Caramel Chicken (easy 30-minute recipe)
Caramel Chicken is one of my favorite chicken recipes. A popular Vietnamese dish made with a sweet, lightly spicy and savory caramel sauce.
You only need a few ingredients and a wok, and you’re good to go!
Serve this with some rice, and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Category: mains
- Method: wok
- Cuisine: vietnamese
Ingredients
Scale
2 lbs boneless chicken thighs (5-6 pieces)
3 tbsp of neutral oil (I used avocado oil)
5 cloves of minced garlic
1 Fresno chili
green onion
cilantro for garnish
Marinade:
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
black pepper
Caramel Sauce:
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup of water
Instructions
- Add your chicken to a medium size bowl. Add the marinade ingredients and marinate your boneless chicken for 5-10 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
- Mince the garlic, and slice the green onions. Separate the white from the green parts. Mince your chili. You can keep the seeds in if your dish is extra spicy.
- In another bowl, combine the caramel sauce ingredients and set it aside.
- In medium heat, add a tiny bit of oil to the wok. Brown your chicken pieces. Don't brown too much, as it will burn. Just a slight char would be perfect. Do it in batches. Remove and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil and the aromatics (garlic, white part of the green onions, and chili). Saute until fragrant - 1 minute.
- Add back the chicken and the caramel sauce mixture in the wok. Cover the wok with a lid and let it simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
- Remove the lid, bring the to medium-high heat and let the sauce reduce and caramelize. 3-5 minutes.
- Add the rest of your garnish. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Garnish ideas: more chilis, cilantro, and green part of the green onion.