This Coconut Caramel Chicken is a magical, EASY Vietnamese chicken recipe!! The chicken version of Vietnamese Caramel Pork, it’s slow cooked in coconut milk with Vietnamese flavourings until it reduces down to a sweet-savoury glaze and the flesh is tender.
Go all out with a Vietnamese menu and serve this alongside fresh Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls, Bun Cha Vietnamese meatballs and a fresh Asian Slaw on the side!
An incredible Vietnamese chicken recipe
There are no words to describe how good this Vietnamese chicken is.
And how it looks like a million bucks when it’s finished but completely unimpressive while it’s cooking. You’ll probably be doubting me the whole time right up until the last 5 minutes when it transforms from milky bleakness into golden gloriousness!
Here by popular demand!
This is the chicken version of the wildly, unexpectedly popular Vietnamese Caramel Pork that I shared a few weeks ago. It really caught me off guard how much you loved that one – and it makes me so happy! That sort of recipe is completely and utterly me. A little different from the usual, big kapow! flavours, a bit exotic, and yet something that anyone can make without having to hunt down hard to find ingredients.
At the time I shared it, I was flopping back and forth trying to decide whether to share the legit Vietnamese pork version or this chicken version which is adapted from the pork.
And, unsurprisingly, quite a few people asked how to make the Vietnamese Caramel Pork with chicken. It’s not as simple as just switching the pork with chicken. So here it is – the chicken version. 🙂
The Vietnamese Caramel Pork is made with coconut water which actually doesn’t taste of coconut. It’s kind of salty and a bit sweet – not that pleasant to drink plain. But it works great as a broth to slow cook pieces of pork.
However, I found that with chicken, it lacked flavour (pork meat has a stronger flavour than chicken). So I used coconut milk instead and tweaked a few things – coconut milk is way sweeter than coconut water, so I cut down slightly on the sugar and added vinegar to balance out the sweetness. Plus reduced the cook time – the pork takes 90 minutes which is too long for chicken.
Best cut of chicken for this recipe
I find it’s easiest to make this Vietnamese chicken recipe with bone in, skin on thigh fillets, not only because you get the gorgeous bronzing of the skin but also because it won’t fall apart in the time it takes to reduce the broth down to a sticky sauce.
However, I also really like this made with skinless boneless thigh fillets so I’ve got directions for this in the recipe too (it does involve taking them out earlier, otherwise they fall apart and it gets difficult to handle in the sticky sauce).
How to serve Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken
Because the glaze has quite a strong flavour, this is best served with plain white rice – jasmine rice is my favourite.
And for a fresh side, a crunchy Asian Slaw would be very fitting – it’s a terrific fresh salad with beautiful bright flavours. Or toss steamed vegetables or a garden salad with this Asian Sesame Dressing or the Nuoc Cham in this Lemongrass chicken recipe.
And lastly:
I, Nagi of RecipeTin Eats, do hereby solemnly declare that this will be the last variation of a recently published recipe for the remainder of 2017.
I’m very aware that I’ve done a handful of variations of late, pursuant to reader requests. 🙂 Like the Mushroom Rice (stove version) which was followed by a Baked Mushroom Rice. Parmesan Crusted Potatoes were followed by the low carb version of Parmesan Crusted Cauliflower.
Now Vietnamese Caramel Pork followed by this Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken.
That’s it! No more!!!! (For 2017 😉 ) – Nagi x
Get your Vietnamese fix!
-
Lemongrass Chicken – one of my favourite things to grill!
-
Vietnamese Caramel Pork Bowls – super quick!
-
Browse all Vietnamese recipes
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 large / 5 small chicken thighs , bone in skin on (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup / 80 g brown sugar , loosely packed
- 1 tbsp water
- 400 g / 14 oz coconut milk , low fat (1 can) (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce (Note 3)
- 2 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar (or cider vinegar)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 eschallot / French onion , finely sliced (Note 4)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (or black)
Garnishes (optional):
- 1 shallot , finely sliced (green onion / scallion)
- 1 large red chilli , finely sliced
Instructions
- Place sugar and water in a skillet over medium heat. Stir, then when it bubbles and the sugar is melted (it looks like caramel), add the rest of the ingredients except chicken.
- Stir, then put the chicken in SKIN SIDE DOWN.
- Adjust the heat so it is simmering energetically. Not rapidly, not a slow simmer (I use medium high heat on a weak stove, medium on a strong stove).
- After 25 minutes, turn the chicken.
- After another 25 minutes, the fat should separate from the sauce and turn a pale brown (see video).
- Turn chicken so the skin side is down. Move it around so the sauce doesn't catch on the bottom of the skillet and to brown the skin.
- Once sauce and skin is brown, remove from heat.
- Place chicken on serving plates, spoon over some sauce (don't need much, chicken is infused with flavour + sauce is strong).
- Garnish with shallots and chilli, if using. Serve with rice.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Still sporting the Cindy Crawford beauty spot*. Who wears it better?
* Otherwise known as black permanent hair colour that somehow got splodged on this face when he tagged along with me to the hairdresser!
Cindy Crawford image credit Feelgrafix.com.
So good! You weren’t kidding when you said it all comes together in the last few minutes…the caramelized sauce is wonderful and compliments the rice noodles I served the chicken over, accompanied with your asian slaw (I had extra of that after making another dish of yours). We love your recipes! I’m planning on giving your cookbook as Christmas presents this coming holiday!
Easily the best chicken dish I’ve ever made! Was an absolute hit last night with me and my fiancé. Thanks for such a wonderful, easy & tasty recipe that really packs a punch! ❤️
nagi why are the metric conversion in your recipes off, it is very confusing, have you done this on purpose?
I made this tonight for a company dinner & we all loved it! :). It will be made many more times! I used skinless thighs.
Can this recipe be done using chicken drumsticks?
I can’t see why not? You would probably want to turn them a bunch to make them browned, or put them under the grill at the end? But it would work. The flavor would be great.
My oh my oh my!! Seriously gum smacking. I threatened my husband if he had the leftovers the next day as I claimed ownership. 🙂 This one is going into my cook book app as another winner from you Nagi!
Another winner in our house! This was absolutely delicious. I couldn’t get thighs with skin on so made do with regular ones, it was amazing none the less. Thanks again Nagi.
Extremely tasty. Went amazingly well with Ottolenghi’s coconut dahl, some garlic spinach and rice.
Your Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken was so delicious and the sauce made everything on the plate extra yummy. Can’t wait to make this again!
Is the red pepper a sweet bell pepper or spicy pepper?
The pepper in the garnish? – that’s a spicy chilli pepper.
A bit after the event – but Dozer wins – he does it without photoshop and filters! (Although C.C is gorgeous)
Haven’t tried the recipe as yet.
I made this last night, (doubled the recipe) and for some reason it never separated. I ended up taking the chicken out and trying to reduce the liquid, which it did a bit. It was still delicious, but no caramel, ore of a sweet curried chicken. Any ideas on what happened?
I have cooked this two times. I love it! The first time I had trouble cooking the sauce down, but the second time, it was perfect. I like it with jasmine rice also! Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
3rd recipe tried and 3rd 5 star success. I now feel confiedent to try any of Nagi’s recipes
This was a delicious dinner. The only downfall is the cleanup. Caramel is such a pain to clean out of the pan. Other than that it was loved by even my picky son. Make it, it’s totally worth the cleanup.
You gotta just boil more water in the pan for cleanup! Waters down the caramel and much easier to clean
I’m vegetarian, hubby is not so I always try to create recipes that work for both tofu and chicken. Can I do this with Tofu?
I want to make this, but my husband will NOT eat soft chicken skin. I always have to sear it to crisp it up. He says chicken skin that’s not crisp has “slimy” and fatty texture that turns him off. How does the skin in this dish come out? I’d love to hear from anyone that’s made it! Thank you!