Meow Recipes: Lemongrass Chicken with Rice and Zucchini

Lemongrass chicken with rice and zucchini in a bowl with fresh herbs.

Hello and happy flavor day to you! Because this right here is a flavor all-star.

This recipe involves tender chicken (thighs, please!) sautéed and then simmered in an OMG creamy-coconut-lemongrass-flavor-packed sauce, with steamy jasmine rice, and fresh herbs, and some veggies on the side if you want.

And all I have to say is big, big love for this.

Why Everyone Needs This Lemongrass Chicken ASAP

As with most superdelicious foods, this lemongrass chicken is giving us the best of both worlds:

Fresh, energized, life-giving flavor from the lemongrass and lime and cilantro;
Creamy and totally comforting lusciousness from the coconut cream, chicken, and rice.

So it eats like a comfort food, but it tastes like lightness and zippy zing and flavor excitement, and it is all-around one of my favorite things to cook and eat right now.

Lemongrass chicken in a bowl with rice and zucchini and topped with fresh herbs.

How To Make This Lemongrass Chicken

The method of making this is fairly straightforward: sauté the chicken, build the sauce, add the chicken back in. That’s pretty much the bones of it.

For vegetable activity – zucchini is all up in my CSA right now, so I like to serve this with pan-fried zucchini half-moons with their little tender-crispness and golden browned spots. But I can confirm that any vegetable, including a very delicate and simple green side salad, is just as lovely.

Use What You Have On Hand

For substitutions, chicken breasts will work, although I prefer thighs. For a vegetarian option, pan-fried tofu would be fabulous. I am also having visions of shrimp and feeling really excited about it. Right? With a little fish sauce or something? That would be awesome.

And coconut milk could work in a pinch, but COCONUT CREAM is the gold standard for achieving a sauce that ladles on like a gravy, which I just cannot seem to quit. It is cash money deliciousness.

Lemongrass chicken in a bowl with a fork being held by a white hand.

Sending lots of love to summer and fresh flavors that support a good food mood. Lemongrass, you star, you.

Lemongrass Chicken: FAQs

So chicken breasts can work here, right?

Chicken breasts could work, but you’ll lose a bit of the juiciness and tenderness, so chicken thighs are the way to go if those are available to you. For a vegetarian option, pan-fried tofu would be perfect!

I can only find coconut milk. Will that work?

Coconut milk will work a pinch, but you might lose some of the creaminess. Make sure to use full-fat coconut milk instead of light coconut milk.

I’m trying to cut out refined sugar. Do I need the brown sugar in the sauce?

The brown sugar really helps balance out some of the flavors of the coconut cream and the lime juice, so it’s best to keep it in. For a refined sugar-free option, you could try coconut sugar instead.

Source notes: My version of this recipe was modeled after a pre-made product (I am very fancy) called Kevin’s Lemongrass Chicken. I have also tried a lemongrass chicken from a local Vietnamese restaurant that was similar (and also delicious!), but the version I tried was more of an oil-based sauce vs. cream-based sauce, so in making this I was attempting to replicate the former!

Lemongrass Chicken with Rice and Zucchini

Author: Lindsay
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings

Print Recipe

Description

This Lemongrass Chicken with Rice and Zucchini is OMG-level good! Tender chicken thighs, sautéed and then simmered in a creamy coconut and lemongrass sauce, sits next to a steamy pile of jasmine rice, fresh herbs, and your choice of veg.

Ingredients

Chicken:

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon paprika
garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste
olive oil

Lemongrass Sauce:

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed (optional), minced
one 1-inch knob of ginger, grated or minced
2 tablespoons lemongrass or lemongrass paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
one 14-ounce can coconut cream (similar to but thicker than coconut milk)
juice and zest of one lime
salt to taste

Serve with:

cilantro and/or basil, chopped
rice

zucchini or broccoli or a nice lil green salad

Instructions

Cook the chicken: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken thighs, sprinkle with spices, and cook for 8-10 minutes until cooked through. Remove from pan. Once cooled, shred / pull into small bite-sized pieces.
Make the lemongrass sauce: Add the garlic, jalapeño, and ginger to the chicken pan (you don’t have to wipe it out – save all those good flavors). Sauté until fragrant. Add the lemongrass and brown sugar; stir to combine. Add coconut cream and bring to a low, gentle simmer. Season with lime zest, lime juice, and salt.
Finish: Add chicken back in to the sauce. Stir in some fresh cilantro or basil just before serving. Serve over rice with any veggies that you like. And now enjoy this amazing flavor moment. ♡

Notes

For the chicken, I prefer it to be a little more roughly chopped rather than perfectly cut pieces, so I like to do a combination of shredding and then run my knife once or twice through the whole pile of shredded chicken.

Category: Dinner
Method: Sauté
Cuisine: Thai-Inspired