Vietnamese Five Spice Grilled Chicken Recipe

Vietnamese grilled five-spice chicken is a simple yet delicious grilled chicken, marinated in delicious spices and fragrant lemongrass.

It’s super versatile and can be great paired with a side of rice or on its own. It’s a great way to dress up your average cut of chicken in your meal prep.

This is a great option to prep in advance and grill to serve with some rice bowls throughout the week.

Jump to:

• 💭 What is Vietnamese Grilled Five Spice Chicken?
• 🍎 Calories and Nutrition – How to Make It Healthy 
• 📋 Ingredient Notes
• 🔪 Step by Step Instructions 
• 🍽 What To Eat It With 
• 🍳Ways To Cook
• 💭 Frequently Asked Questions
• 📖 Substitutions and Variations
• 🥡 Storage
• 🍳 Recipe
• Ways to cook 
• FAQs

💭 What is Vietnamese Grilled Five Spice Chicken?

Vietnamese grilled five-spice chicken is a cut of chicken marinated in five spice, fish sauce, and fresh lemongrass, giving it a deliciously tangy, citrus, and sweet flavor. It is a staple in Vietnamese food and can be found served with a side of nuoc cham dipping sauce and a side of rice, or in bahn mis (Vietnamese sandwiches). It's super versatile, delicious, and a great option for lean protein that packs a delicious flavor. This is my go-to order at Vietnamese restaurants when I want an additional boost of protein. 

If you like five spice chicken or Vietnamese food, check out the following:

• Healthy Vietnamese Food
• Chao Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Porridge)
• Chicken Pho

🍎 Calories and Nutrition – How to Make It Healthy 

A serving of Vietnamese five-spice chicken, with a serving of rice, is only 392 calories with 39 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, and 42 grams of carbs. Given the high protein content from the chicken, low-calorie content from the seasonings, and a portioned side of carbs, this is a very healthy dish that is well-balanced with macronutrients. 

For a detailed breakdown of each ingredient, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of this grilled chicken recipe, you may refer to the table below:

5 Spice Chicken Rice
Ingredient	Quantity	Calories	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Carbs (g)
Chicken Thigh	6 oz	195	33	15	0
Garlic	1 clove	4.5	0.2	0	1
Honey	0.5 tbsp	30	0	0	8.5
Soy Sauce	0.5 tbsp	5	0.5	0.5	0
Fish Sauce	0.5 tbsp	7.5	2	0	0
Brown Rice	0.25 Cup	150	3	0	33
Total		392	38.7	15.5	42.5

📋 Ingredient Notes

To make the Vietnamese five-spice grilled chicken, you’ll need the following key ingredients.

Marinade Ingredients

• Five Spice – Give the dish its distinct rich and flavorful spice flavor
• Fish Sauce – Gives the sauce a very umami and tangy funk with savory flavors
• Soy Sauce – Adds to the saltiness of the dish
• Brown Sugar – Balanced out the saltiness of the dish and gives it a delicious umami flavor. Traditionally, palm sugar is used, but I used brown sugar given it is harder to find. You can also use granulated sugar.
• Garlic – A popular aromatic that gives the chicken a delicious garlic flavor
• Lemongrass – A fragrant herb that gives the chicken a hint of citrus and freshness. You can get these at most Asian markets, or your local grocery store if you're lucky. You can also substitute with a tube of lemongrass paste, although the flavor won't be quite the same.

Chicken and Rice

• Boneless chicken thighs –  I opted for boneless skinless chicken thighs since it has enough fat for the flavor but not too much so that it would make the dish unhealthy. 
• Rice – I used Jasmine rice. Brown rice also would work well. 
• Salt and Black Pepper – Additional seasoning for the chicken
• Garnishes – Garnishing the dish with some fresh herbs gives it a great freshness. I garnished it with cilantro. You can also add some lime juice and red pepper flakes.

🔪 Step by Step Instructions 

Prepare the marinade – Mince the garlic and lemongrass. In a large bowl, mix together with give spice, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar.

Marinade the chicken – Trim the excess fat off the chicken. Mix in the marinade thoroughly and let marinade for at least an hour, or overnight for best results. 

Cook the chicken – Heat a cast iron on the stove to about medium-high heat. Spray the cooking oil on the pan and add the marinated chicken thighs into the pan in a single layer for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until there is a tender white core on the chicken. Pour the reserved marinade over the chicken while it is cooking to baste it.

Garnish and serve – Serve the chicken with a side of rice and garnish with some fresh herbs and chili flakes. Serve and enjoy your Vietnamese chicken!

🍽 What To Eat It With 

In this Vietnamese grilled chicken recipe, I paired the chicken with a side of white rice. This is a super versatile dish that can be paired with several other options including the following:

• Garlic noodles
• Rice Noodles or rice vermicelli, to make a Bun Cha (Rice noodle Bowl)
• In a baguette to make a Vietnamese banh mi (sandwich) 
• Serve with a side of fresh vegetables

🍳Ways To Cook

I like to cook it in the cast iron to give it a delicious smokey flavor without having to fire up the grill. You can also use these alternatives.

Cook on a grill – Grill the chicken at 165F for around 8-10 minutes.

Cook stovetop with a cast iron – Cast iron is my favorite stove-top grill pan that allows me to achieve that smokey flavor without having to fire up a grill outside.

Cook in an air fryer – Follow the instructions for my air fryer lemongrass chicken for cooking directions.

Oven bake – Add the marinated chicken to a baking sheet and bake at 350F for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160F. You can use a meat thermometer to gauge the temperature.

💭 Frequently Asked Questions

📖 Substitutions and Variations

Swap soy sauce for oyster sauce – It has a thicker and sweeter consistency.

Replace the sugar with honey – Be sure to portion the honey mindfully

Whole Chicken breast or boneless chicken breasts instead of chicken thigh would also work well here.

Chicken skewers – Add these on some skewers for a great easy-to-eat snack.

Switch up the herbs – Garnish with Thai basil or spring onions

🥡 Storage

You can marinate the chicken in the fridge for up to 2 days. After cooking, it can last for about 3 days in an airtight container.

Alternatively, you can also store the raw marinated chicken in the freezer for up to 3 months.

🍳 Recipe