Grilled lemongrass chicken wings

Summery, citrusy lemongrass combines with umami rich fish sauce to infuse mouthwatering flavor into wings. Char them on the grill for amazing bbq wings you'll love.

Total carbs 4g

I love the vivid colors, bright flavors and fresh aroma of Vietnamese food. Lemongrass marinade is common in Vietnamese cooking. Lemongrass is used as an aromatic to add fragrance. It is also chopped finely to add texture to dishes. This keto-friendly recipe uses less sugar than traditional lemongrass marinades. It also uses lemongrass paste, instead of fresh lemongrass, to keep things simple for the average home cook.

Share with 3 friends for a snack at about 4 grams of carbs per serving or have it all to yourself as a meal at 14 grams of carbs per meal.

Ingredients you'll need:

lemongrass

Lemongrass is a classic Vietnamese flavoring. There is really no substitute for lemongrass. It is citrusy more than lemony.

I cut a corner here by using ready made lemongrass paste instead of fresh lemongrass for two reasons:

1. Fresh lemongrass isn't always available.
2. It can be a lot of work to break down fresh lemongrass stalks. They can be tough and fibrous and require a bit of elbow grease to chop up, which is why this recipe calls for lemongrass paste.

You can find tubes of lemongrass paste next to the herbs in the produce section. Otherwise check the frozen herbs section of the supermarket.

chicken

This recipe calls for wings because I love char-grilled wings on the bbq, but you can substitute with chicken breast or thigh meat.

brown sugar

Sugar helps the wings caramelize and develop nice grill marks. Don't worry about the added sugar since it is a very small amount. If you are on a very strict keto diet, you can leave out the sugar and still enjoy the beautiful flavor of lemongrass marinade.

garlic and shallots for a little spice

fish sauce

Adds salty umami flavor and an appetizing deep brown color.

oil

Add a splash of oil to the marinade to keep the wings from sticking to the grill.

Equipment you'll need

A charcoal grill is the best way to cook these wings, giving a lovely smoky char-grilled flavor. If you don't have a charcoal grill, no worries, a gas grill will do the trick. You can also arrange these wings in a single layer on a greased baking sheet and bake these in the oven at 400°F for 20-25 minutes.

Make ahead

You can marinate the wings up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Serving suggestions

Serve with fresh, raw vegetables like lettuce, sliced radishes or daikon radish, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, sliced red chili peppers, cilantro, mint, basil and lime.

Serve with a dipping sauce made of a 1:3 ratio of fish sauce to water with a squeeze of lime to dip veggies in.

Frequently asked questions

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