Roasted lemongrass chicken thighs are one of my all-time favorite easy one-pan chicken dishes. Another 10-ingredient wonder, this lemongrass chicken goes great with summer rolls, a crunchy salad, or just some steamed rice and veggies.
Why I Love This Recipe
For me, what makes this chicken great is not just the flavor, but the texture. After the chicken is marinated, the marinade isn’t discarded, but added to the pan with the chicken before it goes into the oven.
The result? A sticky, crispy, delicious sauce that can be brushed onto the crisp chicken skin after roasting. Searing the chicken before roasting it in the oven seals in the juices and results in very moist and juicy meat.
There’s also a bit of oil and chicken fat in the bottom of the pan that, when mixed with some steamed rice or a rice noodle salad, just can’t be beat.
For more easy one-pan chicken dishes, check out our Thai Roasted Chicken Thighs, Roasted Chicken with Lemon & Potatoes, Mediterranean Chicken Thighs, Five Spice Baked Chicken, and a recent favorite, Roasted Chicken with Oyster Sauce.
Note, this recipe makes 8 chicken thighs, and serves 6-8, but I made half of the recipe for the photos you see in the post!
Lemongrass Chicken: Recipe Instructions
In the bowl of a food processor, add 3 tablespoons oil, the fish sauce, oyster sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar, shallots, garlic cloves, lemongrass, and lime zest. Process until smooth. Add to a bowl, along with the chicken, and toss to coat the chicken in the marinade. Cover, transfer to the fridge, and marinate for 1-4 hours.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Reserving the marinade, add chicken to the skillet skin side down.
Cook for 4 minutes. Turn the chicken, add the reserved marinade to the skillet, and transfer to the oven.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. If you prefer using boneless chicken thighs, see our post on How to debone skin-on chicken thighs and adjust/reduce cooking times accordingly.
Brush the oil and marinade in the bottom of the pan on top of the chicken. Serve with lime wedges and chopped Thai basil, of desired.
This dish goes great with summer rolls, a crunchy salad (noodle salad), or just some steamed rice and veggies.
Roasted Lemongrass Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil (divided)
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 shallots (peeled)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (cut into pieces)
- 1 lime (zested)
- 8 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, add 3 tablespoons (45ml) oil, the fish sauce, oyster sauce, pepper flakes, sugar, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and lime zest. Process until smooth. Add to a bowl, along with the chicken, and toss to coat the chicken in the marinade. Cover, transfer to the fridge, and marinate for 1-4 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons (30ml) oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Reserving the marinade, add chicken to the skillet skin side down. Cook for 4 minutes. Turn the chicken, add the reserved marinade to the skillet, and transfer to the oven. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Brush the oil and marinade in the bottom of the pan on top of the chicken. Serve with lime wedges and chopped Thai basil, if desired.