Lemongrass Chili Chicken Rice Bowls

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Boneless chicken thighs get chopped into bite-size pieces and marinated in a fragrant paste of minced lemongrass, fish sauce, garlic, shallot and fresh chili, then seared hard in a hot skillet until the edges caramelize and the marinade turns into a glossy, salty-sweet glaze. It's the Vietnamese home-cooking classic you'll find on neighborhood restaurant menus, built for a weeknight: the marinade keeps three days in the fridge, and dinner comes together in the time it takes rice to steam.

Ingredients

• 3 stalks fresh lemongrass
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 medium shallot, peeled and quartered
• 2 red Thai bird chilies, stemmed (or 1 tbsp sambal oelek)
• 2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed

• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, for searing
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 lime, for squeezing

• 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, loosely packed
• 1 small Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Prep the lemongrass: trim the dry tops and root ends from each stalk, peel away the tough outer 2–3 layers until you reach the pale, tender core, then slice the bottom 5–6 inches into very thin coins. You should have about 1/2 cup. Discard any woody pieces that won't slice easily.
2. Make the marinade: put the sliced lemongrass, garlic, shallot and chilies in a small food processor and pulse 20–30 times, scraping down the sides, until finely minced and almost pasty. (No processor? Mince everything by hand as finely as you can — the lemongrass must be nearly powder-fine or it will be stringy.) Transfer to a bowl and stir in the fish sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, turmeric, black pepper and 1 tablespoon oil.
3. Cut the chicken thighs into 1 1/2-inch bite-size pieces, trimming any large pockets of fat. Combine with the marinade in a bowl or zip-top bag, massaging to coat every piece. Marinate at room temperature 20 minutes, or refrigerate up to 3 days — the flavor deepens noticeably after 12 hours.
4. While the chicken marinates, rinse the jasmine rice in cool water until the water runs mostly clear. Cook with 2 1/4 cups water in a rice cooker, or bring to a boil in a covered saucepan, reduce to the lowest heat, and steam 15 minutes, then rest off heat 10 minutes before fluffing.
5. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy stainless skillet over high heat for 2 minutes, until a drop of water skitters. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl. Add the chicken in a single layer, shaking off excess marinade back into the bowl (reserve it). Work in two batches if the pieces are crowded.
6. Sear undisturbed for 3 minutes, until the undersides are deeply browned and the sugars in the marinade have caramelized. Flip the pieces and sear 2 to 3 minutes more. The lemongrass bits will darken and smell toasty — that's the flavor you want, but if they threaten to burn, drop the heat to medium-high.
7. Add the onion wedges and the reserved marinade along with 1 tablespoon water. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the browned bits off the pan bottom, until the onion is crisp-tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick glaze that clings to the chicken. Chicken should register 175°F on an instant-read thermometer.
8. Kill the heat, squeeze over the lime half, and taste — add a splash more fish sauce if it needs salt. Divide the rice among four bowls, spoon the chicken and all the pan glaze over the top, and finish with scallions, cilantro, cucumber slices and peanuts.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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