Caramel chicken is a tasty Vietnamese dish that features a semi-sweet sauce made with coconut water, palm sugar, garlic & loads of ginger.
This recipe may seem intimidating, but it is very simple, and there is no risk as long as you take your time making the caramel. It will take around 45 minutes to prepare and cook in total.
Vietnamese Sweet and Salty Chicken
Despite not having a particularly sweet tooth, I have a real weakness for sweet/sour/salty combinations in savoury dishes.
They are flavour profiles that I lean into in recipes like my sweet and sour pork chops, my take on an Indian chicken pathia curry and Thai dishes like my beef massaman curry.
This Vietnamese caramel chicken recipe is based on a dish called ga kho and it is a fantastic example of using sweetness in a savoury dish.
The caramel sauce is made from palm sugar and coconut water; the savoury/salty flavour comes from the majesty of fish sauce.
The sweetness is balanced with a little vinegar, and it is all rounded with aromatic ginger, garlic, shallots and chilli.
So whilst starting a savoury dish by making a caramel more at home in a dessert, do give this a try, it is an immense dish that is easier to make than it may seem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use palm sugar?
No, any type of sugar will work in this recipe, including regular granulated sugar. However, darker, less refined sugars give a much better caramel flavour and are less "sweet".
One of my favourite substitutes to use is Jaggery, it is something I usually have at home because I use it a lot in Indian recipes.
Do I have to use coconut water?
Again, you can get away with not using this ingredient; regular water will work. But coconut water is readily available in supermarkets, and it does add a subtle mellowness to the recipe.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this recipe is superb if it is allowed to sit for a day or two in the fridge and then reheated.
For the best results, thicken the sauce when you serve the recipe rather than before you refrigerate it.
Do I have to thicken the sauce?
I like to thicken this sauce just a little, but I have seen this dish served with a very thin, almost broth-like sauce as well as a very heavily thickened sauce.
So in short, no, you can have it just the way you like.
Do I have to use fish sauce?
No, you can substitute in light soy sauce if you wish; however, I think that fish sauce has a much better flavour profile for this recipe.
Serving Suggestions
I've served my caramel chicken in the pictures on this page with some simply cooked jasmine rice, and I have added a load of spring onions to it.
Coconut rice is also a fantastic side dish for this sweet and savoury chicken recipe.
Noodles also make a great side dish for this recipe. I would choose a fairly simple, plain "chow mein" style dish.
There is also a Vietnamese dish called Khoai Chien, a fried potato recipe that is superb with a sweet sauce.
Equipment Used
I only name-check specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 20cm or 8" nonstick frying pan.
- Wok.
- Mixing bowl.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, cups and spoons.
Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 400 g Chicken Thigh Meat 14oz
- ½ tablespoon Fish Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Rice or White Vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon White Pepper
- 1 Medium-Large Echallion or Banana Shallot 50g
- 35 g Ginger 1 Thumb Sized Piece
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 2-4 Thai Red Chilli Peppers add more or less as you desire
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- Spring Onions for Garnish
- 1 teaspoon Cornflour Optional (Cornstarch in the US)
- 1 teaspoon Water Optional
For the Caramel Sauce:
- 50 g Chopped Palm Sugar or Jaggery 3 Packed Tablespoons
- 175 ml Coconut Water ¾ Cup
- 1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Rice or White Vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon MSG
Instructions
- Cut the chicken thigh meat into bite-sized pieces and toss it into a bowl, then add the fish sauce, vinegar and white pepper and allow the chicken to marinate whilst you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Cut the shallot in half, peel it and then cut it into very thin half-moon shapes.
- Peel the ginger and then cut it into batons as small as you can.
- Peel the garlic cloves and then slice them as thinly as you can.
- Cut the chilli peppers into thin slices.
- Heat a small 20cm or 8" nonstick frying pan over a medium-low heat, add the palm sugar and allow it to slowly caramelise, stirring it occasionally if required. You want this to become very dark, but not burnt, the flavours become more complex and less sweet the darker the caramel gets. This will take between 5 and 8 minutes. You can tell if the caramel burns if you start to sense an acrid, bitter aroma.
- Turn off the heat and carefully pour in the coconut water; it will splutter and bubble, then stir to combine. If you are using a gas or induction hob, you can just turn off the heat; if you are using a normal electric hob, remove it from the heat.
- Once the caramel has stopped bubbling return it to a low heat and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove it from the heat again and add the fish sauce, vinegar and MSG for the caramel sauce and set aside.
- Heat a wok over a high heat and when it is shimmering, add half of the oil and the sliced shallot and stir-fry for 1 minute.
- Add the garlic, ginger and Thai chilli peppers and stir fry for another minute, then remove the vegetables from the pan.
- Return the wok to a high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and then add the chicken in a single layer on the base of the wok and allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the stir-fried vegetables and pour over the caramel sauce, stir to combine then reduce the heat to low and allow to cook for 10-12 minutes and serve immediately garnished with the spring onions.
If you want to thicken the sauce a little mix the cornflour and water together and stir it through the sauce for 1 minute before you serve.
