Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Bún Bowl (Bún Gà Xả)

Ingredients

• •1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• •2 lemongrass stalks, tender part only, minced
• •3 garlic cloves, minced
• •2 tbsp fish sauce
• •1 tbsp soy sauce
• •1 tbsp sugar
• •1 tbsp neutral oil
• •300 g rice vermicelli noodles
• •2 cups butter or leaf lettuce, shredded
• •1 cucumber, julienned
• •1 carrot, julienned
• •1 cup bean sprouts
• •½ cup fresh mint leaves
• •½ cup fresh cilantro
• •¼ cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• •3 tbsp lime juice
• •3 tbsp fish sauce (for dipping sauce)
• •2 tbsp sugar (for dipping sauce)
• •½ cup warm water
• •1 garlic clove, minced (for dipping sauce)
• •to taste fresh red chili or chili flakes (for dipping sauce)

Directions

1. 1Marinate chicken in lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and oil for at least 15 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).
2. 2Make the nước chấm: combine lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, warm water, garlic, and chili; stir until sugar dissolves and set aside.
3. 3Cook vermicelli noodles in boiling water 3–4 minutes until tender; drain and rinse under cold water, then divide into bowls.
4. 4Arrange lettuce, cucumber, carrot, bean sprouts, mint, and cilantro over the noodles in each bowl.
5. 5Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat; cook marinated chicken 5–6 minutes per side until cooked through and charred at the edges.
6. 6Rest chicken 3 minutes, then slice into strips.
7. 7Place sliced chicken over the prepared bowls.
8. 8Scatter chopped peanuts over each bowl.
9. 9Pour nước chấm generously over the bowl just before eating, or serve it on the side for dipping.

💡 Rice vermicelli noodles are found in the Asian aisle of most Canadian grocery stores. Fresh lemongrass can be substituted with 1 tsp lemongrass paste per stalk. The nước chấm can be made up to a week ahead and stored in the fridge — it gets better with time.

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