reduce.
7. Add the spinach to the pan and cook for another minute so the spinach wilts. 
8. Take the pan off the heat and pour into a shallow bowl. Serve immediately. 

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My name is Kazu and I’m a noodleholic. I could seriously eat them every day and I’m always looking for ways to incorporate them into meals because they are such crowd pleasers. Best of all, Asian noodles are often gluten free and quick cooking, and the fresh rice noodles I use in these Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls are both.

These bowls are so fresh and citrusy my whole family loves them. They have a great South East Asian flavor from both the lemongrass used in the chicken marinade, and the nuoc cham sauce, which is bright and vibrant. And with chicken, veggies, herbs, and noodles all bathed in a delicious sauce, what’s not to love?

I know you’ll love this combination of flavors but if you don’t have exactly the same ingredients, don’t let that stop you. Have some rotisserie chicken or leftover steak hanging out in the fridge? Put it to good use here by swapping it for the lemongrass chicken! And if you don’t have the veggies listed, improvise. Some crunchy fresh texture is what we want. So a couple of substitutions that work include radishes, celery, or snap peas. And if you don’t have mint or cilantro, basil, culantro, or parsley will work in a pinch.

Marinate First

The key to my Lemongrass Chicken Noodle bowls is the marinade. Just a few pantry ingredients like oyster sauce and fish sauce make for really juicy and delicious chicken. And the lemongrass adds so much intense citrus flavor. I always have a tub of frozen minced lemongrass on hand, and if you do too, just scoop out a couple of tablespoons to throw into the marinade. If you are using fresh lemongrass however, you will need to peel the outer leaves, discard the top, and mince the bottom bulb part of the stalk.

Once the lemongrass is prepped, the marinade comes together very quickly. I prefer using chicken thighs for this, and marinating them overnight. But feel free to substitute chicken breasts if you like. By marinating them, the chicken really has the chance to soak up the delicious flavors and cook up tender and juicy. Plus that divides the prep between two days. Zip top bags are really convenient for marinating, and mess free. If I am marinating overnight, in the morning, I flip the bag over to make sure all of the chicken soaks. And make sure to squeeze out all of the air from the bag.

Let’s Get Cooking!

I like to use the broiler when I make these Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls. The chicken cooks super quickly, and gets tasty little charred bits on it. Just don’t forget it’s in there. Otherwise you will have burnt chicken and an enormously smoky kitchen. Use a timer if you know you might walk away and totally forget you have chicken broiling in the oven. (Not that I would EVER do such a thing…)  Broil on both sides until cooked through, let cool, and then slice into bite size strips.

This Noodle Cooks Up Quick

While the chicken is cooking, get the noodles and other fillings prepped. You can use any kind of rice noodle for this dish (fresh, frozen, or dried), but I think the thinner ones are best because the toppings are light and fresh, which call out for an equally light noodle. The noodle I’m using today is often used in pho and is found in the refrigerated or freezer section. If they are frozen, leave them in the fridge to defrost overnight or leave out for an hour on the kitchen counter. These fresh noodles need just a couple of minutes in boiling water to cook. Then rinse under cool water and set aside in a colander to drain.

Now it’s time to prep the veggies and herbs. First julienne the carrots and the cucumbers. This is best done with a sharp knife. (Become a subscriber and get my tutorial on how to properly sharpen your knives!)  Julienned veggies will look really pretty in your bowl!

Nuoc Cham

Nuoc Cham adds delicious zesty flavor to everything it touches. It’s so easy to make too. Squeeze some limes, mince some garlic, chop up a small chili, and then stir it all up with the remaining ingredients. Love this zesty sauce as much as I do? Try it here, here, and here!)

Assemble The Bowls!

Now that the chicken is cooked, noodles are softened, the nuoc cham is ready, and the veggies have been prepped, it’s time to put it all together. You can divide up the noodles and top all of the bowls yourself  or let everyone make their own bowls, so they get exactly what they want. These noodle bowls are fun to assemble and even more fun to eat!

Just can’t get enough noodles? Try my Sukiyaki Noodles, Mushroom Japchae, Vietnamese Pho, and Coconut Curry Noodles!

My lemongrass chicken noodle bowls are so fresh and delicious and easy that I know you are going to love them. If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and tag @funkyasiankitchen in your beautiful instagram pics. Show us the goods!

Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowl

★★★★ 4 from 38 reviews

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus marinating time)
• Cook Time: 15 Minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: serves 4
• Category: bowls
• Cuisine: Pan-Asian

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Description

Bright, refreshing, herby noodle bowl!

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Ingredients

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Marinated Chicken:

• 1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• 1 stalk lemongrass, outer leaves peeled, top portion discarded, and minced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil

Nuoc Cham Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 or 2 small chiles chopped (optional)

To Serve:

• 12 oz thin fresh rice noodles
• ½ head of romaine lettuce, cut in half lengthwise, and then sliced 
• 2 handfuls of bean sprouts, about 2 cups
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 european cucumber, seeded, and julienned
• ½ red onion, cut in half and then thinly sliced
• Handful of cilantro leaves
• Handful of mint leaves
• Lime wedges
• Sliced red chiles

Optional Toppings:

• Fried Shallots
• Chili Sauce (such as sriracha)

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Instructions

Make the Nuoc Cham:

1. Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, water, garlic, and chile if using. Mix until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Marinate and cook chicken:

1. Combine lemongrass, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, oyster sauce, light brown sugar, and oil. Stir together.
2. Put the chicken in a bowl or a plastic zipping bag and pour the marinade on top. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.

To Prepare:

1. Heat the broiler on high and place the oven rack about 6 inches from the top.
2. Take the chicken and lay it on a baking tray. (You can line the tray with foil to help with cleanup). Place the chicken on the rack and cook for 7-8 mins.
3. As different broilers cook at varying strengths, keep an eye on your chicken and either lower the heat or move the chicken further away from the heating element if you see the chicken starting to char too quickly.
4. Flip the chicken and continue to cook for an additional 7-8 mins. Let cool slightly and then cut into bite sized strips 
5. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the noodles and stir with tongs or chopsticks and cook for 1-2 minutes until chewy and soft. Then drain in a colander under running water to cool. Set aside to drain off all water.
6. Assemble the bowls: Divide the noodles and place into large bowls. Top with the chicken and add a little lettuce, beansprouts, carrots, cucumber, and red onion to the bowls. Garnish with the cilantro, mint, and a wedge of lime, and a sprinkle of red chiles. Serve with the sauce on the side for people to help themselves.

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Notes

* You can use any type of rice noodle or mung bean noodle you have on hand. Follow the package instructions for cooking time.

Keywords: noodles, bowls, lemongrass chicken, nuoc cham,