Vietnam Guide

Grilled village chicken Gà nướng

A small free-range bird grilled whole over charcoal, torn by hand and eaten with cơm lam. The skin turns golden and smoky, the meat stays firm and sweet, and a dip of green-chili salt or muối é brings a sharp heat.

Grilled village chicken, Gà nướng
Photo: Phương Huy · CC0
Grilled village chicken, Gà nướng Food tours Grilled village chicken

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FromThe pairing of grilled chicken and cơm lam, from Ba Na and Xơ Đăng family kitchens
Price280,000–400,000 VND for a 1.2 kg bird for 4 (Go Vietnam, Kon Tum cluster); about 220,000–280,000 VND a bird, or 150,000–250,000 VND for a set with cơm lam (Go Vietnam, 2025); 350,000–600,000 VND for a Măng Đen Sedang set for 4 (Go Vietnam)

Taste

Golden skin, charcoal smoke, firm sweet meat, lemongrass, and wild chili.

How to enjoy it

Tear the chicken, dip it, and eat it hot with a piece of cơm lam, forest greens, and cucumber. The bird, about 1–1.5 kg, is clamped in bamboo splints and marinated with lemongrass, wild chili, salt, garlic, and shallots, sometimes brushed with forest honey. The dip is green-chili salt, wild-pepper salt, or muối é.

At Kon K’Tu the marinade is jar wine, garlic, lemongrass, lime leaves, and chili salt, and the bird grills for 30–40 minutes.

Where to try it

Beside the Đăk Bla in Kon Tum, at Kon K’Tu, and in Măng Đen. It is served year-round, and at village festivals and new-house meals.