Lemongrass Ginger Chicken with Chilli Sambal

This dish is inspired by a birthday takeaway that left such a mark I just had to recreate it — with a few delicious upgrades. Fragrant lemongrass, zingy ginger, and caramelised chicken come together in a rich, savoury sauce finished with a squeeze of lime and a fiery spoonful of Chilli Sambal. It’s bright, bold, and perfect for a weekend dinner or an easy weekday treat.

Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minutes (+ marinating time)
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the marinade

• 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled & grated
• 1 lemongrass stalk, end trimmed, outer layer removed & finely grated (use a microplane if possible)
• 2 large garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• Salt & black pepper
• 4 chicken thigh fillets

For the sauce

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 190ml vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp white wine or rice vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• Black pepper

Extras

• Juice of ½ lime
• 1 small cauliflower, leaves saved & main part sliced into chunky pieces
• Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp Chilli Sambal (or Peanut Salsa), to serve

Method

1. Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, combine chicken thighs with ginger, lemongrass, garlic, honey, sunflower oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well so everything is coated. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight for maximum flavour.

Take the chicken out of the fridge about an hour before cooking so it can come to room temperature — this helps it cook evenly and stay tender.

2. Cook the chicken: Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp sunflower oil, then place chicken thighs in the pan. Fry for about 3–3.5 minutes on one side until golden, then turn and cook for another 3–4 minutes on the other side. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

3. Make the sauce: Pour the vegetable stock into the same pan, scraping up all those golden bits with a spatula on a low simmer. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, honey, and black pepper. Return the chicken to the pan, bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, and cook for about 5–6 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Taste and adjust seasoning, then squeeze over lime juice.

4. Cook the cauliflower: While the sauce finishes, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower leaves first and cook for 3 minutes. Then add the chunky cauliflower pieces and cook for another 3 minutes until just tender.

5. Serve: Plate up the cauliflower and top with chicken thighs. Spoon over plenty of sauce, scatter with coriander, and finish with generous dollops of Chilli Sambal or Peanut Salsa.