If you’ve never tried Vietnamese caramel chicken, then say hello to your new fave weeknight dinner! I sear juicy chicken thighs until crispy, then coat them in a glossy caramelized sauce made with brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and just a touch of fish sauce for depth. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and savory, and the sticky sauce thickens up and clings beautifully to the chicken.
Top Reader Review
Fantastic! My husband and I loved this dish. The spicy sweet combination is irresistible! This recipe will be added to our favorites. So good!
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Vietnamese Caramel Chicken Thighs
This Asian caramel chicken recipe is all about contrast: crispy golden skin, tender meat, and a sticky-sweet glaze that clings to every bite. The “caramel” comes from simmering brown sugar with water until it darkens, creating a base that’s richer than plain sugar could ever be. From there, I layer in garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and chicken broth for a balance of sweet, salty, and tangy.
Cooking everything in a single skillet means fewer dishes, and searing the chicken first locks in flavor while giving you those irresistible browned bits, which is my secret to an extra-flavorful ginger sauce. This quick weeknight dinner feels elevated with minimal effort. The bold flavors pair beautifully with steamed rice or simple stir-fried veggies. These caramelized chicken thighs have become one of my favorite simple meals to make for my family!
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Let the Sauce Caramelize
Caramelization is a classic technique that really helps develop and intensify the flavors in the sauce. Yes, the very same process for making caramel or caramelizing onions is used to create a thick and sticky ginger sauce for this chicken. The sugar is breaking down and re-forming itself, which takes a little bit of time, so be patient! The ingredients will look watery at first, but as it simmers, they will turn into the perfect texture.
Caramel Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (*)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (**)
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
- ½ cup water (***)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (****)
- ¼ cup rice vinegar (*****)
- 2 slices fresh ginger
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce (******)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional, but recommended)
Optional Garnishes:
- thinly sliced scallions
- sliced jalapeño pepper
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper to taste.2½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, kosher salt, ground black pepper
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Place chicken in the skillet skin-side down. Cook until golden, flip, and cook until the other side is golden; about 5-6 minutes per side.
- Remove the chicken from the pan, place on a clean plate, and set aside.
- To the same skillet, add the garlic and cook until golden brown; about 2 minutes.6 cloves garlic
- Add the cooked garlic to the plate with the chicken. Drain any remaining fat from the pan.
- Over medium high heat, add the water to the pan, scraping up any browned bits.½ cup water
- Stir in the brown sugar and cook for 3-4 minutes, until it thickens and darkens in color.⅓ cup brown sugar
- Add the vinegar and continue to stir as the mixture bubbles up.¼ cup rice vinegar
- Add the ginger, broth, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Bring the mixture to a simmer.2 slices fresh ginger, 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- Add the garlic and chicken skin-side up. Simmer in the sauce for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and place it on a plate.
- Continue to simmer the sauce for 8-10 more minutes, or until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Return the chicken to the pot and toss it to coat in the sauce.
- Garnish with scallions and jalapeños, serve, and enjoy.thinly sliced scallions, sliced jalapeño pepper
Notes
- For even searing, I recommend bringing the chicken to room temperature before cooking. Just set it on the counter for about 30 minutes.
- Most grocery stores have fish sauce–just check the Asian foods section. If you can’t get your hands on it at your local grocery store, check an Asian or International market, or online. It’s a simple ingredient that really makes a difference to the final flavor of this dish.
- When you’re scraping the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, use a wooden spoon. A metal one might scratch the pan.
- Be patient with the sauce! Give it time to simmer, caramelize, and thicken into the right consistency. Otherwise you will be left with a runny sauce that doesn’t properly glaze the chicken.
- Chicken is cooked once it reaches 165F; but dark meat becomes richer and more tender when cooked to 170-180F.
- Nutritional information does not include optional garnishes.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
How to Make Caramelized Chicken Step by Step
Season the Chicken: Season 2½ pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with salt and pepper to taste. I like to bring my chicken to room temperature for 30-60 minutes before cooking to help it sear and cook through more evenly.
Sear the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Place the seasoned chicken thighs in the skillet, skin-side down. Cook just until they begin to brown, then flip and continue browning the other side (about 5-6 minutes per side). Remove chicken from the pan, and set aside in a bowl or plate. They will not be cooked through at this point–they will finish cooking in the sauce.
Sauté the Garlic: To the same skillet (no need to wipe it out), add 6 cloves of peeled and crushed garlic, and cook until golden brown (about 2 minutes). Then add the garlic to the bowl with the chicken, and drain any remaining fat from the pan.
Simmer the Sauce: In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add ½ cup of water to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. These bits of cooked food add so much flavor to the sauce! Then stir in ⅓ cup of brown sugar and cook for 3-4 minutes, until it thickens and darkens in color. Then add ¼ cup of rice vinegar, and continue to stir as the mixture bubbles up. Finally, add 2 slices of fresh ginger, 1 cup of chicken broth, ¼ cup of soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce. The fish sauce is optional, but trust me, it really makes the dish if you have it! Bring the sauce mixture to a low simmer.
Cook the Chicken: Once simmering, add the sautéed garlic and seared chicken thighs back to the skillet, skin-side up. Simmer chicken in the ginger sauce for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to 165°F.
Caramelize the Sauce: Remove the cooked chicken once again, and place it on a plate. Then let the sauce continue to simmer for 8-10 more minutes, or until it thickens and begins to caramelize. It should be thick and sticky enough to coat the back of a spoon. Once the sauce reaches your desired consistency, return the chicken to the pan and too to fully coat in the sauce.
Serve: Serve caramel chicken garnished with sliced scallions, jalapeños, and sticky rice for a tasty dinner!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover Vietnamese caramelized chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Gently reheat chicken in a skillet set over medium heat until warmed through. If frozen, fully defrost before reheating for best results.
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