Vietnamese Air Fryer Lemongrass Chicken

Air Fryer Lemongrass Chicken with a fragrant Vietnamese-inspired marinade. Juicy, caramelised and perfect for meal prep or easy weeknight dinners.

I've spent a lot of time travelling around Vietnam over the years, and one of the things I always look forward to is the food. Vietnamese cuisine is packed with fresh herbs, bold flavours and simple dishes that somehow taste far more impressive than the effort required to make them.

This Air Fryer Lemongrass Chicken is inspired by those flavours and has become one of my most-used weeknight dinner recipes because it can be prepared ahead of time and cooked in minutes when I need to get dinner on the table fast.

On busy afternoons when the kids are racing between after-school activities, I'll often marinate the chicken earlier in the day, then simply pop it in the air fryer when I get home.

With a noodle salad already prepared or rice cooking in the rice cooker, dinner can be on the table within 20 minutes of walking through the door.

The air fryer is perfect for this recipe. It gives the chicken beautifully caramelised, lightly charred edges while keeping the inside tender and juicy.

Combined with the fragrant lemongrass marinade, the result is a simple meal packed with flavour that tastes like you've spent far longer in the kitchen than you actually have.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Lemongrass Chicken

You will need the following ingredients for this recipe. Exact quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Boneless Chicken Thigh Fillets - skin on / skinless - depending on personal preference. For me, chicken thighs are the best choice for this recipe as they develop beautifully charred edges while staying juicy and tender inside. You can substitute with chicken breast (slice in half horizontally before marinating) but be careful not to overcook as it dries out quicker than thigh meat.
• Lemongrass - fresh lemongrass has a wonderful zingy flavour. Use the tender white part of the stalk and discard the woody outer layers. If you can't find fresh lemongrass, lemongrass paste is a great alternative and keeps well in the fridge.
• Soy Sauce
• Fish Sauce
• Lime Juice - from freshly squeezed limes
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Brown sugar - not only helps bring out the flavour of the other ingredients and creates that lovely sweet, salty, sour, savoury balance that is so characteristic of Vietnamese cuisine, but also helps with the caramelisation of the chicken in the air fryer.

How to make Air Fryer Lemongrass Chicken

Full instructions with exact steps can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Making Lemongrass Chicken in the air fryer is so simple - the secret is all in the marinade, which not only adds loads of flavour but helps keep the chicken beautifully succulent.

To make the marinade:

• Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
• Pour it over the chicken. I like to use a ziplock bag as it makes it easy to coat the chicken evenly in the marinade (you can 'massage' the marinade into the chicken without getting your hands dirty).
• Leave it to marinate for at least 30 minutes, although a few hours or even all day will give the best flavour.

When you are ready to cook:

• Pre-heat your air fryer for 5 minutes.
• Cook for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and beginning to char and caramelise on the outside.

How to Serve Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

While this chicken is delicious straight from the air fryer, it's even better paired with fresh vegetables, herbs and rice. It's incredibly versatile and can be served in several different ways depending on what you're in the mood for.

• Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Salad (Bun Ga Nuong) – my favourite way to serve it, and the version I make most often. Slice the chicken and serve atop my Vietnamese Noodle Salad
• Served over Steamed jasmine rice with sliced cucumber and fresh herbs.
• Wrapped in Rice paper rolls with lettuce, mint and vermicelli noodles.
• Stuffed into Banh-Mi-style rolls with pickled vegetables and chilli.
• Alongside Asian slaw for a lighter meal.
• Chopped up with Lettuce cups for a low-carb option.

Tips for the Best Air Fryer Lemongrass Chicken

• Use chicken thigh fillets for the juiciest results.
• Marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably several hours for maximum flavour.
• Don't overcrowd the air fryer basket or the chicken won't caramelise properly.
• Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing to keep it juicy.
• Prepare the marinade in the morning and leave the chicken in the fridge all day for an easy weeknight dinner.

Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!

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