Description
These Grilled Chicken Spring Roll Bowls with Peanut Sauce have everything you love about fresh Vietnamese spring rolls, just deconstructed into bowl form!
Layer juicy lemongrass chicken, crisp veggies, and loads of fresh herbs over a bed of cold rice noodles, then drizzle creamy peanut sauce over top.
It’s a craveable, texture-loaded twist that’s light, refreshing, and easy to prep even on a hot day. You’ll come back to this one all summer long!
Ingredients
Scale
for the grilled chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, bruised and roughly chopped (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1 small knob ginger, finely chopped or grated
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil of choice
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (sub tamari for gluten-free)
- 1-3 tablespoons fish sauce (adjust to suit your tastes)
- 1 large, juicy lime, juiced
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
spring roll bowl assembly:
- rice vermicelli noodles (I love MAMA Instant Rice Vermicelli)
- 1 head Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
- 1 medium bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced into matchsticks
- 1 English cucumber, thinly sliced into matchsticks
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh herbs of choice (e.g. cilantro, mint, Thai basil, etc.)
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 1 cup peanut sauce (store-bought or try my 10-Minute Creamy Peanut Sauce)
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl, combine the lemongrass, shallot, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice. Season with a hefty pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Mix to combine well, then reserve ½ of the marinade for serving. Add chicken to the bowl, tossing to coat in the remaining marinade. Set aside or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Prep: At dinnertime, prepare the grill for medium-high direct heat grilling, about 450-500 degrees F. Once hot, clean the grates by brushing firmly with a grill brush. (If you do not have access to an outdoor grill, you can also preheat a grill pan over medium heat.) While the grill heats, prep the spring roll bowl ingredients: slice the veggies and prep the rice vermicelli according to package directions; once tender, chill by rinsing well with cold water. Set aside for assembly.
- Grill the chicken: Place the chicken on the preheated grill, discarding any excess marinade. Grill 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate or small baking sheet and rest.
- Assemble the chicken spring roll bowls: Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, thinly slice into strips and build your spring roll bowls as desired—I like to create a bed of rice noodles and lettuce, pile the veggies and chicken over top, then finish it off with lots of herbs, peanuts, and peanut sauce and/or reserved lemongrass marinade. Enjoy!
Notes
Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
- Chicken shortcut: While I love the smoky-charred flavor the grilled chicken lends to these spring roll bowls, this recipe is also great for using up any leftover shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken that may be hanging out in your refrigerator. Prep the marinade as described in Step 1 and toss half of it with your shredded chicken.
- Lemongrass: To “bruise” fresh lemongrass, trim the ends and remove the tough outer layers, then gently smash the stalk with the back of your knife or a rolling pin before chopping. You should smell its fresh, citrusy aroma right away! Substitutes: If you can’t find fresh lemongrass, look for tubed grated lemongrass (often sold in the refrigerator section near fresh herbs)—use 2 tablespoons for this recipe. Or substitute with 1 extra tablespoon grated ginger + the juice and zest of 1 lemon.
Meal Prep, Make-Ahead, and Storage:
- 20-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this recipe comes from preparing the marinade and chopping the veggies. Take care of this in advance—it takes 20-ish minutes—and you can jump straight into cooking during the week:
- Marinate the chicken according to Step 1 of Recipe Directions.
- Thinly slice the Romaine lettuce, bell pepper, carrot, and cucumber. Store in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- Make-Ahead and Storage: Once assembled, these spring roll bowls hold up beautifully. Transfer to airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For best results, store the sauce separately and drizzle just before serving. Enjoy cold, straight from the fridge, or let come to room temp for 10-15 minutes before eating.