Gà Kho (Vietnamese Caramelized Chicken)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
1 hr 15 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 45 mins
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Servings
2
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Calories
641 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Vietnamese
Gà Kho (Vietnamese Caramelized Chicken)
Description
Gà Kho (Vietnamese Caramelized Chicken) combines marinated chicken drumsticks with a vibrant caramel sauce made from brown sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar, and water. The chicken is browned briefly in hot oil to develop a golden crust, then slowly cooked on medium heat while being basted with a reduced mixture of the sauce. Separately, the remaining sauce is thickened to a syrupy consistency before being returned to the pan. Freshly minced ginger, shallots, garlic, and finally sliced jalapeños, Thai chili, and chopped scallions add layers of aroma and a balanced spicy tang to the dish.
The resulting chicken has a glossy caramel coating with a tender inside, offering a moist yet richly flavored protein. The caramelization process creates a sweet-savory balance characteristic of this Vietnamese dish. It pairs well with steamed jasmine rice to soak up the sauce and works as a flavorful main course for a family meal.
The step to cook the sauce separately allows better control of thickness and consistency, ensuring the chicken is cooked through without over-reducing the sauce. The fresh herbs and chilis at the end add a finishing freshness and slight heat that brightens the caramelized chicken.
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoons brown sugar
Meat
- 1.5 .5 lbs chicken drumstick you can use any cut desired
Sauce
- 1/2 /2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 /4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 /4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 /4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- vegetable oil for frying
Final Additions / garnish
- 2 scallion roughly chopped 1/2″-3/4″ long, sprigs of
- 1 jalapeño thinly sliced
- 1 Thai chili thinly sliced
Instructions
- Marinade in about 2 tablespoons fish sauce and 1 tablespoons brown sugar for a least 1 hour. Rotate and redistribute marinade after the first 30 minutes.
- Combine for the sauce: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup fish sauce, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1/4 cup water
- Then add to the sauce 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1 minced shallot, and 3 cloves minced garlic.
- Heat a pan on high heat, then add some vegetable oil. Add the chicken and rotate as it browns. This should only take a 1-2 minutes.
- Turn down the heat to about medium so the chicken can cook through.
- Add some of the sauce, just enough to color and kind of baste the meat as it cooks.
- You could add the rest of the sauce now too, but I find it makes more sense to cook them separately so you can control the doneness of the chicken and thickness of the sauce independently.
- Remove the chicken. Add the rest of the sauce and cook on medium high heat until it just reaches desired consistency.
- Add the sliced jalapeno and scallion to cook just slightly as the sauce finishes. If you want more bite to the jalapeno, slice it thicker and don’t let it cook too much (same with the scallion).
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 2Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 641 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 0g | |
| Calories | 641kcal | 32% |
| Carbohydrates | 67g | 22% |
| Protein | 44g | 88% |
| Fat | 21g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Cholesterol | 210mg | 70% |
| Sodium | 3951mg | 165% |
| Potassium | 810mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 63g | 126% |
| Vitamin A | 300IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 17mg | 19% |
| Calcium | 105mg | 11% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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