30-Minute Ga Kho (Vietnamese Caramelized Chicken)

Something I wanted to do more of this year is to give you guys more weeknight recipes! Everyone has such busy lives, so cooking is probably the last thing on your mind. That’s why I wanted to make it easy for you with this ga kho recipe or Vietnamese caramelized chicken. This is a dish my mom has made for me countless times. It’s the one dish she goes to when she’s just out of ideas on what to make. I’m so excited to share her recipe with you!

What is ga kho?

Kho is a method of cooking in Vietnamese cuisine where protein such as beef, chicken, or fish is braised in fish sauce and sugar over low heat. Some popular recipes using this cooking method include thit kho, bo kho, ca hoi kho, and ca kho to. Not only does it make food taste so good, but it’s also an easy way to make a tasty dinner in less than an hour and requires very few ingredients. This easy ga kho recipe only uses 8 ingredients!

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

• Shallots – Shallots add a yummy sweet flavor to the ga kho. Good substitutes for shallots are sweet yellow onion or white onion.
• Ginger – Meat such as chicken inherently has some gamey, unsavory flavors, and ginger is a good way to remove that flavor.
• Garlic – Garlic is essential to any good Vietnamese dish!
• Light brown sugar – This ingredient is always used in a good kho recipe. A substitute for light brown sugar is dark brown sugar. Using dark instead of light brown sugar will make the dish sweeter and darker in color. I personally like using light brown sugar because it’s not as sweet as dark brown sugar.
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – My favorite cut of meat to use for ga kho is chicken thighs because it’s so juicy and full of flavor. In my opinion, chicken thighs are the best cut of meat, but you can use whichever cut of meat you want. My mom will often use chicken drumsticks.
• Fish sauce – This is the second ingredient that’s important to a good kho. My favorite brand of fish sauce is Three Crabs Fish Sauce. This is the fish sauce most Vietnamese families use including mine. Another good brand of fish sauce is Red Boat fish sauce.
• Pepper for seasoning
• Cilantro (optional) for garnish – This is an optional ingredient. It tastes just as good without cilantro.

Making my ga kho recipe

This ga kho recipe is the easiest weeknight dinner you can make. First, saute shallots and ginger with 1 tablespoon of oil until brown. Pour both onto a plate and set aside. Using the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and brown sugar and cook until the sugar melts. Next, add the chicken thighs and coat with the brown sugar mixture. Cook until chicken is brown on all sides (3-5 minutes). Lastly, add the fish sauce and pepper. Stir to coat. Lower heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. After simmering, add back the sautéed shallots and ginger from step 1. Garnish with cilantro and serve!

Tips on how to make the best ga kho recipe

Sear chicken using medium high heat

To get a good brown sear on your chicken, make sure you are using medium high to high heat. This allows the chicken to brown and develop flavor.

Adjust braising time if your chicken is cut into larger portions

I cut my chicken thighs into 1 inch cubes which means it takes a lot less time to cook. If you have larger portions of meat, I would braise for longer. If you have a bone in chicken thighs or drumsticks, I would braise for 15-20 minutes. No matter which cut of chicken you are using, a good way to check if chicken is done is by using a meat thermometer. Cooked chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Can I make this dish less salty or less sweet?

Yes you can! If you want to make this dish less salty, I would use less fish sauce. If you want to make this dish less sweet, use less brown sugar.

What can I serve ga kho with?

Ga kho is a pretty flavorful dish, so it is best served with rice! Any kind of rice will work – white rice, red rice, and brown rice. It also goes great with other grains like quinoa and bread.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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