Vietnamese Grilled Chicken with Rice Vermicelli Noodles
Ingredients:
For the chicken
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2½ tablespoons fish sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
For the Vietnamese dipping sauce (Nuoc Cham)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic, optional
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
For serving
Shredded carrots, lettuce, and cucumbers
Chopped cilantro leaves
Chopped mint leaves
Cooked Vietnamese rice vermicelli noodles (about 8 ounces)
Directions:
1. Whisk lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, chili garlic sauce, sugar and oil in a small bowl. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the marinade for basting later. Pour the remainder into a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken pieces to the bag and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to 1 hour, turning occasionally.
2. Oil the grill rack. Grill the chicken, covered, turning several times and basting the browned sides with the reserved marinade, until well browned and slightly charred, and cooked through.
3. for the Vietnamese dipping sauce mix the sugar and water together in a medium bowl until all the sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients.
4. Slice the grilled chicken. Place desired amount of noodles, fresh vegetables, cilantro, and mint in a bowl. Top with sliced chicken. Pour in desired amount of dipping sauce and enjoy.
Notes: You can also cook the chicken in the oven rather than cooking it on the grill. Roast at 375 degrees until the chicken is almost cooked through, 15-20 minutes, turning at least once. Then turn on the broiler and broil the chicken about 4-5 inches from the heat, turning and basting the chicken until cooked through and lightly charred.
