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
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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.
Very, very tasty. Rich sweet and salty coconut flavour invites you to have more rice. Fish sauce combination made it taste almost Indonesian, I think? Used full cream coconut milk because that was in the pantry, wonder if lite would be better. Served with sliced cucumber to add freshness to the dish. Super delicious, was a happy mum after dinner, family has requested same dish next week.
I just cooked this and it was delicious… I served up with a crunchy asian slaw with tangy dressing – the final part of the cooking I through in my left -over boo ahoy – the chicken is sweet, deliciously sweet, I thought it needed some contrast – I also did your WonTon soup recipe and that was amazing as well… so thank you! I’m sold.
I have just cooked and eaten your caramel coconut chicken. Fabulous. Used chillis and chives from the garden to garnish and sweet potatoe leaves (also from the garden) as an Asian green. We lived in Indonesia and Thailand for 12 years. Love your Pad Thai recipe. Looking forward to trying some more of your recipes. Many thanks. Barb.
The taste was wonderful, as are all the recipes I have tried so far. I also had problems with the sauce separating. When you say the fat will separate, do you remove the extra fat, or do you somehow re-incorporate back into your caramel sauce? Thanks for any advice!
Hi Susan, you can just avoid it when serving or skim it off – N x
Hello there
I made this tonight. The air smells heavenly 😀 but… the sauce looks like a mix between transparent liquid (oil) and charred bits, instead of a homogeneous brown sauce like what you have in your video. What could possibly be the issue? Perhaps the heat was too much? I did get a lovely browning on the chicken skin though.
Is there a way to salvage it?
Thanks! 🙂
Hi Jade, sorry you had issues here, sounds like the heat was a little too high or it’s been taken a little too far on the stove! N x
To my surprise this was an amazing dish, cooked it for guests and we were all blown away with the flavour. I cut the sugar down to half amount as I used coconut milk and added lemongrassand chilli..Fish sauce at end for balancing the taste. Very easy and great for guest..Thankyou
You’re so welcome! N x
I want to make this with a cut up whole chicken. Do you have any advice?
Delicious and so easy too! Definitely a keeper recipe and will double batch next time. BTW, I love your tiramisu recipe too!
Thanks so much Jenny 🙂 N x
Could you freeze the chicken in the sauce and then cook it later? It looks so yummy and I’m doing lots of freezer meal prep!
Hi Nagi,
This is great. Do you think it could be adapted for a large baking dish in the oven? I’d like to make it for a larger group, but having 3 skillets going isn’t practical.
Thanks!
I was a bit skeptical about putting a whole can of cocount milk in….but by the end of cooking it had reduced and brown up. It was delicious. Sweet and sticky wonderful with Jasmine rice. This recipe is a definite keeper♡♡♡
I’m so glad you stuck with it Amy!! N x
This was utterly divine! And just as it says, it turns to caramel deliciousness right at the very end. I think next time I will double the recipe and have enough left over for Banh Mi’s the next day!
I will be trying your oven fried chicken tonight and the lentil soup as soon as I purchase lentils. Your recipes are ‘down-to-earth’ and look delicious.
I will comment again when these recipes are tried.
Thanks so much Pieri! N x
I made this last night along with your rice paper rolls and it was an absolute hit with my family! Such a simple recipe but packed with so much flavour! I plan to work through many of your recipes during ISO, thank you for sharing your recipes
You’re so welcome Tara, I’m so glad you loved it! N x
Can this be made in an instant pot? Looks so delicious!
Hi Taylor, you need to simmer the sauce to reduce – it won’t work in the IP unfortunately – N x
I saw someone asked earlier but I didn’t see a response – can this be made in an instantpot? How about with frozen chicken?
Hi Nagi, Just made this recipe and it was SO delicious! Thank you.
everyone loves this dish, super 🥰 thank you so much,
Hi Nagi, fantastic tasty meal but any thoughts how I could make it vegetarian?
Hi Darren, you could possibly try this with chickpeas or firm tofu 🙂
Hi Nagi, I love this recipe but with not being able to go to the shops, I only have pork sausages. Could I try this recipe with sausage patties maybe?
Hi Becky, sorry they wont be suitable for this recipe – N x
I live in a rural area in the foothills of a mountain range in the US. Even when there isn’t a pandemic lockdown order, it can be hard to get coconut milk. Can I make this with milk, half/half, evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk, all of which I already have in hand?