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5 from 1 vote

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Bowls

Don't let the length of this recipe scare you off. It's actually quite easy to make and is totally worth the effort!
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
marinate chicken thighs1 hour
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Asian, vietnamese
Keyword: chicken thighs, gluten free, lemongrass, noodle bowl, nuoc cham sauce, rice vermicelli noodles, vietnamese
Servings: 4 bowls
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

  • 1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs approx 6 thighs or 1 1/4-1 1/2 lbs.
  • 1 stalk lemongrass sliced into 2” pieces or substitute 1 tablespoon lemon zest Refer to NOTE section below for prep instructions
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice fresh squeezed
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce I use San-J
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil divided (1 tablespoon for the marinade, 2 tablespoons for cooking the chicken)

Nuoc Cham sauce

  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 4 tablespoons rice vinegar unseasoned, also known as rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 1 jalapeno finely chopped, seeds removed for less spice
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice fresh squeezed

Noodle Bowl

  • 1/2 package dried rice vermicelli noodles approx 1/2 package or 8 oz
  • 2 carrots julienned or pre-cut
  • 2 cucumbers julienned or sliced into half moons, remove seeds if desired
  • 5 cups iceberg lettuce finely sliced, romaine lettuce can be substituted
  • 3 cups bean sprouts optional
  • handful of mint, basil and/or cilantro leaves chopped or torn ,optional

Garnish

  • jalapeno or red chiles sliced thinly
  • peanuts chopped or crushed
  • lime wedges

Instructions

CHICKEN

  • Mix together marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Rinse, pat dry and trim any fat from the chicken. Then add thighs to the marinade and set aside for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours. (If marinating for more than 1 hour, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook chicken)
  • To cook chicken thighs, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium to large pan over medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off large bits of lemongrass (small bits should fall off during cooking).
  • Place thighs in pan and cook each side until dark golden brown and chicken is just cooked through - about 6 to 8 minutes in total for medium-sized thighs. Cook time will be less for smaller thighs and more for larger thighs.
  • Remove chicken from pan, shaking off any remaining bits of visible lemongrass and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into thin pieces horizontally.

NUOC CHAM SAUCE

  • Combine fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, water, garlic, jalapeno and lime juice. Mix well to dissolve the sugar. You can adjust the sauce to your taste...add more sugar to make it sweeter, more lime to make it more tangy, etc. Set sauce aside for at least 20 minutes.

NOODLE BOWL INGREDIENTS

  • Soak vermicelli noodles in hot, boiled water for 3 minutes (or cook according to package instructions). Then drain noodles.
  • Organize and prep carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, sprouts (if using), herbs and garnish items (if using).

TO ASSEMBLE NOODLE BOWLS

  • Place a handful of noodles in a bowl (as little or as many noodles as you'd like). Top noodles with vegetables, herbs, and sliced chicken pieces. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of Nuoc Cham Sauce (be generous) and garnish if desired with lime wedges, peanuts and hot peppers.
  • You can also let everyone make their own noodle bowl which is really fun, family-style way to go. Place the chicken, noodles, vegetables, herbs, Nuoc Cham sauce and garnishes in separate bowls or platters.

Notes

Lemongrass: If using lemongrass, use a sharp knife and cut off the dry thick bottom end of the stalk and 1/3 of the skinny, papery top. Peel off the tough layers, as you would peel a scallion, to get to the pale, more tender inner core. Then slice the lemongrass lengthwise to get two halves. Using the flat side of your knife, give the cut sides of the lemongrass a good whack or two to bruise it. This releases the oils in the stalk that provide the lemongrass flavor. Then slice into 2" pieces.
While the recipe calls for lemongrass, I’ve discovered that substituting lemon zest, when need be, is a great alternative. So if your market doesn’t sell lemongrass, don’t sweat it!
If looking for a shortcut, marinate the chicken thighs in Soy Vay's new Gluten Free Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce and then follow chicken cooking instructions as detailed in above recipe.
You can easily substitute other vegetables such as bell peppers, snow peas, mushrooms, etc. 
Likewise you can substitute other proteins for the chicken such as tofu and shrimp.
You can also use boneless chicken breasts if desired - cooking time may need to be adjusted.
This dish is just as good, if not better, the second day.  I recommend making extra so you can have leftovers.
When working with raw chicken always use a separate cutting board and be sure to wash it and the counter thoroughly.  I have a dedicated cutting board for chicken.