Meat + Poultry Spicy Lemongrass Chicken 5.0 (4,241) 6 Reviews Charles Phan stir-fries chicken by itself until it's deeply golden and juicy, transfers it to a plate, finishes cooking the other ingredients, and returns the chicken to the wok so all the flavors meld. By Charles Phan Charles Phan Charles Phan is a James Beard Award-winning, Vietnamese-American chef. He owns The Slanted Door, a critically acclaimed restaurant in San Francisco. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 29, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Total Time: 25 mins Yield: 6 servings Charles Phan has firm opinions about the right and wrong way to stir-fry. "A wok isn't like a salad bowl with a flame under it. You don't want to throw everything in at once and toss. You need to layer flavors by adding ingredients in the right order." Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed and meat cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 plump stalks of lemongrass, tender white inner bulb only, minced 1 medium red onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine, sake, or water 1/2 cup Vietnamese Stir-fry Sauce 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oyster sauce 1 teaspoon Asian chile paste 4 large scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 5 small dried red chiles 1 large jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced Directions In a medium bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons of the canola oil, salt, and pepper. In a large skillet or a wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil until small puffs of smoke begin to appear. Add half of the chicken and stir-fry over high heat until browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet. Add the lemongrass, onion, and garlic; cook over high heat, stirring, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add the Vietnamese Stir-fry Sauce, oyster sauce, chile paste, scallions, dried chiles, and jalapeño; bring to a boil. Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer until heated through, then serve. © Dana Gallagher Rate it Print