Marinated Vietnamese grilled chicken served over vermicelli with fresh vegetables and flavorful nuoc cham sauce.
Since school started, I’ve felt like I’m constantly running in a million different directions, throwing meals together at the last minutes (which is totally not like me!) But meetings, practices and homework are the norm right now, so I’ve rarely had a chance to take a deep breath, let alone spend some time on dinner. This Vietnamese grilled chicken is easy enough for a weeknight, as long as you have the time to grill the chicken. And it was a crowd pleaser: both kids devoured the chicken and noodles (without the fish-sauce/vinegar nuoc cham sauce and my husband loved it, too.
The rest of the recipe comes together in the time it takes to cook the chicken. Marinate the chicken the night before and then all you have to do is whisk together the sauce (which could also be done the night before), slice the veggies and cook the noodles. I made enough chicken to have leftovers for lunch, or you could use the extra chicken in a banh mi.
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. fresh galangal, chopped (substitute giner if you can't get galangal)
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro stems
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine
- 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. peanut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 8 chicken thighs, excess fat removed
- 1 8-oz. package rice vermicelli
- 1 fresh red chile, seeded and sliced
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 cucumber, sliced
- A few sprigs of fresh cilantro
- Sriracha or other hot sauce, optional
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor and process until combined. Pour into a large plastic bag with the chicken thighs and refrigerate overnight.
- To make the sauce, mash the garlic and sugar to a paste with a mortar and pestle. Combine in a jar with the fish sauce, vinegar and lime juice. Strain thru a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids.
- Preheat a grill over high heat. Grill chicken, discarding excess marinade, for 2-3 minutes per side on high and then 10 minutes per side on medium, or until the juices run clear.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring a pan of water to a boil and cook the vermicelli for 1-2 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse.
- Toss in a bowl with half of the nuoc cham.
- To serve, divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Top with some of the sliced carrots and cucumbers and 1 or 2 chicken thighs. Garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro and sriracha, if using. Add additional nuoc cham if desired.
Leave a Reply