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Home Collections Quick Dinner Recipes

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

By:Nagi
Published:25 Oct '17Updated:10 Mar '19
461 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

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!

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

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!

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

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. 🙂

How to make Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken recipetineats.com

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).

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

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!

  • Bun Cha – Vietnamese Meatballs (Noodle Bowl)

  • Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

  • Lemongrass Chicken – one of my favourite things to grill!

  • Vietnamese Noodle Salad

  • Vietnamese Caramel Pork Bowls – super quick!

  • Browse all Vietnamese recipes

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

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Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Author: Nagi
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Total: 1 hr
Main
Vietnamese
4.89 from 137 votes
Servings4 - 5 people
Tap or hover to scale
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The chicken version of the wildly popular Vietnamese Caramel Pork! It's saucier and made with coconut milk so it has a gorgeous coconut fragrance. It's sweet with savoury undertones, looks thoroughly unimpressive while cooking but then magically transforms in the last 5 minutes. Recipe VIDEO below.

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:

1. I used 4 x 250g / 8 oz ones in the video which are larger than I like. I prefer using 5 x 200g / 6.5 oz thighs. Bone in, skin on is best because the skin goes golden and also is cooked to be tender by the time the liquid reduces down.
To make this with SKINLESS, BONELESS THIGHS, cut the thighs in half then proceed with recipe. Take the chicken out at 35 / 40 minutes when it is tender but before it is fall apart. Once the fat separates from the sauce (see video) and is starting to brown, put the chicken back in to brown it and coat in sauce. You won't get quite the same browning on the chicken as with skin on thighs.
BREAST: I don't recommend breast because it can't be cooked for long to infuse it with flavour like thigh. However, if you are really keen to try this with breast (and you will get the beautiful sauce on both sides of the breast) this is how I would do it: pound breast to 2cm / 4/5″ thick, then cook each side just for 4 minutes each in the braising liquid. Then remove, reduce liquid until the fat separates (at the end in the video) then put it back in just to brown each side. 
2. Full fat is also fine. Can't taste the difference in flavour, just don't need the extra fat.
3. Fish sauce has more complex flavours than soy sauce, and it won't taste fishy by the end of the cook time. For LOW SODIUM, sub with low sodium soy.
4. Eschallots look like baby onions and they are finer so they disintegrate in the sauce. You can sub with 1/4 normal onion finely chopped.
5. AUTHENTICITY: This is recipe is adapted from Vietnamese Caramel Pork which is an authentic Vietnamese recipe. So it's not strictly authentic - as far as I know. 🙂
6. Nutrition per serving, assuming this is made with 5 x 200g / 6.5 oz bone in thighs. The calories will be quite a bit higher than the actual because as you will see in the video, the fat separates and you avoid it when spooning the sauce over the chicken. You can even drain it off.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 336gCalories: 555cal (28%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

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.

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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461 Comments

  1. MDS says

    February 22, 2023 at 4:24 am

    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!

    Reply
  2. Philippa says

    January 19, 2023 at 1:05 pm

    5 stars
    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! ❤️

    Reply
  3. Steven Merola says

    January 7, 2023 at 11:45 am

    nagi why are the metric conversion in your recipes off, it is very confusing, have you done this on purpose?

    Reply
  4. donna mauerhan says

    December 10, 2022 at 1:51 pm

    I made this tonight for a company dinner & we all loved it! :). It will be made many more times! I used skinless thighs.

    Reply
  5. Vivien says

    December 9, 2022 at 9:55 am

    Can this recipe be done using chicken drumsticks?

    Reply
    • Jessica says

      January 28, 2023 at 12:21 am

      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.

      Reply
  6. Sylvia M says

    November 28, 2022 at 2:42 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  7. Beverley says

    November 22, 2022 at 7:52 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
  8. Robert Hindle says

    November 21, 2022 at 6:28 pm

    5 stars
    Extremely tasty. Went amazingly well with Ottolenghi’s coconut dahl, some garlic spinach and rice.

    Reply
  9. Martha Hacker says

    November 5, 2022 at 4:28 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  10. Judy says

    October 28, 2022 at 12:21 pm

    Is the red pepper a sweet bell pepper or spicy pepper?

    Reply
    • Robert Hindle says

      November 21, 2022 at 6:29 pm

      The pepper in the garnish? – that’s a spicy chilli pepper.

      Reply
  11. Gloria Maley says

    October 12, 2022 at 6:00 am

    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.

    Reply
  12. stacy says

    September 30, 2022 at 11:02 am

    4 stars
    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?

    Reply
  13. Pat England says

    September 18, 2022 at 11:42 am

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  14. JD says

    September 16, 2022 at 10:11 am

    5 stars
    3rd recipe tried and 3rd 5 star success. I now feel confiedent to try any of Nagi’s recipes

    Reply
  15. Jason says

    September 4, 2022 at 9:53 am

    4 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • WillM says

      September 18, 2022 at 5:56 pm

      You gotta just boil more water in the pan for cleanup! Waters down the caramel and much easier to clean

      Reply
  16. S A Rayner says

    August 27, 2022 at 12:26 pm

    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?

    Reply
  17. Wendy says

    August 5, 2022 at 10:41 am

    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!

    Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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