Vietnamese Caramel Chicken

Name: Vietnamese Caramel Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces; 4 tbsp brown sugar; 4 tsp fish sauce; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 shallots, sliced; 1 cup water; to taste black pepper; 4 green onions, chopped; 2 tsp sesame seeds; 4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Tender chicken glazed in a glossy caramel sauce made with fish sauce, creating a perfect sweet-salty-savory balance - trending on food social media.

40 minEasyServes 4340 cal/serving

AsianDinnerStovetopStandard

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 tbsp brown sugar
4 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, sliced
1 cup water
to taste black pepper
4 green onions, chopped
2 tsp sesame seeds
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1

Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2

Add 4 cloves minced garlic and 2 sliced shallots, stir-fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
3

Add 1.5 lbs cut into bite-sized pieces boneless, skinless chicken thighs to the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the outside is sealed.
4

Add 4 tbsp brown sugar to the skillet and stir, allowing the sugar to caramelize for 2-3 minutes until the chicken begins to brown.
5

Pour in 4 tsp fish sauce and 1 cup water, stirring well to combine.
6

Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 165°F) and the sauce is glossy and reduced.
7

Season with to taste black pepper to taste.
8

Garnish with 4 chopped green onions, 2 tsp sesame seeds, and 4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro.
9

Serve over steamed jasmine rice.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

Questions

How long does Vietnamese Caramel Chicken take?

As written, 40 minutes: 15 of prep and 25 of cooking. The longest single stretch is step 6, at 15 minutes.

What should Vietnamese Caramel Chicken look like when it is ready?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 4: cook until the chicken begins to brown. Step 6: cook until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 165°F) and the sauce is glossy and reduced. A reading of 165 F on a thermometer settles it.

Is there a substitute for fish sauce in Vietnamese Caramel Chicken?

The entry for Vietnamese Caramel Chicken calls for 4 tsp fish sauce. In its place: Soy sauce with a squeeze of lime covers the salt and some of the savor. For a vegetarian version, use a mushroom-based soy sauce. Start with the same volume and adjust.

Can I use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs in Vietnamese Caramel Chicken?

Yes, with care. Breasts dry out sooner: pull them at 165 F, which usually means a few minutes less than the thighs would take. As written, the entry for Vietnamese Caramel Chicken uses 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces.

Does Vietnamese Caramel Chicken contain sesame?

Yes: 2 tsp sesame seeds. The full allergen list for this entry is fish and sesame. Seeds used as a garnish can simply be left off; the oil has no true substitute. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.