Meat + Poultry

Spicy Lemongrass Chicken

Name: Spicy Lemongrass Chicken
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed, meat cut into 3/4-inch pieces; 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil; Kosher salt and freshly ground 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 chili paste; 4 large scallions, cut into 1/2-inch lengths; 5 small dried red chiles; 1 large jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced

5.0

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5 Reviews

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." That's why he stir-fries the chicken here by itself until it is deeply golden and juicy before he transfers it to a plate; after he finishes cooking the other ingredients, he returns the chicken to the wok so all the flavors meld. Quick Chicken Recipes

By

Charles Phan

Updated on November 20, 2019

Total Time:

25 mins

Yield:

6

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed, meat cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground 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 chili paste
4 large scallions, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
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, 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 3/4 teaspoon of 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 and 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, chili 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