These Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls are a delicious gluten-free lunch or dinner idea made with rice noodles, grilled chicken and veggies!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken breasts – chicken breasts are the leaner option but you can use chicken thighs instead.
- Olive oil – or any neutral flavoured oil such as sunflower or canola oil.
- Rice noodles – rice noodles are the base of this dish, but if you don't have any on hand, vermicelli noodles will add the same effect.
- Lemongrass – if you can’t find lemongrass stalks, opt for a lemongrass paste or use lemon zest for a similar flavour.
- Garlic – fresh garlic is recommended but feel free to use garlic paste or jarred minced garlic instead.
- Carrots – leave the carrots out or substitute for another veggie of your choice.
- Bell peppers – use any combination of green, red and yellow bell peppers.
- Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
- Sweet chili sauce – the sweet chili sauce adds flavour and spice to the dish. If you're sensitive to heat, feel free to skip the sauce.
- Sriracha – see the same notes as for the sweet chili sauce.
- Chopped peanuts – these add a nice texture but you can always leave them out if you’re not a fan.
- Cilantro – try parsley or basil if you don’t like cilantro.
Chicken marinade
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- Olive oil – see substitution notes above.
- Lime juice – if you don't have any limes, opt for lemon juice instead.
- Soy sauce – see substitution notes above.
- Lemongrass – see substitution notes above.
- Garlic – see substitution notes above.
- Ginger – fresh ginger is recommended but feel free to use ginger paste or jarred minced ginger.
- Turmeric – curry powder or saffron would be a great alternative here.
- Chili powder – chili powder will add spice and heat to your marinade, but if you don't have any you can skip this step or replace it with paprika for a similar flavour.
- Coriander – instead of coriander, you can use cumin.
How to make lemongrass chicken bowls
- Mix together the marinade.
- Marinate then grill the chicken.
- Cook the rice noodles.
- Sauté the veggies until tender.
- Combine the sauce, noodles and veggies.
- Stir in the chicken and serve!
Baking vs. grilling the chicken
If you're debating on whether to grill or bake your chicken, there are some things to think about! Grilling your chicken gives the meat a bold flavour while allowing the excess fat to drip off the meat, making it a lower-calorie option. On the other hand, baking your chicken will create a more delicate taste and texture.
It's important to note that even though grilling is seen as a lower-calorie technique, you can still create healthy dishes when baking your chicken – as long as you skip out on using excess oils and butter during the process!
Frequently Asked Questions
Lemongrass isn’t actually spicy when cooked! It has a lemony flavour with a slight hint of ginger, which goes perfectly with the chicken, rice noodles and veggies in this dish.
These lemongrass chicken noodle bowls have 422 calories per serving.
The great thing about these bowls is that you have all the components of a meal in one with protein, veggies and rice noodles. If you want to serve something else on the side, I’d recommend something light such as a side salad. You’ve really got everything you need in one delicious bowl!
Storing and reheating
To store these amazing dishes for lunch the next day or meal prep them for dinner, prepare your bowls as you would without your garnishes (lime and cilantro) and store them in airtight glass containers for up to 3 days.
When you're ready to eat your lemongrass chicken bowls, warm them up in the microwave or heat them up on the stovetop, stirring frequently. Top with your chosen garnishes and enjoy!
Freezing the chicken
To freeze any leftover chicken for future meals, place your chicken in an airtight container or freezer-safe Ziploc bag. You will want to make sure it’s airtight to avoid freezer burn. Note: When you're placing your chicken in the freezer, make sure it has cooled down entirely first. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The night before you’re ready to use your chicken, stick it in the fridge to defrost overnight. Then, you can reheat it in the oven or in the microwave and use for whatever dish you want.
More easy Asian-inspired recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this noodle dish into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen so I always have chicken on hand!
Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowls {Gluten-Free!}
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb rice noodles
- 1/2 stalk lemongrass, minced up
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup matchstick cut carrots
- 1/2 each red, green and yellow bell pepper, diced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 1 tbsp chopped peanuts (more for garnish)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Chicken marinade
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 stalk lemongrass, minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander
Instructions
- Preheat BBQ to high heat. Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Mix together marinade ingredients then marinate chicken for 15-20 min before cooking on the grill for 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat, let cool and then slice chicken thinly. You can also saute chicken in a large skillet for 6-7 minutes per side.
- Meanwhile, cook rice noodles according to package directions (should only take 1-2 min in boiling water).
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan on high heat. Add lemongrass, garlic, carrots and bell peppers, sauteeing for 3-4 minutes until veggies are tender.
- Add rice noodles, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, sriracha and peanuts, cooking until veggies are softened and noodles have absorbed sauce.
- Remove from heat, stir in chicken and cilantro and serve!
Anne says
I’ve made this at least 10x. It’s amazing! I suggest replacing the green bell pepper with jalapeno for a little extra kick. Pro tip – do your chopping the night before or in the morning so it goes together quickly.
Erica says
I was curious about using lemongrass paste (that you buy in refrigerated area of the produce section) as opposed to using fresh stalks of lemongrass. I ask because I already have some at home. Thoughts? How much should I use? Thank you!
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Erica! I have never tried the lemongrass paste but I imagine it would work pretty well as a substitute! I would say use 1 tbsp of paste in the chicken marinade, and 1/2 tbsp of paste in the rice noodle mixture. Let me know how it turns out 🙂