These chicken wings are marinated overnight in a quick to prepare Vietnamese lemongrass marinade that is packed full of flavour, then grilled to perfection on the BBQ. You can also cook them in the oven, but I am partial to the charcoal flavours!
I may be overloading on Vietnamese dishes this week, having just shared Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls a couple of days ago. But I’m not going to apologise because it’s one of my favourite cuisines and this dish epitomises what my blog is all about – sharing easy to make, amazing food from around the world.
The marinade for these wings is a classic base for many Vietnamese dishes and is a great balance of sweet, salty, spicy and tang that epitomises the food of this cuisine. Lemongrass is a herb that is commonly used in many Vietnamese dishes. It has a very unique smell, lemony but with a distinct earthiness and turns an otherwise ordinary marinade into something really special.
A great tip I learnt from a Vietnamese friend is to stock up on frozen lemongrass which you can get from large Asian grocery stores. I didn’t think that would be “acceptable” but apparently it is! This was a great tip I used for years when I had to make the trek to Asian grocery stores just to get lemongrass.
Nowadays lemongrass is sold in large grocery stores, and surprisingly good value too (for the Aussie readers, Harris Farms is my tip, usually about $1.00 a stalk).
Lemongrass is quite tough, so you need to either cut it into pieces large enough to pick out later after you have infused the marinade with the flavours, or finely chop it. Frozen lemongrass usually comes finely chopped which is fine to use for this recipe instead of the slices as per the recipe directions.
If you can’t find lemongrass, substituting with just lemon won’t do it I’m afraid. You simply won’t get the “Vietnamese” flavour in this without it, it will end up being more of a Thai flavour. If you don’t have lemongrass but still really want to try this, add the zest of 1 lime to the marinade and call it Thai Chicken Wings!
I cooked this on the outdoor grill because I really love the charcoal flavour. However, it can also be cooked in the oven so I’ve provided directions for both. A great summer grilling recipe to add to your rotation! – Nagi x
Get your Vietnamese fix!
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Vietnamese Caramel Pork – and the Chicken version!
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Lemongrass Chicken – one of my favourite things to grill!
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Vietnamese Caramel Pork Bowls – super quick!
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Browse all Vietnamese recipes
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Vietnamese Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lb / 1 kg chicken wings , cut into wingettes and drumettes (see here for how to cut whole wings)
- Oil for grilling
Marinade
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 cup lime juice (2 to 3 limes)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 stalks lemongrass
Garnishes (optional)
- 1 birds eye chilli , finely chopped
- Coriander leaves
Instructions
- Bruise the lemongrass using the side of your knife (or a pestle). Slice the white part only into 0.5cm / 1/4" slices, thick enough to pick off later if any stick to the wings.
- Combine lemongrass with the rest of the marinade ingredients and mix well.
- Combine marinade with wings in a ziplock bag. Remove as much air as possible from the bag and seal. Massage marinade into the wings to evenly disperse.
- Marinate for at least a few hours, preferably overnight.
- When ready to cook, pour the wings and marinade into a large bowl.
To cook on grill
- Lightly oil the grill and preheat on medium low. The grill side cooks the wings more evenly than the hotplate side.
- Remove wings from marinade and grill until cooked through. Do not cook on a high heat otherwise the sugar will burn before the inside of the wings are cooked.
- Just before the wings are ready, remove the wings from the grill and put them back into the bowl and toss in the marinade, then put back on the BBQ and sear quickly on both sides.
To cook in oven
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F and put the rack in the top part of the oven.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and place a rack on it.
- Remove wings from the marinade and spread out over the rack.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top side is golden brown, then turn the wings and baste.
- Return to oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until the wings are a dark golden brown.
- Turn again, baste and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.
To serve
- Serve garnished with coriander leaves and chilli slices (optional).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Hi Nagi, hope you´re well, do you fancy doing a video to this recepi? I´ve just made your spag bol from your recepi book and it was so easy but the best spag bol I have ever tasted, thank you x
I sliced chicken Thighs and marinated and served over a salad with some of your left over satay sauce….it was a fabulous combination, so much flavour!
Hi Nagi
Could you please add a Fan Oven temperature to your recipes. Here in UK, most ovens are Fan Assisted.
Absolutely love your site and recipes.
Soo good! I grilled half and fried half, both were delicious! Thank you!
Followed the recipe and it was really really good! So much flavor even without a long marinade. Thanks for a new staple recipe in our household.
Hi Nagi, any chance I can use lemon instead of lime? cheers
Hi Anna, you really need the flavour of limes here, lemons are too sour. N x
If you can’t buy fresh lemongrass can you substitute for paste or powder? How much would you use?
Hi Caroline, yes use the paste – use 1.5 tbls 🙂 N x
Whole family loved this one. Even the fussy kids. Definite winner here!
WAHOO, That’s great Anna! N x
Nagi, I love this marinade! However, I do grill the chicken a little differently. I set the grill up for 2-zone cooking with the grill at maximum heat on one side and no heat on the other side. I place the chicken on the indirect heat side of the grill, turning from time to time, basting and checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer. Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. baste the chicken one last time with the marinade and move the chicken over to the direct heat, then sear both sides. This method is fail-safe. The chicken is fully cooked, very juicy from all the basting, and perfectly seared. It won’t burn that perfect marinade.
Sounds amazing Raelene!!
I an an aromatherapist and have lemongrass essential oil. The REAL stuff, not the cheap stuff. I’m wondering if a drop in the marinade could be a substitute for actual lemongrass?
Hi Nagi
Can the wings be made in a pan with the same marinade?
Ann
I’ve made this in a pan countless of times. It is divine.
These chicken wings are just so delicious.
I have made them at least five times now and they never let me down.
A wonderful recipe.
So easy and so tasty.
It’s a chicken winner.
That’s so great to hear Julie! I’m so pleased you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know! N x
Hello, i can’t find fresh lemongrass in my supermarket only the organic lemongrass paste in the tube. Can i use that instead, if so how much?
1 whole tablespoon. Need LOTS! 🙂
Great recipe! I made the chicken wings for dinner and they were absolutely delicious!!
Terrific to hear Natie!! N x ❤️
Can i use seasoning sauce instead of soy sauce? Or will it still taste the same if i use any kind of soy sauce? Plus, is it alright if i marinated for only an hour or 3?
Thanks! Sorry for asking so many questions, hope you dont mind, really want to give this great looking dish a try!
Hiiii! If you mean Maggi or Gold Mountain then yes, seasoning sauce will be fine 🙂 Yes if you marinate for only 1 hour, still delicious!
Will it still be the same if i only marinated for an hour or 2?
It should be just about enough! 🙂
Can one use chicken thigh fillets, not enough meat on wings for hubby.
Hi Vernice – DEFINATELY! I use this same marinade for my Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken with noodles 🙂
Yes it’s called PhoTai(?spelling).
Thanks for the tip Kathleen! 🙂
Would you happen to have a recipe for Vietnamese Rare Beef Noodle soup that you could send me.?
Hi Kathleen! Do you mean Pho?
I made these and brought them to a cookout. I doubled the recipe and the wings were a huge hit. Everyone ate all of them! I baked mine in the oven, since I don’t have a grill. I broiled the wings on high for 2-3 minutes to get the skin a little crunchy and they were delicious! I added black pepper and cilantro on top! Next time I need to make more!
Yay yay yay! Isn’t the flavour incredible? I adore Vietnamese food! You’ve inspired me, I think I’m going to share another Vietnamese recipe soon! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know your thoughts and also share how you cooked them! I’m sure other readers will find it useful. 🙂
Yes! Thank you so much for posting this recipe. 🙂
No worries! N x