Craving a taste of authentic Vietnamese cuisine?
This Caramel Ginger Chicken recipe delivers an explosion of sweet, savory, and aromatic flavors that will transport your taste buds.
Discover the secret to perfectly caramelized chicken with a ginger zing, using a simple yet game-changing method you won't find anywhere else.
Ingredients
For this Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken, we're gonna need a few key things, and trust me, it's all gonna be worth it! We're talking about 2 pounds of skinless chicken thigh fillets cut into bite-sized pieces.
You'll also want 3 tablespoons of fish sauce—trust me on this one—plus one deseeded, minced bird's eye chilli if you're feeling brave. As for the caramel sauce, grab 1/4 cup of tightly packed brown sugar.
Next up, get ready for some ginger! Finely julienne about one-third of a cup, which is roughly a 2-inch thick piece. Don't be shy with it! Round it out with 2 halved and finely sliced eschallots—or half a red onion will do if you're in a pinch. Almost forgot! You'll need a half cup of boiling water.
Instructions
Now that we've gathered our ingredients—and, I hope, resisted snacking on that ginger—let's jump into making this amazing dish. First, toss the chicken with fish sauce and the chili, if you're using it. I let it sit while I get everything else ready.
Next, I mix the oil and sugar in a cold pan—it's a big one, about 12 inches. Turn the heat to medium-high. As soon as the sugar melts, take the pan off the heat and carefully add your chicken; watch out, it'll sizzle! Then, ginger and shallots go in, too. Don't worry if the caramel hardens; it'll melt again. Make sure to use fresh ginger for the best flavor.
Put the pan back on the stove and stir the chicken until it turns white all over. Now, add the ½ cup of boiling water and simmer rapidly for about 10–12 minutes until you get a sweet glaze. Serve the chicken over rice with garnishes. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
First, choose chicken thighs over breast – they won't dry out. Cut them into big pieces, about 5cm/2″ each. As for chilli, 1 minced Thai chilli deseeded will give a background hint of heat. Eschalots, or French onions, are best, but sliced red or regular onions work too. This dish is similar to Thit Kho To, a dish with a signature balance of sweet, salty, and savory flavors.
Now, for the pan – go BIG! A 30cm/12″+ pan is key. If yours is small, things will get crowded. Oh, and simmer rapidly! Don't be shy, crank up the heat so the sauce reduces down to a shiny glaze! If it doesn't reduce fast enough, take the chicken out briefly while you speed up the sauce.
Leftovers? They'll keep in the fridge for like 3 days. And if you've got too much, it should freeze well to reuse!
Nutrition Information
With all that cooking sorted, let's peek at what's inside each serving – just for the chicken, not the rice, BTW!
Each serving packs around 370 calories – that's 19% of your daily intake, FYI. You're also getting 14g of carbohydrates and a whopping 39g of protein! Next is the fats. We're talking 17g of total fat, including saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated types.
Notice a bit of salt? Each serving has about 1032mg of sodium, for about 45% of your recommended daily value. There's also 596mg of Potassium which is nice.
Check out the sugar content. You'll be looking at about 12g of sugar. Don't forget those essential vitamins and minerals! You'll find a bit of Vitamin A and C, calcium, and iron in there.
Short Recipe Version
Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Green onions, chopped (for garnish)
- Sesame seeds (for garnish)
Instructions:
- In a bowl, combine fish sauce, sugar, water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken and cook until browned on all sides.
- Pour sauce over chicken and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over rice.
Nutrition Information (per serving, estimate):
- Calories: 450
- Protein: 40g
- Fat: 25g
- Carbohydrates: 15g