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Vietnamese Caramel Chicken
Vietnamese food is one of the most popular Asian cuisines in the United States.
In the past 10 years or so, Vietnamese cuisine has captured the heart (and tummy) of many diners.
I love Vietnamese spring rolls, summer rolls, banh mi, garlic noodles, and so much more.
This caramel chicken recipe is Vietnamese-inspired. It’s sticky, savory with mild heat from the jalapeno.
Other Recipes You Might Like
- Vietnamese Chicken Curry
- Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)
- Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Recipe
Caramel Chicken Recipe
This recipe is sure to whet your appetite. It’s very delicious and made with simple ingredients below:
- Chicken thighs
- Garlic
- Fish sauce
- Sugar
- Ground black pepper
- Jalapeno
This recipe is adapted from The Ravenous Couple.
Fish Sauce
Fish sauce is a staple ingredient in Vietnamese cooking.
While many people are skeptical about fish sauce because of its pungent smell (from a low-grade brand), a good fish sauce doesn’t smell funky.
Made with anchovies and salt, fish sauce is a natural umami bomb that makes everything so much better.
I recommend Red Boat Fish Sauce or Three Crabs Brand Fish Sauce.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 444 calories per serving.
What to Serve with This Recipe?
Serve this dish with other Vietnamese dishes. For a healthy Vietnamese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Caramel Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken thighs with skin, deboned
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 jalapeno (sliced)
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- black pepper
Caramel Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 3 teaspoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with the Marinade ingredients for 10 minutes. Mix all the ingredients in the Caramel Sauce in a bowl, set aside.
- Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred) on medium to high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Pan-fry the chicken (skin side up) until the bottom turns slightly crispy and brown. Repeat the same for the skin, until the skin becomes slightly charred. Transfer the chicken out.
- Add the remaining oil into the skillet and add the garlic. Add the chicken into the pan and follow by the Caramel Sauce mixture.
- Lower the heat to simmer and continue to cook until the caramel sauce reduces and becomes amber in color. Make sure you turn the chicken a couple of times during cooking.
- Add jalapeno and continue to cook for about 1 minute. Dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Best chicken ever!
Love caramel chicken with rice.
Could I do this dish baked in oven instead of stovetop?
Yes.