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featured caramel chicken
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4.43 from 7 votes

Caramel Chicken Recipe

Crispy and sticky Vietnamese caramel chicken features tender chicken thighs caramelized in a sweet and savory sauce, made with ginger, brown sugar, and fish sauce.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: asian
Servings: 4
Calories: 690kcal
Author: Becky Hardin

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
    Seasoned chicken thighs on a cutting board.
  • Heat the oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    Adding vegetable oil to a skillet.
  • 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.
    Raw chicken thighs in a skillet.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan, place on a clean plate, and set aside.
    Seared chicken thighs in a skillet, with text "set aside".
  • To the same skillet, add the garlic and cook until golden brown; about 2 minutes.
    6 cloves garlic
    Garlic cooking in a skillet.
  • Add the cooked garlic to the plate with the chicken. Drain any remaining fat from the pan.
    Sautéed garlic in a skillet, with text "set aside".
  • Over medium high heat, add the water to the pan, scraping up any browned bits.
    ½ cup water
    Deglazing a skillet.
  • Stir in the brown sugar and cook for 3-4 minutes, until it thickens and darkens in color.
    ⅓ cup brown sugar
    Adding brown sugar to a skillet.
  • Add the vinegar and continue to stir as the mixture bubbles up.
    ¼ cup rice vinegar
    Adding rice vinegar to a skillet.
  • 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
    Sauce mixture in a skillet.
  • 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.
    Seared chicken thighs placed in a skillet with broth/sauce.
  • Continue to simmer the sauce for 8-10 more minutes, or until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
    Sticky sauce thickening in a skillet.
  • Return the chicken to the pot and toss it to coat in the sauce.
    Coating chicken thighs in a sticky caramelized sauce.
  • Garnish with scallions and jalapeños, serve, and enjoy.
    thinly sliced scallions, sliced jalapeño pepper
    Vietnamese caramel chicken in a skillet, garnished with jalapeños and scallions.

Video

Notes

*To make this recipe with chicken breasts instead of thighs, use 2½ pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. In step 1, fully cook the chicken breasts. In step 7, only add the garlic. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, and add the cooked chicken back to the skillet immediately prior to serving.
**Vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil can be used.
***More broth, or cooking wine, can be used to deglaze.
****Brown sugar adds much better flavor than white sugar. If you're all out of brown sugar, don't fret! You can combine one cup of white sugar with one tablespoon of molasses.
*****White wine vinegar is the best substitute for rice vinegar.
******To make this recipe gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
Tips:
  • 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.
Crockpot Instructions: Combine all of the ingredients and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
Storage: Store caramel chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days, or freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 690kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 236mg | Sodium: 1509mg | Potassium: 674mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 189IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg