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Vietnamese-style caramel chicken on skillet with sticky, sweet, savory, and mildly spicy caramel sauce. This chicken is so good with steamed rice.
Vietnamese Caramel Chicken
Vietnamese food is one of the most popular Asian cuisines in the United States.
In the past 10 years or so, Vietnamese cuisine has captured the heart (and tummy) of many diners.
I love Vietnamese spring rolls, summer rolls, banh mi, garlic noodles, and so much more.
This caramel chicken recipe is Vietnamese-inspired. It’s sticky, savory with mild heat from the jalapeno.
Caramel Chicken Recipe Ingredients
This recipe is sure to whet your appetite. It’s very delicious and made with simple ingredients below:
- Chicken thighs
- Garlic
- Fish sauce
- Sugar
- Ground black pepper
- Jalapeno
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
This recipe is adapted from The Ravenous Couple.
Fish Sauce
Fish sauce is a staple ingredient in Vietnamese cooking.
While many people are skeptical about fish sauce because of its pungent smell (from a low-grade brand), a good fish sauce doesn’t smell funky.
Made with anchovies and salt, fish sauce is a natural umami bomb that makes everything so much better.
I recommend Red Boat Fish Sauce or Three Crabs Brand Fish Sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 447 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Caramel Chicken
Serve this dish with other Vietnamese dishes. For a healthy Vietnamese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
- Vietnamese Chicken Curry
- Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)
- Vietnamese Chicken Wings
- Pok Pok Wings (Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings)
Caramel Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken thighs , with skin, deboned
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 jalapeno, sliced
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- black pepper
Caramel Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 3 teaspoons rice vinegar , or apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with the marinade ingredients for 10 minutes. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the caramel sauce and set aside.
- Heat up a skillet (cast iron preferred) on medium to high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Pan-fry the chicken (skin side up) until the bottom turns slightly crispy and brown. Repeat the same for the skin until it becomes slightly charred. Transfer the chicken out of the skillet.
- Add the remaining oil into the skillet and sauté the garlic. Then, add the chicken back into the pan, followed by the caramel sauce mixture.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and continue to cook until the caramel sauce reduces and becomes amber in color. Be sure to turn the chicken a couple of times during cooking.
- Add the jalapeño and continue to cook for about 1 minute. Dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello, I was wondering if I could substitute the chicken for chicken breast and still have good flavor. I have extremely picky eaters in my house. Thank you.
Yes you can try chicken breast just dryer.
Made this today. Delicious! FYI – The chicken blackened much faster than I expected. (The fish sauce perhaps?) The rice is a perfect complement to the saltiness of the chicken. Took no time at all to prepare.
The sugar blackened the chicken, use low heat.
Hi Bee , is the jalapeno necessary
Bee, I’ve never purchased fish sauce before – any guidance as to which brands are better than others? Looking forward to making this!
Thanks!
Hi Dawn, see if you can get Magic Chef or Red Boat fish sauce. Both are great and high grade. I am sure you will be able to buy online! :)
Hi
Am going to try this ASAP, looks and reads just fantastic. Question: could I subs the sugar in the caramel for honey? I just have tons of honey on hand (have some beehives on an orange grove at the farm).
thanks!
Yes you can and adjust to taste.
Bee, this was yummy! I used bone-in chicken drumsticks since that’s what I had. Unfortunately, I was out of jalapeños so just put some siracha in the sauce to add a bit of heat but will definitely try with fresh jalapeños next time. Thanks for the great recipe :)
Hello!
If you have allergies to fish sauce, can you replace with salt and how much? Thank you!!!
You can substitute Worcestershire Sauce or Soy Sauce for the fish sauce. 1 tsp. fish sauce = 1 tsp. substitute. Google “fish sauce substitute” for more information.
Oh well, soy sauce and fish sauce taste different but it’s remotely OK to substitute but the final taste will be different. Worcestershire sauce is definitely NOT a substitute for fish sauce because the taste is completely different. I would use oyster sauce to substitute…it’s probably the closest but the quantity is not 1:1 ratio, it has to be adjusted to taste.
Hi Rasa,
Can I marinade the chicken in the sauce for more than 10 minutes? can I leave it overnight?
Yes you can.
Hi Bee, thanks for your great recipes.
On this one, can I check if you use the marinade in the making of the sauce as well or is it discarded and you only use the sauce mix?
Thanks!
The marinade is discarded.
I love Vietnamese food more than life. I crave it for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. The closest Vietnamese restaurant to my home is not so close, and I can’t afford it as much as I want it (all the time!). I love fish sauce. I buy it in big huge bottles at the Asian supermarket and try to make recipes that call for it all the time. I will be making this SOON. I am not sure I can find boneless thighs with the skin on…but I am going to try! And this is easy! I can’t wait, the pics make me want it now and it’s not even 9am yet!!!! Your blog is awesome!
Debone the thighs yourself