🇻🇳 Vietnamese
Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken (Gà Xào Sả)
⏱ 30 min (plus 20 min marinade)
🍞 ~18g (with ⅓ cup cooked jasmine rice) | ~6g (with cauli rice)
🍽 4 servings
⭐ 5/5
⚠️ Estimates only — not medical advice. Carb counts vary by brand and portion. Always verify with your endo or CDCES.
🌍 Cultural note
Gà xào sả is a weeknight workhorse in Vietnamese kitchens — the smell of lemongrass and garlic hitting hot oil is the smell of "Mom's home." The marinade is simple, the cook is fast, and the leftovers are arguably better the next day cold from the fridge (don't tell anyone). It's the gateway Vietnamese recipe for kids who think they only like chicken nuggets.
Why this recipe is T1D-friendly
- Protein-forward, low-sugar marinade — almost no impact on glucose from the chicken itself
- Lemongrass and garlic are flavor bombs that mean less reliance on sweet sauces
- Pairs beautifully with cauli rice for a near-zero-carb dinner when you want to bank carbs for later
- Cooks in one pan, easy to make extra protein for low-snack-bowl building all week
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces (0g)
- 3 stalks fresh lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, minced (3g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (3g)
- 1 small shallot, minced (2g)
- 2 tbsp fish sauce (1g)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (1g)
- 1 tsp monk fruit sweetener (or 1 tsp brown sugar = 4g) (0–4g)
- 1 tsp turmeric (1g)
- ½ tsp black pepper (0g)
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (avocado or vegetable) (0g)
- 1 tbsp lime juice (1g)
- Optional: 1 red chili, sliced (for grown-ups) (1g)
- Garnish: fresh cilantro, sliced scallion, lime wedges (1g)
Directions
- Make the marinade: in a bowl, mix lemongrass, garlic, shallot, fish sauce, soy sauce, monk fruit, turmeric, and black pepper.
- Add chicken, toss to coat. Marinate at least 20 minutes — overnight is even better.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add chicken in a single layer (work in batches if needed — overcrowding = steam, not sear).
- Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes until golden on the bottom. Flip and cook another 3 minutes.
- Add remaining oil and scraped-up marinade bits, stir-fry 2 more minutes until chicken is fully cooked and edges are caramelized.
- Off heat, squeeze lime juice over the top. Taste — should be salty, savory, lightly sweet, lemongrass-forward.
- Serve over rice (or cauli rice) with cilantro, scallion, and a wedge of lime.
- For grown-ups, scatter red chili and a small drizzle of nước chấm (see foundation sauce recipe).
Dash's kid tips 🐆
- Dash says this one is great for picky eaters — the chicken pieces look familiar but taste exciting
- Skip the chili for kid bowls; the turmeric gives it a sunny color kids love
- Serve with cucumber sticks on the side — Vietnamese kids snack on cucumber all meal long
- Leftover chicken is amazing chopped into a banh mi bowl the next day