A basic marinade to add to your repertoire and one of my favorites at that. Confession – I LOVE lemongrass. I don’t think about utilizing it often enough, but when I do, I can’t get enough of it. This marinade is full of lemongrass and therefore, basically a punch of flavor.
My favorite part of this marinade is that IMO it works on pork, chicken, beef, and tofu. Be mindful of how thick your meat is — If it is thinly sliced it will only need to be in the marinade for an hour or two. If you are cooking a whole chicken breast or pork loin you will want to marinate a cut of meat that size for 4+ hours and up to overnight.
I hope you love this staple marinade! It’s:
Basic + Buildable
Easy to make
Versatile
Perfect for any Vietnamese Dish
Ready in less than 10 minutes
Easy to prep ahead of time
Easy to increase for a larger guest count
Always a crowd favorite
I love to make a double batch of this marinade and freeze with a meat cut of choice so that I can easily make my Rice Noodle Bowls on a weeknight whim.
Need to add some fish sauce, sambal olek
chili paste, sriracha
or lemongrass
to your pantry. Follow the links for my favorite brands!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #theeternalhostess on Instagram.

Ingredients
Marinade
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 pieces shallot (roughly chopped)
- 2 stalks lemongrass (white parts only roughly chopped)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 3 tbsp oil (avocado or olive oil )
- ground pepper
Protein
- 1 pound chicken, pork, beef ((if using tofu - 1 brick))
Instructions
- Combine garlic, shallots, lemongrass, fish sauce, and oil in a bowl or ziploc bag.
- Place protein in the bowl or ziploc bag. Coat the protein evenly in the marinade. Seal container and marinate at least 2 hours, but up to 24 hours.
- If using meat, remove 1 hour before cooking and allow to come to room temperature and cook to desired doneness
Notes
- If you are in a hurry, cut the meat into smaller slices, marinade for 1 hour and cook.
- If you prefer more of a "paste" consistency, blend all the ingredients and coat meat in paste.