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Vietnamese Caramel Chicken

Vietnamese Caramel Chicken reads umami 9.0, salinity 6.8 and funk & ferment 6.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Vietnamese main, about 1 hr 5 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 9.0 · Salinity 6.8 · Funk & Ferment 6.3 · Sweetness 5.7 · Marine & Briny 5.0 · Richness 4.4 · Allium 4.2 · Sourness 2.8 · Heat 2.4 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Floral 1.2 · Bitterness 0.8 · Earthy 0.5

What's in it (13)

Time & effort: about 1 hr 5 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 124.8 kcal, 13.9 g protein, 2.9 g fat, 11.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

  1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season all over with 1 tsp salt and the black pepper. Set aside at room temperature while you build the caramel.
  2. Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan occasionally (don't stir) until the sugar dissolves, then let it bubble undisturbed until it turns a deep amber, like dark honey, 6-8 minutes.
  3. Remove the caramel from the heat and carefully whisk in the fish sauce and the remaining 1 1/2 cups water — it will hiss and the caramel may seize into hard bits. Return the pan to low heat, stirring, until any hardened caramel redissolves into a smooth sauce, about 2 minutes; set aside.
  4. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken thighs skin-side down until deeply golden and rendered, 6-7 minutes, then flip and sear the second side until golden, 3-4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
  5. Pour off all but 2 tbsp fat from the pot. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly browned at the edges, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  6. Return the chicken to the pot skin-side up, pour the caramel sauce over, and scatter in the sliced chile. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partway, and braise until the chicken is fork-tender and reaches an internal temperature of 165F, 30-35 minutes, turning the pieces once halfway through.
  7. Uncover, raise the heat to medium-high, and simmer the sauce until it reduces, thickens, and turns glossy enough to coat the back of a spoon, 8-10 minutes.
  8. Off the heat, stir in the rice vinegar and the white parts of the scallions. Taste the sauce and add more salt if it needs it.
  9. Transfer the chicken to plates, spoon the glossy sauce over the top, and scatter the reserved green scallion tops on the top. Serve.

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Keep reading: what umami, salinity, funk & ferment mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.