Vietnamese Chicken Marinade
A bright, savory Vietnamese chicken marinade built for busy weeknights. This easy mix uses pantry staples like fish sauce, lime, garlic, and a touch of sweetness to create tender, flavorful chicken that grills, bakes, or pan‑sears beautifully.
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 10 minutes mins
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine Vietnamese
Mixing bowl
Microplane or grater
Measuring spoons
Whisk
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar or honey
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely grated
- to taste black pepper
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water as needed
- to taste chili flakes optional
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil optional
Whisk fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, neutral oil, and sugar or honey until smooth.
Stir in garlic, ginger, black pepper, and chili if using.
Add water as needed to loosen the marinade so it coats the chicken evenly.
Pour over 1 pound chicken and marinate 20 to 30 minutes for thin cuts or up to 4 hours for thicker pieces.
Cook using your preferred method until lightly caramelized.
- Taste the marinade before adjusting saltiness since fish sauce and soy sauce are already salty.
- Thin with water or lime juice if using on delicate cuts like chicken breast.
- Reserve a small portion separately to drizzle over rice or noodles.
- Unused marinade not mixed with raw chicken keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Keyword easy Vietnamese marinade, Lemongrass Cooking marinade, lime garlic chicken, modern Vietnamese cooking, Vietnamese chicken marinade, Vietnamese grilled chicken, Vietnamese pantry marinade, weeknight Vietnamese chicken