Vietnamese Chicken Gimbap (Lemongrass Chicken)

This Vietnamese chicken gimbap is the best of both Korean and Vietnamese worlds! It takes the traditional lemongrass chicken and turns it into a portable, protein and veggie packed roll. Great to feed a crowd or for an on-the-go lunch at the park, beach, or even work!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Marinade time30

Total Time1

Course: Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Korean, Vietnamese

Servings: people

Calories: 476kcal

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade

1 lb chicken thighs
1 shallot minced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
3 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
¼ cup lemongrass minced

For the Pickled Veggies

4 oz daikon radish
4 oz carrots
1 teaspoon salt for salting the veggies
⅓ cup vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoon salt for the brine
1 cup water

For Assembling

3 cups cooked sticky white rice or short grain rice
4 sheets nori
2 Persian cucumbers quartered lengthwise
2 scallions greens only, sliced
neutral oil
peanuts roasted and chopped
sriracha optional, for topping

Instructions

Marinate the chicken:

In a bowl, add the chicken thighs, oyster sauce, fish sauce, salt, honey, brown sugar, black pepper, dark soy sauce, minced lemongrass, minced shallot, and garlic. Mix until combined. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
1 lb chicken thighs, 1 shallot, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 3 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoon brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, ¼ cup lemongrass

Make the pickled carrots and daikon radish:

Cut the daikon and carrots into thin matchsticks. Toss them with 1 teaspoon of salt and let them sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Rinse thoroughly in cold water and squeeze out any extra liquid.
4 oz daikon radish, 4 oz carrots, 1 teaspoon salt
In a bowl, add the sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, and water. Stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the vinegar and stir to combine.
⅓ cup vinegar, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup water
Add the daikon and carrots to the brine and let it sit for at least 15 minutes.

Cook the chicken:

Cook the chicken in a pan over medium heat, about 6-8 minutes per side until slightly caramelized and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into thin strips.

Assemble:

To assemble, lay a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on a bamboo mat or dry surface. Spread a thin, even layer of rice over the nori, leaving about an inch bare at the top edge.
3 cups cooked sticky white rice or short grain rice, 4 sheets nori
Layer sliced chicken, pickled veggies, cucumber sticks, and scallion greens in a line across the bottom third of the rice.
2 Persian cucumbers, 2 scallions
Begin rolling tightly upward from the bottom, pressing firmly as you roll. Wet the top edge with a few dabs of water and roll to seal shut.
Brush the roll with neutral oil and sprinkle with chopped roasted peanuts.
neutral oil, peanuts
Slice each gimbap roll into 8 pieces with a sharp knife. Top with optional sriracha and enjoy!
sriracha

Notes

Cool the rice slightly before rolling. Hot rice makes the nori shrivel up and is harder to work with.
Slice your chicken thin. Thin strips roll up tighter and give you a cleaner bite.
Drain the pickles before adding to the gimbap roll. The pickles will make the rice soggy.
Gimbap is best enjoyed day of, so I'd recommend storing each component separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
When ready to enjoy, heat up the rice and chicken until just warm and assemble.
If you have leftover rolls, they'll keep in the fridge in an airtight container for about a day.

Nutrition