Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken
User Reviews
4.9
243 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
7 mins
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Cook Time
7 mins
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Servings
5
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Calories
370 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Vietnamese
Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken
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Recipe video above. Vietnamese caramel sauce is a popular sweet/savoury used in Vietnamese dishes. Here, it's used for bite size chicken pieces that get coated in the glaze with a generous dose of ginger. It's quick, easy, something different and outrageously good!** NOTE: Sadly seeing reader feedback that the liquid isn't reducing and chicken isn't caramelising. Please ensure to use a LARGE PAN and be brave, simmer RAPIDLY! Else the liquid will take ages to reduce. See Note 4.**
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Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb skinless chicken thigh fillets , cut into large 5cm/2" pieces (Note 1)
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 bird’s eye chilli or Thai chilli , deseeded, finely minced (optional) - Note 2
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup brown sugar , tightly packed
- 1/3 cup ginger , finely julienned (about 5 cm/2" thick piece)
- 2 eschallots , halved then finely sliced (sub half red onion) (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup boiling water
Garnishes & serving:
- Fresh coriander/cilantro or green onion slices (recommended)
- red chilli , finely sliced (optional)
- jasmine rice , white rice or other plain rice of choice
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Instructions
- Toss chicken with fish sauce and chilli, then set aside while you prepare the other ingredients. You could marinate even overnight but it's not necessary.
- Pan size - Use a large non-stick pan (mine is 30cm/12", must be large). Else, be prepared to remove chicken at end to speed up sauce reduction. See Note 4!
- Caramel - Mix oil and sugar in the cold pan, then turn onto medium high heat. As soon as the sugar is melted, remove the pan from the stove then carefully add the chicken (⚠️ it will sizzle so don't throw it in!) . Add ginger and shallots, toss briefly. The caramel may harden, that's ok, it will re-melt.
- Cook outside of chicken - Then put the pan back on the stove and stir just until the chicken changes from pink to white all over, but not browned, and definitely not cooked through.
- Simmer 10 min - Add water, stir, bring to a simmer. Simmer very rapidly, still on medium high (or even high!), for 10 to 12 minutes, until the liquid reduces right down to a glaze. It might take longer if your pan is smaller or your stove is weaker, that's ok. Stir every now and then while watery, then once it's reduced down to a glaze, toss regularly to get nice colour on the chicken. The further you take it, the better the colour!
- Serve with jasmine rice or other plain rice garnished with extra slices of chilli and fresh coriander if desired. Smashed cucumbers or Asian Slaw would be a terrific side!
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Eat Like a Viet cookbook by Jenny Lam, after eating this at PhatLon, her Vietnamese restaurant in Perth.
- Recipe adapted from
- Eat Like a Viet
- cookbook by Jenny Lam, after eating this at
- PhatLon
- , her Vietnamese restaurant in Perth.
- Chicken - I cut most into 4, some into 3. You want them quite large so they don't dry out during the required simmer time.
- Breast - not recommended, it will dry out by the time the sauce reduces. However, if you want to use breast, I'd probably use the whole breast (2), split in half (to make 4 thin steaks), start the cook in the caramel, take them out, let the sauce reduce to a glaze then coat. Bit risky to get timing right without overcooking.
- Chilli - optional, adds the tiniest background hint of heat (longer you cook fresh chilli, less spicy it is, also the sweet dominates here).
- Eschalots –Also known as French onions, and called “shallots” in the US. Look like baby onions, but have purple-skinned flesh, are finer and sweeter, so they disappear into the glaze better than regular onions. Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions.
- Sub with finely sliced red or regular onions.
- PAN / sauce reduction / caramelisation - You need a large pan (30cm/12"+) so the chicken isn't crowded else the liquid takes AGES to reduce. Also, be brave and simmer super rapidly so the liquid reduces faster, and once it's reduced down to a sticky glaze, stir the chicken in the oil left in the pan to get the nice caramelisation on it.
- If you're pan is too small, remove chicken after 12 minutes using slotted spoon and reduce liquid down to glaze (fast, without chicken). then toss chicken back in.
- Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Freezing - haven't tried but I see no reason why it wouldn't freeze perfectly well!
- Nutrition per serving, chicken only (no rice).
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
370cal
(19%)
Carbohydrates
14g
(5%)
Protein
39g
(78%)
Fat
17g
(26%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
4g
Monounsaturated Fat
8g
Trans Fat
0.1g
Cholesterol
190mg
(63%)
Sodium
1032mg
(43%)
Potassium
596mg
(17%)
Fiber
0.4g
(2%)
Sugar
12g
(24%)
Vitamin A
50IU
(1%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
37mg
(4%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 5Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 370 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 370cal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 39g | 78% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 190mg | 63% |
| Sodium | 1032mg | 43% |
| Potassium | 596mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin A | 50IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 37mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
243 reviews
Excellent
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