Calabrian chicken and chorizo is a one skillet dinner that is absolutely dinner party worthy. Easy and posh at the same time. What’s better than that?

The great thing about this recipe is you get crispy skin and you get this crazy delicious sauce. Bits of chorizo floating around. Roasted red peppers. Cherry tomatoes. And the secret weapon. Calabrian chilies.

Calabrian chilies are a secret you need to know

Don’t know about Calabrian chilies? Time to find out. Any decent Italian deli will have them. And they keep forever in the fridge. Don’t just get them just for this recipe though. Great on pizza. Spiced oil. Pasta. Little salty flavour bombs.

Calabrian chicken and chorizo. Braised chicken done right. - 1

If you can’t get them, you can substitute crushed red chili. But you will be missing out. So try to get them if you can.

Keep the chicken above the liquid for crispy skin

This is sort of a braise. But it isn’t quite. The thing with braises is either you remove the skin like in Indian cooking. Or you put up with that soft mushy skin you get from simmering.

Personally, I’m OK with the mushy skin but not everybody loves it. Some might even go as far as to say they don’t even like it. Or that it sucks.

Easy way around it. Not rocket science. Keep the skin above the surface of the liquid the whole time. It can be simmering but the skin needs to stay dry. That keeps it crisp. Crispy skin. Delicious, braise like sauce. It just comes together sometimes. Easy.

Calabrian chicken with chorizo in a cast iron skillet. - 2 Calabrian chicken with chorizo in a cast iron skillet. - 3 Calabrian chicken and chorizo on a plate. - 4

calabrian chicken and chorizo

Ingredients

  • 6 oz chorizo - diced
  • 8 chicken thighs skin-on, bone in
  • 1/4 cup shallots - finely diced
  • 2 tsp good quality sweet Spanish or Hungarian paprika - not the stuff from the bulk store
  • 2 tsp Calabrian chilies - finely diced
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 roasted red pepper sliced
  • 10-12 cherry tomatoes whole
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 400F
  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold all the chicken in a single layer.
  • Add the chorizo and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown. Remove chorizo and set aside.
  • Rub the chicken thighs with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
  • Place the chicken, skin-side down and cook until golden brown. This will take about 6-7 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken and set aside. Spoon off all but two tablespoons of fat.
  • Reduce heat to medium low. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the Calabrian chilies and paprika and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute.
  • Add the chicken stock and stir to combine. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin-side up and place in a 400F oven.
  • Roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the chorizo, peppers and tomatoes. Return to the oven and continue to cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 175F, another 10 minutes or so.
  • Taste the sauce and adjust for salt. If you seasoned the chicken liberally you may not need to add any more.
  • Spoon the sauce, chorizo, peppers and tomatoes over the chicken. Serve with nice crusty bread along to let people mop up any extra sauce on their plates. That’s a bit more elegant than having them lick their plates. It could happen…

Notes

Nutrition

Cool rice noodles. Marinated chicken. Fresh herb salad. Sweet, salty nuoc cham dipping sauce. Vietnamese lemongrass chicken noodle bowl can’t be beat for dinner on a hot summer night.

This is Vietnamese bun – the classic noodle bowl. Bun ga nuong to be exact. And I am a big fan. Doesn’t matter if it’s chicken, beef or pork. I like it all.

Bits of super flavourful grilled meat on a bed of cool rice noodles just works for me. It’s one of my go to recipes when I crave Vietnamese.

calabrian chicken and chorizo - 5

Vietnamese lemongrass chicken bowls are a snap to make

Best part is Vietnamese lemongrass chicken noodle bowls are easy to make at home. One of the easiest Vietnamese dishes around. Approaching no brainer territory. Almost.

Marinate some chicken. Hydrate some noodles. Whip up some nuoc cham. Good to go. Way easier than those crazy Vietnamese soups like pho or mi bo kho .

Mmm… pho…

Vietnamese lemongrass chicken is a good recipe to know even if you aren’t making noodle bowls. The marinade works really well no matter what you are grilling.

Lemongrass chicken with the skin and bone works really well. Bigger pieces even. Not so chopstick friendly but perfect for a funky backyard barbecue party. Or chicken burgers. Or wings. Don’t get me started on Vietnamese lemongrass wings.

Vietnamese lemongrass chicken in a glass serving bowl from above. - 6

Nuoc cham for extra flavour

Nuoc cham is the perfect mix of salty, sweet, sour and hot. The hallmark flavours of southeast Asian cooking. It is the heart and soul of bun ga nuong.

Never heard of nuoc cham? It’s everywhere in Vietnamese cooking. It’s the dipping sauce that comes with spring rolls. The sauce you drizzle on your noodles. And if you’re wondering, it’s perfect for wings. Just magic stuff.

Closeup of Vietnamese lemongrass chicken in a bowl with chopsticks from the front. - 7

Don’t boil your rice noodles to death

I see a lot of recipes telling you to boil your rice vermicelli. That’s a great way to make rice glue. All it takes is a 10 minute soak in boiling hot water.

They will soften. And once they are soft drain them and rinse them under cool water. Perfect rice vermicelli every time.

This is a good tip when you are making fried rice noodles dishes like pad Thai as well. Soak them until they are just toothy. They will finish cooking in the dish. No more mushy bits of rice noodles.

Breasts or thighs for lemongrass chicken

Boneless chicken breasts or thighs work for this recipe. Breasts make for a nicer presentation. Dark meat for bigger flavour. Up to you. Try it both ways and decide.

Whatever you choose, make sure the chicken is fairly thin. You want to maximize the surface area. Maximum surface area equals more marinade and grill flavour. And more marinade and grill flavour means bigger taste. And that’s what it’s always about. Always.

Try Vietnamese lemongrass chicken in a noodle salad. But don’t forget wings. Or a grilled chicken sandwich. Try it. You’ll find all sorts of ways to love it. Just really tasty stuff.

Closeup of Vietnamese lemongrass chicken in a bowl with chopsticks from above. - 8

vietnamese lemongrass chicken noodle bowl

Ingredients

Lemongrass chicken marinade

  • 2 stalks lemongrass – tender inside part coarsely chopped
  • 2 tbsp shallots – minced
  • 1 or 2 cloves garlic – crushed
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 lime – juiced

Vietnamese lemongrass chicken noodle bowl

  • 4 large chicken thighs – boneless, skinless or use boneless breasts if you like
  • 8 oz rice noodles
  • cilantro, mint, thai basil, baby greens, bean sprouts, julienned carrots and lime – basically whatever you feel like adding

Nuoc cham

  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 tbsp lime juice – about 1 large lime
  • 1 tsp sambal oelek
  • 2/3 cup hot water
  • red chilies to taste

Instructions

  • Prepare the marinade. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken and mix well.
  • If using chicken breasts, slice the breasts in half along the horizontal axis. You want fairly thin pieces to maximize surface area. For thighs just pound them lightly to flatten.
  • Add the chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for about an hour.
  • While the chicken marinates prepare the nuoc cham. Combine all the ingredients and stir. Make sure the water is good and hot. You need to make the sugar dissolve. Set aside at room temperature.
  • Place the rice vermicelli in a large bowl. Pour boiling water the noodles and let soak until tender. This should take about 10 minutes. Once they are just tender drain through a colander. Rinse with cold water until the noodles are cool. Set aside at room temperature.
  • Prep your ganishes. Wash them as needed. Pull cilantro, mint and basil leaves off the stems. Julienne any vegetables. Slice the lime. The chicken won’t stay hot long so be ready to go.
  • Prepare your grill for high heat. The chicken will cook quickly so you don’t have long to get it to colour up. Grill over high heat until just done. This doesn’t take long at all. Two to three minutes per side.
  • Build your noodle bowls. Divide the noodles into 4. Top with mixed greens and whatever garnishes you choose.. Slice the chicken into bite size pieces and scatter overtop. Drizzle with nuoc cham and pass additional nuoc cham along side to let everyone dress their bowls to taste.

Nutrition

Vietnamese lemongrass chicken noodle bowls are sure to please. - 9