Lemongrass Chicken Vermicelli Bowl / Bun Ga Nuong

This lemongrass chicken is one of my most viral recipes across Instagram and TikTok because it’s easy to make, has incredible versatility, and is, of course, tasty. Today, we’ll be making the lemongrass chicken and serving it in a classic vermicelli bowl with all the classic fixings: steamed beansprouts, cucumbers, pickled veggies, and, of course, a fish sauce dressing (nuoc cham)! If you’re looking for a light meal that’s both nutritious and delicious and perfect for any meal of the day, make sure you give this bun ga nuong a try!

Making the Lemongrass Chicken:

Chicken:

For this recipe, I prefer using skin-on boneless chicken thighs. If you’re looking for a super healthy alternative, skinless chicken breast will do the trick, but the skin-on thigh’s juiciness and flavor make this recipe special! De-bone your thighs, trim away any excess fat, and flatten the chicken using your knife to ensure it cooks evenly.

Marinade Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp Minced Lemongrass
• 2 tbsp Minced Shallots
• 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
• 1 tbsp Grated Ginger
• 3 tbsp Oyster Sauce
• 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp Oil

Cooking methods:

Oven: Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the chicken on a wire rack to allow proper airflow. Bake the chicken for ~40 minutes, flipping halfway through. Ensure the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165F.

Air Fryer: Air fry chicken thighs at 400F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway between. Cook to a safe internal temperature.

Vermicelli Noodles

If you’ve never had vermicelli noodles before, they’re typically made with rice flour, have a thin and white appearance that’s slightly chewy. My go-to is the Oldman Que Huong brand. It’s what my mom has used my entire life, they’re affordable and the quality is always consistent.

I like my noodles al dente and chewy, and to cook these perfectly you’ll want to bring a pot of water up to a rolling boil, and then, add a splash of oil and salt. Drop you noodles into the pot, and continue to cook the noodles on medium-high heat for 6 minutes. Then cover the pot, remove it from the heat, and let the vermicelli noodles continue to soak in the hot water for another 6 minutes. After a total of 12 minutes, drain the noodles in a colander, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Finally, we’ll add another splash of oil and toss the noodles to ensure they don’t stick together! Doing this will produce perfectly cooked vermicelli noodles every single time.

Toppings for the Bun Ga Nuong

You can utilize any and all of the following ingredients, but you’re definitely not limited to. Play around with different combinations and ingredients to produce your perfect bowl!

• Shredded lettuce
• Cucumbers
• Blanched beansprouts
• Pickled Veggies
• Green Onions
• Cilantro
• Mint
• Scallion Oil
• Crushed Peanuts
• Fried Shallots
• Fish sauce dressing (nuoc cham)

Lemongrass Chicken Vermicelli Bowl / Bun Ga Nuong

4.5 from 18 votes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lbs 2 Skin-On Chicken Thighs

• Marinade:

• 2 tbsp 2 Minced Lemongrass

• 2 tbsp 2 Minced Shallots

• 1 tbsp 1 Minced Garlic

• 1 tbsp 1 Grated Ginger

• 3 tbsp 3 Oyster Sauce

• 2 tbsp 2 Soy Sauce

• 1 tbsp 1 Fish Sauce

• 2 tbsp 2 Honey

• 2 tbsp 2 Brown Sugar

• 2 tbsp 2 Neutral Oil

• Salt and Pepper

• Vermicelli Noodles:

• 1 lb 1 Rice Vermicelli Noodles

• Toppings:

• Lettuce

• Beansprouts

• Persian Cucumbers

• Cilantro

• Green Onions

• Mint

• Pickled Veggies

• Nuoc Cham

Directions

• Chicken:
• Preheat oven to 400F degrees
• Debone and trim off excess fat on chicken thighs. Optionally, pound chicken thighs to even thickness
• Combine minced lemongrass, shallots, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, honey, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and oil in a mixing bowl. Add chicken thighs, mix well, and marinate in the fridge covered for at least half an hour. The longer, the better!
• Add chicken to a wire rack and bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway in between. Check that the internal temp of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Allow the chicken to rest before slicing
• Vermicelli Noodles:
• Bring a pot of water up to a boil. Add oil and salt. Drop in noodles and cook on medium-high for 6 minutes
• Cover the pot with a lid, and remove the pot from the heat. Allow noodles to soak in hot water for another 6 minutes
• Drain and rinse noodles with cold water in a colander to stop the cooking process. Then toss in oil to prevent noodles from sticking
• Serve:
• Assemble bowl by adding vermicelli noodles, and any combination of your favorite toppings. Dress with nuoc cham and enjoy!

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