This Vietnamese grilled chicken recipe is so easy to make.
It just takes a delicious marinade, full of garlic, lime, ginger and soy sauce, then a little time to let it work its magic on chicken breasts.
Grill or barbecue, then throw on plenty of fresh chillies, spring onions and fresh coriander for a fabulous meal.
Slightly caramelised moist chicken with plenty of zingy fresh flavours too.
Perfect for making ahead and delicious served hot or cold too.
Bon appétit!
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We always have curry on a Saturday night and, whilst I love to have a creamy curry with lots of sauce in the winter, I love to have a lighter one in the summer, when it's hot and I don't want to spend too long in the kitchen.
This is the perfect recipe if you are having a barbecue gathering because this chicken tastes better the longer it sits in the marinade, leaving you free to get on with other preparations or just enjoy time with your guests..
The Vietnamese chicken marinade itself is so simple to make and really keeps the chicken breasts moist and juicy. The sugar really helps to caramelise the chicken too.
The bit I really like is that this dish is perfect served hot, but if you have any leftovers it's great in a salad or a sandwich or wrap.
❤️ Why you will love this dish
- Really easy to prepare and cook.
- Ideal for grilling, broiling or on the barbecue.
- Prepare in advance.
- Delicious hot or cold.
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🥘 Ingredients
- Chicken - boneless and skinless chicken breasts.
Marinade
- Brown sugar - This really helps to caramelise the chicken and any type of brown sugar; soft, light or demerera, will all work well.
- Soy sauce - Use dark soy sauce for the extra colour it gives to the dish.
- Fish sauce - When this combines with the other ingredients you really won't taste any fish, as it is really an umami flavour enhancer. If you don't have it then just use more soy sauce.
- Fresh ginger - Dried ginger really won't give the same flavour, but you could use ginger paste from a jar.
- Lime - The lime juice gives this dish a nice citrus tang.
- Garlic - garlic cloves as opposed to granulated garlic.
Garnishes
- Fresh red chillies
- Spring onions - also known as green onions or scallions.
- Fresh coriander
- Lime - lime wedges to squeeze over the hot chicken.
There are no hot flavours in the marinade but my family love chillies, by adding chillies as a garnish, and putting extra on the table, everyone can control how much heat they have. I've used long red finger chillies for the colour.
I've also used spring onions and some fresh coriander leaves for freshness and the zest of the lime used for the marinade.
The printable recipe card with full ingredient quantities and instructions can be found at the bottom of the article.
🍽 Equipment
- sharp knife
- chopping board
- deep dish - for the Vietnames chicken marinade.
🔪Instructions
Cut some big slices into the chicken, about three quarters of the way through and place in a single layer in a dish.
This will help the marinade to get to more of the surface area of the chicken, which in turn will keep it moist and shorten the cooking time.
Make the marinade by grating the ginger and crushing the garlic. Mix with the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Use a spoon to work the marinade into all the cuts on the chicken.
Cover the chicken and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 2 hours up to a maximum of 8 hours.
💭 Top Tips
- I find it's easier to freeze ginger to stop it spoiling before I use it all. I cut each piece into chunks, about 3cm in length, then put them in the freezer. When I need ginger, it normally needs to be chopped or grated so I just use a microplane grater without bothering to peel it either. It's much easier to grate when it's frozen and doesn't clog up the grater.
- Limes can be difficult to juice so it helps to roll them on a worktop then microwave them on high for 20 seconds before juicing.
- Lime zest can give a great lime flavour but be careful to just remove the green skin as the pith underneath can be very bitter.
⏲️ Cooking Time
These are perfect for grilling on the barbecue or under the grill.
Set the grill to a medium heat and allow about 6 minutes each side.
I like to grill the flat side first then turn over to get the cut side slightly charred and caramelised for great flavour. Spoon over some of the marinade when you turn the chicken.
While the chicken is cooking prepare the garnishes.
Slice the chillies and spring onions at an angle and rough chop the coriander.
Now it's time to garnish the chicken. Sprinkle over the vegetables or put them in little pots and let everyone help themselves.
Serve with some big chunks of lime for squeezing over.
🥗 Side Dishes
Serve the Vietnamese grilled chicken with some of these salad and potato ideas.
- Parmentier Potatoes
- Asian Coleslaw
- Confit Potatoes
- Tomato and Onion Salad
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Courgette Salad
- Mushroom Salad
- Fennel and Pear Salad
- Potatoes Rissolé
- Tarragon Potato Salad
- Cherry Tomato and Feta Salad
- Broccoli and Edamame Salad
- Carrot and Celeriac Remoulade
- Baked Halloumi Fries
🥙 Substitutions
- Fish sauce - use soy sauce, oyster sauce or Worcester sauce.
- Chicken breasts - use boneless and skinless chicken breasts or boneless pork chops or fillet.
- Fresh limes - use bottled juice.
- Spring onions - use a finely sliced lengthways shallot or red onion.
🍣 Storage
- Refrigerator - cool, cover and store for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - put in airtight bags or containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat - slice and add to stir fries or enjoy cold.
🍱 Prepare in Advance
- Prepare the Vietnamese chicken marinade and add the chicken for yup to 8 hours before cooking.
This Vietnamese grilled chicken dish is so easy, especially when you are entertaining a crowd, as it can just sit in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
Fresh, vibrant and full of delicious flavours too!
Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais
More chicken recipes
📋 Recipe
Vietnamese Grilled Chicken
Equipment
- sharp knife
- chopping board
- deep dish
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
Marinade
- 4 cloves garlic
- 15 g ginger
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 lime save the zest for garnish
Garnishes
- 1 lime zest
- 1 red chilli
- 2 spring onions scallions
- 2 tablespoon coriander fresh
Instructions
- Cut some big slices into the chicken, about three quarters of the way through and place in a single layer in a dish.
- Make the marinade by grating the ginger and crushing the garlic. Mix with the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Use a spoon to work the marinade into all the cuts on the chicken.
- Cover the chicken and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 2 hours up to a maximum of 8 hours.
- Slice the chillies and spring onions at an angle and rough chop the coriander. Quarter the lime.
- Set the grill to a medium heat and allow about 6 minutes each side, basting with the marinade.
- Sprinkle over the garnishes and serve with wedges of lime.
Notes
- I find it's easier to freeze ginger to stop it spoiling before I use it all. I cut each piece into chunks, about 3cm in length, then put them in the freezer. When I need ginger it normally needs to be chopped or grated so I just use a microplane grater without bothering to peel it either. It's much easier to grate when it's frozen and doesn't clog up the grater.
- Limes can be difficult to juice so it helps to roll them on a worktop then microwave them on high for 20 seconds before juicing.
- Lime zest can give a great lime flavour but be careful to just remove the green skin as the pith underneath can be very bitter.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
More chicken dishes
🍲 Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
Do you have a question or did you make the recipe? Please leave a rating as it helps other readers to discover this dish. Your name and email are required to avoid spam comments; they are never used for any purpose or shared with third parties.
However, due to spam comments, I do have to moderate each one, so don't worry if you cannot see your comment immediately. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can.
Do you have a question or did you make the recipe? Please leave a rating as it helps other readers to discover this dish. Your name and email are required to avoid spam comments; they are never used for any purpose or shared with third parties.
However, due to spam comments, I do have to moderate each one, so don't worry if you cannot see your comment immediately. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can.
Rachna
My mouth is watering looking at this grilled chicken. I am definitely trying it out soon as grilled chicken is my favourite. The marinade sounds really delicious.
Natalie
Yum, sounds delicious. I love the addition of fish sauce in this recipe. I will definitely try this for lunch. Thanks!
Anaiah
Wow, this recipe was so flavorful and delicious! I made it some vermicelli noodles and it paired perfectly.
Katherine
I love all the bold Vietnamese flavors in this dish!
Danielle Wolter
I am a huge fan of all things Vietnamese. This recipe sounds delish, can't wait to try it!