Ga Kho Gung (Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken, 44g Protein)

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Ga kho gung is Vietnamese chicken braised in a caramel and fish sauce glaze with a serious amount of ginger, and it gets you 44g of protein per serving from boneless chicken thighs and not much else. One pot, about 40 minutes, and most of that is the chicken simmering while you set the table.

The sauce is the same bittersweet caramel (nuoc mau) that runs through thit kho and caramel salmon, but here the ginger is the main event. Not a background note. A full three tablespoons of matchsticks, and by the end of the braise they have softened into the sauce and lost most of their bite.

I make this when I want something that tastes slow cooked but is actually a weeknight dish. It reheats better than almost anything else on this site, so it is a good one to double.

Why this works

The caramel is made from plain sugar cooked past golden to a deep reddish amber, and that colour is not decoration. Sugar at that stage has lost most of its sweetness and picked up bitter, almost smoky notes, which is what stops a fish sauce braise from tasting like candy. Pull it too early and the dish is sweet and flat. Let it go to nearly black and it is acrid. Somewhere around the colour of an old penny is where you want it.

Thighs are the right cut. They are braised uncovered for 25 minutes, which would turn breast into string, but thigh has enough connective tissue to stay juicy while the sauce reduces around it. The uncovered part matters too. A lid traps steam, the sauce never thickens, and you end up with chicken in soup rather than chicken in a glaze.

Ingredient notes

Boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1.5 lb for three servings. Cut them into rough 1.5 inch chunks so there is plenty of surface for the glaze to cling to. Bone-in thighs work too and taste slightly better, add 10 minutes to the braise and know the protein number will be a bit lower by weight.

Fish sauce is the salt here, so buy one you like. Red Boat and Three Crabs are both easy to find in the US and both work. Do not swap in soy sauce, the dish goes muddy.

Fresh ginger, young if you can get it (thin skin, pale, less fibrous). Cut it into fine matchsticks rather than grating it. Grated ginger dissolves into the sauce and turns it harsh, matchsticks soften and stay pleasant to eat.

Shallots, or half a small yellow onion if that is what you have. A Thai chili or two is optional, I usually add one whole and split so it perfumes the sauce without making it hot.

Ga Kho Gung (Vietnamese Caramel Ginger Chicken)

Boneless chicken thighs braised uncovered in a bittersweet caramel and fish sauce glaze with a generous amount of fresh ginger. One pot, about 40 minutes, 44g of protein per serving.

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Prep Time 12 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 42 minutes mins

Servings: 3 servings

Calories: 375

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs about 680g, cut into 1.5 inch chunks
• 2 tbsp sugar for the caramel
• 1 tbsp water for the caramel
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 3 tbsp fresh ginger peeled and cut into fine matchsticks, about a 3 inch piece
• 2 shallots thinly sliced, or half a small onion
• 4 cloves garlic smashed and roughly chopped
• 1 Thai chili optional, split lengthwise
• 2.5 tbsp fish sauce
• 0.5 tsp black pepper coarsely ground
• 0.75 cup water for the braise
• 2 scallions sliced, to finish

Method

 

1. Pat the chicken chunks dry and toss with 1/2 tbsp of the fish sauce and the black pepper. Set aside while you make the caramel.
2. Put the sugar and 1 tbsp water in a wide, light coloured pan over medium heat. Swirl the pan rather than stirring. Watch it go from clear to pale gold to deep reddish amber, about 4 to 6 minutes. When it reaches the colour of an old penny and smells slightly bitter, move to the next step immediately.
3. Add the oil, ginger, shallots, garlic and chili to the caramel. It will sputter and the sugar may harden, that is fine. Stir for about 1 minute until the shallots soften and the caramel loosens again.
4. Turn the heat up to medium high and add the chicken. Spread it in one layer and let it sit for 2 minutes without moving so it takes on colour, then stir and cook another 2 minutes until the outside is no longer pink.
5. Add the remaining 2 tbsp fish sauce and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer, scraping up anything stuck to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
6. In the last 5 minutes the liquid should reduce to a glossy glaze that coats the chicken. If it is still thin, raise the heat and let it bubble hard for a couple of minutes. If it is getting too dry before the chicken is tender, add a splash of water.
7. Taste. It should be salty, bittersweet and sharp with ginger. Add a little more fish sauce if it needs salt, or a pinch of sugar if the caramel went a shade too dark. Finish with the scallions and serve over jasmine rice.

Tips and storage

The caramel step is the only part that needs attention. Use a light coloured pan if you have one so you can see the colour change, and have your ginger and shallots ready to go in the moment it hits deep amber. They cool the sugar down and stop it cooking further. If it seizes into a hard lump when the liquid goes in, do not panic, it dissolves again within a minute or two of simmering.

Ga kho gung keeps for 4 days in the fridge and honestly tastes better on day two once the ginger has fully mellowed. Reheat gently in a small pan with a splash of water to loosen the glaze. It freezes well for up to 2 months. For meal prep, portion it over rice with some blanched greens or cucumber, the same way I do the lemongrass pork bowls.

Serve with jasmine rice and something cool and crunchy on the side. Sliced cucumber, a quick pickled carrot, or plain steamed bok choy. The sauce is intense, so you want a bit of plainness on the plate.