Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Beef (Bo Nuong Xa)

About This Recipe

Bo nuong xa showcases the lemongrass-fish sauce marinade so central to Vietnamese grilling, applied here to thin strips of beef that cook in just a couple minutes over high heat. The thin cut is deliberate — it means more surface area gets charred and caramelized relative to the meat's volume, concentrating flavor in every bite. Marinating briefly but with a strong, well-balanced mixture is key, since the meat cooks so quickly that there's no time for flavor to build during cooking; it all has to come from the marinade and the char itself.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gflank or sirloin steak(thinly sliced against the grain)
• 3 stalkslemongrass(finely minced)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 3 tbspfish sauce
• 2 tbspbrown sugar
• 1 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 tbspsoy sauce
• 4 cupscooked jasmine rice(for serving)
• 1 handfulfresh herbs and lettuce(for serving)
• 0.5 cupnuoc cham(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the beef

   Combine lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, oil, and soy sauce. Coat the sliced beef and marinate at least 20 minutes, up to 2 hours.

2. 2

   Heat the pan or grill

   Heat a grill pan or skillet over high heat until very hot.

3. 3

   Sear the beef quickly

   Add beef in a single layer, working in batches if needed, and sear 1-2 minutes per side until charred.

   High heat and quick cooking are essential — thin beef slices overcook and toughen fast.

4. 4

   Rest briefly

   Transfer to a plate and let rest 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve hot over jasmine rice with fresh herbs, lettuce, and nuoc cham on the side.

Variations

• •

  Serve wrapped in lettuce leaves with herbs and rice noodles instead of over rice.

• •

  Use pork instead of beef for a different but equally classic lemongrass-grilled dish.

• •

  Add sliced Thai chiles to the marinade for extra heat.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days; reheat briefly in a hot pan to avoid overcooking the already-thin beef further.

Frequently Asked Questions