How to Use Lemongrass 9 Ways, According to Chefs

As a home cook who likes to experiment with ingredients, perhaps you've wondered how to use lemongrass. After all, this versatile Asian herb has a seductive, citrusy scent and flavor, presenting infinite culinary possibilities. We caught up with chefs to find out which parts of the lemongrass stalk to use, and how to enjoy this unique multi-tasker and its lemony powers in drinks, mains, marinades, and even desserts.

What Is Lemongrass?

Native to Maritime Southeast Asia, lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a part of the Poaceae (grass) family. It is a culinary staple in Southeast Asian countries, especially Thailand and Vietnam, plus some regions of China and India. The stems are edible, while the leaves can be consumed fresh or dried as a seasoning.

Taste and Scent: Though potent, those fragrant notes can also be understated.  "Lemongrass has a light citrus, herbal flavor, without adding acid to a dish," says Christina Nguyen, chef/owner of Hai Hai, a Minneapolis restaurant specializing in Southeast Asian street food and the regional Vietnamese dishes she grew up with. "It's super fragrant with a fresh lemon scent."

Bhavin Chhatwani, executive chef of Tamasha Modern Indian restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, finds that the herb's citrusy attributes strike just the right balance without being overly tangy on the palate. "It has subtle hints of mint and ginger that bring a light, refreshing quality to dishes, elevating the flavors without overpowering them," he says.

Prepping Lemongrass

Readying lemongrass for recipes entails a few preliminary steps. Nguyen suggests the following:

1. Trim off the woody base.
2. Peel away the dirty or fibrous outer leaves.
3. Trim off the green upper part of the stalk and reserve for later use.

The top and bottom parts of the lemongrass stalk serve different culinary purposes: 

Bottom portion: Nguyen notes that the white lower end of the stalk is the best part to cook with and eat. It holds the most concentrated flavors, particularly near the root, Chhatwani adds.

Top portion: Still, the stalk top isn't a total castaway. Nguyen uses the green tops to add flavor to soups, curries, and teas, or to make flavored syrup. The tops are excellent for infusions—especially in tea, Chhatwani says. He first discovered its tea-worthiness when visiting rural villages in India. Sipping lemongrass tea before service at Tamasha has since become his ritual.

How to Use Lemongrass

Lemongrass can be enjoyed raw or cooked. "Lemongrass is quite fibrous and woody, so if you're using it in a raw application, like in a laab salad or marinade, you'll want to slice it as thin as possible against the grain," Nguyen recommends. It can be cut into rings, minced, or buzzed in a food processor. "It's a labor of love but totally worth it so you don't get big lemongrass fibers stuck in your teeth."

Here's how to experience its lemony delights:

Laab (or Larb) salad: Spicy and refreshing, this Northern Thai classic typically mixes ground meat with fresh cilantro, mint, or Thai basil, fresh lemongrass or lemongrass paste, and green onions, It's dressed with lime juice, fish sauce, and dried chili flakes, and topped with toasted rice powder. 

Curry paste: Nguyen makes ample use of minced lemongrass in her restaurant's housemade curry pastes. Add a pinch to our Winter-Vegetable Red Curry.

Chai masala: Fresh lemongrass, ginger, and mint enliven this sweet Indian beverage, usually made with black tea, milk, and sugar. "While lemongrass isn't as widely used in Indian cuisine, it's gaining popularity among chefs and home cooks," Chhatwani says, adding that it's commonly added to broths, teas, and coconut-based curries.

Fish curry: Chhatwani incorporates lemongrass into a favorite Tamasha dish called Yellowtail Red Snapper Coastal Curry, "For the snapper, we marinate the fish in a blend of butter, garlic, and lemongrass, then slow-cook it to create a subtly refreshing flavor," he says. It's served with a raw mango curry and Swiss chard. Also transcendent: Our Slow-Cooker Indian-Style Fish Curry.

Marinades: Nguyen tucks lemongrass into her meat marinades, a blend of fish sauce, oyster sauce, honey, and Shaoxing cooking wine. 

Grilled meat: Nguyen mixes those marinade ingredients with ground meat, minced shallot, and sliced lime leaf, shaping the meat around green lemongrass tops like a skewer. "It imparts a lovely fragrance when grilled," she says. Lemongrass also takes center stage in our Grilled Pork Loin With Lemongrass.

Stir-frys: Lemongrass, ginger, and chile peppers punch up week-night favorites like our Shrimp-and-Basil Glass Noodle Stir-Fry.

Chicken soup: Smashed lemongrass stalks lend citrusy intrigue to our Ginger-Lemongrass Broth With Noodles, Silken Tofu, and Broccoli, our Lemongrass Chicken Soup, and our Thai Chicken Soup.

Gelato: Lemongrass also makes a splash at the dessert table. "We make a unique gelato using lemongrass and Indian herbs and spices, inspired by Thandai, a drink traditionally enjoyed during the festival of Holi," Chhatwani says. Consider experimenting with our Coconut Gelato.

Buying Lemongrass

Fresh lemongrass stalks are typically sold in bundles in grocery stores and Asian markets—and you can also grow your own. 

"When shopping for lemongrass, look for sturdy firm, fresh-looking stalks without rot or mold," advises Nguyen. The outer leaves may be a little dry, but as long as the inner stalks look moist and fresh, they should be suitable for consumption. "Definitely avoid stalks that feel hollow or bendable," she says.

Storage: Wrapped in paper towels in a loose plastic bag, the stalks can be kept in the crisper drawer of your fridge for up to 10 days.

Nutritional Benefits

Lemongrass is packed with anti-inflammatory flavonoids and has iron, calcium, and vitamin C. It's been used in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine for centuries to treat digestion issues and relieve stress.