Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Craving an amazing burst of flavor? This guide shares how to perfectly prepare Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken, but watch out for that sugar!

coconut caramel chicken recipe

Craving an explosion of sweet, savory, and umami flavors all in one dish?

Get ready to experience Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken, where tender chicken meets a luscious, unforgettable caramel sauce.

This recipe is about to become your new weeknight obsession!

Ingredients

list of cooking ingredients

Okay, so let's gather our cast of characters—AKA the ingredients—for this yummy Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken! Now, I'm grabbing 500g (or 1 lb) of pork shoulder—skinless and boneless, please—or pork scotch. I guess those are things we can use!

Next up, I'm reaching for 3 tbsp of canola oil—gotta keep things slick in that pan, you know?

Now, for the marinade: two lemongrass stalks, chopped; four minced garlic cloves; four tablespoons of lime juice; three tablespoons of fish sauce; one tablespoon of soy sauce (not the dark stuff!); four tablespoons of brown sugar; three tablespoons of oil; and, finally, ¾ tsp of baking soda—that's right, baking soda. It tenderizes the meat! Gotta love it.

Preparation

steps for successful execution

First things first, I'm cutting the pork into about 8 equal slices that are kinda thin—I find the easiest way is to use my knife at a 45° angle, but if your pork is the right shape, you can just cut straight down.

Now, grab your meat mallet—the scary jagged side is what you'll want! I'm pounding each steak to about 5mm thick. To avoid a porky mess, I'm using go-between or a freezer bag, either works!

Next up, let's whip up the marinade. In a large bowl, I'm mixing all those marinade ingredients together—it'll fizz a bit when you add the baking soda, how fun is that! Add the pork and make everything is mixed together for the marinade. Then, I'm tossing it all into a ziplock bag and let it marinate—for a whole day. This dish contrasts with the Antipasto Chickpea Salad, a Mediterranean dish from a different culinary tradition.

Now, brush off those lemongrass bits; your marinade's done its magic!

Cooking

culinary skills and techniques

Time to get cooking—I'm cranking up my cast iron skillet over high heat until it's so hot I see faint wisps of smoke! I'm adding 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, swirling it around so the pan's nice and slick.

Now, quickly add half of the chicken. Don't overcrowd the pan, or it won't sear properly – trust me, I've learned that the hard way! I'm cooking each side for about 1 1/2 minutes until I see a beautiful char. We want those gorgeous caramelized bits!

I'm pulling the first batch out and setting them aside. I'm using a spatula to scrape up any loose, burnt bits in the pan, then adding the rest of the chicken, repeating the process. Like in a sweet and sour chicken recipe, searing the chicken will add a delicious depth of flavor. It's almost ready–I can almost taste it!

Serving Suggestions

delicious meal presentation ideas

Now that the chicken is cooked to perfection with that beautiful caramelization, I'm ready to serve, and let me tell you, I've got some awesome ideas to make this meal unforgettable! First, serve it over a bed of fluffy jasmine rice—it soaks up that amazing sauce!

Want something more exciting? Try it with rice noodles, creating a kind of flavorful bowl. I like to add a sprinkle of chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro for extra crunch and flavor.

Salad, anyone?! Combine the chicken with a fresh Vietnamese salad or even just a simple cucumber and carrot salad with a light vinaigrette. Trust me; the cool, crisp veggies are a great contrast to the sweet and savory chicken. I am sure you're going to love serving the chicken!

Short Recipe Version

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken****

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch ginger, minced
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, for garnish
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions:

  1. In a bowl, combine fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and water.
  2. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned.
  3. Add garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the sauce mixture and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
  5. Stir in lime juice.
  6. Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro and sesame seeds.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, Estimated):

  • Calories: 550
  • Protein: 45g
  • Fat: 30g
  • Carbohydrates: 20g