20-Minute Thai Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry (Pad Gai Ta Krai)

This Thai lemongrass chicken stir fry is for those days when you want heaps of delicious Thai flavor but you’re short on time.

It’s a quick and easy stir fry that has juicy chunks of chicken coated in an addictive medley of lemongrass, shallots, garlic, and kaffir lime. The combination of oyster sauce and fish sauce rounds out the flavor with pure umami nirvana.

The best part? It’s a recipe with minimal ingredients and it all comes together quick in just 20 minutes.

It’s so simple and yet so flavorful that it’s almost guaranteed to become a kitchen favorite, especially if you and your family love the flavors of Thai cuisine.

What is Thai Lemongrass Chicken Stir Fry?

I love a good lemongrass chicken. I make the marinated Vietnamese version all the time. But sometimes you just don’t have the time or patience to wait around while your chicken marinates for a day. In fact, sometimes, you have less than half an hour to get dinner on the table.

Enter this lemongrass chicken stir fry.

So what is it? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like. In Thai, it’s Pad Gai Takrai (ผัดไก่ตะไคร) and it literally translates to:

• pad = stir fry
• gai = chicken
• takrai = lemongrass

Which sums up exactly what it is. If the name sounds unfamiliar, that’s because it’s not among the typical Thai restaurant favorites, at least in the West. I’ve never seen it at any Thai restaurants here in London. I do remember eating this in Thailand, though, so I’ve done my best to recreate something like it.

Instead of the combination of shredded fried and fresh lemongrass slices that I remember eating, I’ve taken inspiration from the thinly sliced and sauteed lemongrass used for the Vietnamese pork belly dish called ba chỉ rang sả. I hope you enjoy! We certainly did.

Ingredients for Thai Lemongrass Chicken

Chicken. I’m using boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces. You can go with chicken breast as well but for this recipe, thighs are superior. They stand up much better to overcooking, which is something I often like to do with this recipe to get a bit of char on the chicken and caramelize the sauce.

Note: Want to skip chicken altogether? Substitute with prawns, pork, scallops, or firm tofu.

Lemongrass. Apart from chicken, lemongrass is the star player here. I usually have a store of frozen lemongrass stalks but for this recipe, fresh ones are nicer. Use only the white and light green “heart” of the lemongrass.

Shallots. The shallots are optional but I love the texture and flavor they add. If you do, too, use them! You can also substitute onions.

Garlic. Are there good stir fries without garlic? Probably not. Fresh is always best here. No need to chop to thin or small. I just roughly dice. The larger, the less likely to burn, after all.

Kaffir lime leaves. These are so fragrant and wonderfully citrusy. You can remove the stem and finely dice them into shreds or roughly tear them up. I toss them in the stir fry whole so I can easily pluck them out later.

Thai chili pepper. One de-seeded and chopped Thai chili pepper – or a milder pepper – adds a lot of delicious spicy kick to this recipe. But this is totally optional. I almost always have to leave it out so that our 5-year-old can enjoy the meal too. If you’re in the same boat, top off the finished dish with Thai chili pepper powder.

Seasoning. There’s so much flavor already from the aromatics but a combination of oyster sauce, fish sauce, and a little bit of black pepper and sugar take it over the edge. So much umami goodness, you may be scraping the bottom of the wok for the caramelized bits.

How to Make Thai Lemongrass Chicken

Prep Chicken

This recipe doesn’t involve a long marinade at all – we’re just going to make the sauce and let the chicken soak in it while we prep the other ingredients.

So go ahead and mix oyster sauce, fish sauce, black pepper, and sugar in a bowl. As you cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, place them in the sauce. Toss to combine.

Prep Aromatics

While the chicken sits in the sauce is the perfect time to prep the aromatics.

Slice the lemongrass. First peel off and toss the outer layer as well as the top green part of the lemongrass stalks. If you’re getting fresh lemongrass from Sainsbury’s or Waitrose, they’ve already had the tops sliced off – just chop off the stem then peel off an outer layer or two and you’re good to go. Thinly slice the white and light green part of the stalks.

Slice the shallots. Same thing here – thinly slice the shallots.

Dice the garlic. You can slice, dice, chop, or cut however which way you want. You’re the boss of this garlic!

As for the kaffir lime leaves, you can remove the stem and then slice the leaves finely. Or you can just add them in as is. I’m doing the latter as I just want a bit of flavor but want to pick them out in the end.

Stir Fry

Heat a wok or skillet and add around a tablespoon of oil. Toss in all the aromatics -shallots, lemongrass, garlic, and the kaffir lime leaves. Let these get nice and fragrant for just 3 to 4 minutes and then add in the chicken.

Stir through to mix and continue to stir fry for until the chicken is cooked through (around 10 to 14 minutes).

That’s it! Serve warm and enjoy.

What to Serve with Thai Lemongrass Chicken?

The ideal garnishes are fresh herbs, especially chopped cilantro, green onions, and even fresh thinly sliced lemongrass. A couple lime slices are never out of place here, either. And for extra spice, add de-seeded and sliced fresh chili peppers or Thai chili powder.

This Thai lemongrass stir fry is perfect paired with jasmine rice and some greens. I love it with a side of Thai green beans.

Is there a healthier option? Go with brown rice!

Is there a low-carb option? Make it into a salad! Serve the lemongrass chicken on top of a garden salad of leafy greens, shredded cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, corn, bell peppers, and/or tomatoes. Or you can serve it with a side of shirataki rice or noodles.

Leftovers & Storage

To store: Once it’s cooled to room temperature, store in an airtight contained in the fridge for up to 4 days. This stir fry chicken also stores well in the freezer for up to 4 months.

To reheat: The best way to reheat it is to pop it back in the wok or hot skillet. If you’re short on time, the microwave works as well.

Reheating instructions: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat. Optionally, add a splash of water to revive the sauce. Additionally, you can put the chicken in a microwave-safe container and microwave until warm.