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Lemongrass Chicken Instant Pot

Tasty and Easy

Pressure Cooker Lemongrass Chicken

This recipe is one of the Vietnamese all time favorites - and is quite famous. Your loved ones will enjoy these flavor infused lemongrass chicken thighs packed with complex Vietnamese flavors of sweet, and savory lemony taste. It also has a really nice aroma.

Surprisingly this tasty vietnamese chicken recipe is super easy
instant pot lemongrass chicken recipe
What is Lemongrass Chicken?
Lemongrass chicken is many people’s favorite dish and they will often order it in Food Courts or Vietnamese restaurants. However, it is even nicer when you make it at home with our recipe.
The Lemongrass Chicken is usually served with rice or rice noodles and in a bowl. However, we in this recipe also served it up with a salad and it was really nice. It kind of made it feel really fresh tasting and not at all heavy.
However, you serve it the lemongrass aroma really makes your mouth water before you even sit down to eat. The flavors of the lemongrass and other herbs and spices blend to deliver a deliciously complex sweet and savory dish with the added benefit of umami-lemony flavors. 


This dish really is a must-try.

Key Spices for Lemongrass Chicken

Lemongrass Chicken

Lemon grass is commonly used all through Asia - but it is most common in Southeast Asia.  Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam employ it in their cuisines. for making dishes like Tom Yum Goong, Beef Rendang, and Laksa to name but a few.

Chilli

Chilli is a key ingredient an you can use only a little and it will make a huge difference to the overall taste. My message to you if you are afraid - is do not be - just use a very small amount to start with - you will soon learn just how much you need. 

Ginger

Ginger is another key ingredient, just like chilli - use a little at first, but do use it because you will notice a difference. Even if you do not actually taste the ginger directly - it actually influences and enhances the overall flavour of the dish.
ingredients lemongrass chicken

Assemble All Ingredients

It really does help to get organized by getting all of your ingredients assembled. Why - because then you can focus on following the recipe rather than having to pause and go off to find another spice or something.

For ingredients that can be measured - I really like to also measure them out also so again there is one less thing to do when you actually start cooking. 

Also see at the end of this recipe a tip on how to prepare the lemongrass.

Prepare the Ginger, Garlic and Shallot

Slice and dice the garlic, shallot, ginger (shown here), and chili. For the shallot and garlic try to dice them into similar sized small cubes. 

The ginger slice it thinly - but not diced - again to a similar width as the garlic and shallot. (If you do not have a shallot and onion will do - but just halve the amount.

Also, see our video below on how to prepare the lemongrass.
ginger chopped
peeling the chilli

Peeling the Chili

I really like the depth of flavor that chili can add but I do not like it too hot. 

By scrapping the seeds and a little bit of the inside skin you can remove most of the heat - and keep the nice flavor-enhancing properties of the chili.

Marinate the Chicken

Now it is time to place all of the ingredients into the instant pot or another bowl if you prefer. 

Put everything (except the chicken) into the bowl and give them a good mix so that everything is dissolved and evenly spread. Then put in the chicken and get your hands into the mix so the lovely marinade gets all around and into the chicken. 

Then leave it for at least 30 mins - If you have time to do it the night before - leave in the fridge overnight (covered) and you will get the maximum benefit of the marinade flavor in the chicken. Leave the Chicken skin side down when you have it standing.
lemongrass chicken marinade
lemongrass chicken marinade

Everything Ready 

Now everything is back in the instant pot and ready to go. 

Lets pressure cook our lemongrass chicken. First, you will see we have turned up the chicken so now the skin is showing. 

Put on the lid and set for 8 minutes and after the beep - we then want to wait 10 mins on natural release of the pressure. Release any pressure and open the lid. The dish is now fully cooked and now it is time to do final seasoning of the lemongrass chicken. 

Do a small taste of the "gravy" and season with salt, pepper or even a little more brown sugar if it is too salty. 

If you would like to thicken - mix about 15g of cornstarch well into about 20 ml of water. Take out the chicken and set the instant pot to sauté. When it is boiling stir in the cornstarch mix and the sauce will thicken up nicely.
How to Prepare Lemongrass
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instant pot lemongrass chicken recipe

Lemongrass Chicken Instant Pot

  • Author: Rosie
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: Asian
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Description

Lemongrass Chicken again uses the wonderfully fragrant lemongrass - This recipe is really divine and do not be afraid of the chili - it takes the flavor to a new level - just follow our method above to take out the hot part of the chili first.

Ingredients

Scale

4-6 Bone-in Chicken thighs with skin

3-4 stalks of lemongrass (see our video below on how to get the max flavor from the lemongrass)

1 Big Chilli

1-2 shallots

1x 1 inch piece of ginger

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice

1 cup of water

3 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 tablespoon sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

How to Marinate Chicken Thighs

Mix together in a bowl - or even the Instant Pot the prepared garlic, shallot, ginger, smashed lemongrass, and brown sugar. 

Then add in lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, and cold water.  Make sure you mix these very well as you want the flavor to get into the chicken in the marinating process.

Now put in the chicken thighs with skin side down. Place the bowl or pot in the fridge, then let it marinate for at least 2 hours.  If you can do it overnight then that is even better. Remember to cover the pot or bowl with plastic.

Pressure Cook the Chicken. When you have finished marinating the chicken.  Place it all in the instant pot but turn the chicken so the skin side is facing up.

Put on the Instant Pot lid.  Pressure Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes and then 10 minutes of natural pressure release.  The release any remaining pressure, before opening the lid.

Now take out the chicken again. Now with a teaspoon taste the sauce/liquid and season according to your taste.

To thicken the sauce.  Put the sauté button back to high and bring the liquid back to the boil. 

Mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornflour or cornstarch with about 1/2 cup of water. I find a small fork or whisk works well. Mix it well so that there are no lumps.  Keep mixing all the time you are adding the cornstarch. Plus make sure you boil it for at least 2 minutes to cook out the cornstarch.  You will find the sauce mixture thickens up really nicely.

What we did and it is a really nice touch is while you are doing the sauce - you can also pop the chicken with the skin side up on an oven tray and turn your oven to broil and place the tray under for a few minutes till the skin goes brown. This is optional - but it does make the dish look nicer. (See our photo).  Just make sure you watch it as once the skin starts to turn brown it can burn very quickly.

We also sprinkled sesame seeds on the chicken for effect also.

Notes

Really Nice for an Asian Special Night

Nutrition

  • Calories: 600

Keywords: Lemongrass chicken instant pot, pressure cooking

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How to Prepare Lemongrass

If you like Asian Chicken also try our Chinese Five Spice Sticky Chicken Drumsticks

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