I first made this Vietnamese Clay Pot chicken during my first winter in Beijing in 2008. The temperatures were consistently brutally low (think Northern Vermont in January) and the heating in my rental apartment was way less than adequate. I wanted a hearty meaty dish that would also warm up the apartment while it cooked on the stove.
This Vietnamese Clay Pot Chicken, or Vietnamese Caramelized Chicken, was the perfect thing to make. Despite the name, you don’t actually need a traditional clay pot; it cooks very well in a Dutch oven or straight-sided skillet as well. This week I revisited and revised the recipe, making it more streamlined ; hopefully you’ll like it even better than before!
Cold weather makes me long for piping hot dishes, like clay pot braises. Last night I decided to make clay pot caramelized chicken, and adapted a Vietnamese-style braise from Chef Charles Phan of San Francisco’s The Slanted Door. One of the major changes I made was the amount of fish sauce. The original recipe called for 3 tablespoons, which I would not recommend to anyone hoping to keep a decent-smelling kitchen. (See Vietnamese Caramelized Pork.) I reduced the amount to 1 tablespoon, which is plenty for enhancing the flavors of the dish.
You can also make this dish both mild or spicy. I tossed in seeded Thai chilli, which added a mild tinge; for more spice, just leave the seeds in.
Vietnamese Clay Pot Chicken
Serves 4
- 2 pounds chicken thighs or legs, skin-on
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 bird’s eye chilis or other small red peppers, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- Cilantro springs for garnish (optional)
- Blot the chicken with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Combine the soy sauce, water, white vinegar, fish sauce, and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, carefully place the chicken thighs in the wok skin-side down and sear for about 5 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In a clay pot, Dutch oven, or deep skillet over medium heat, melt the brown sugar while stirring frequently to avoid scorching. When the sugar fully liquifies, immediate pour in the soy sauce mixture. Add the chicken, onions, chilis, garlic, and ginger. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and the sauce has reduced by at least half.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Pour the sauce over the chicken, garnish with cilantro springs, and serve hot with rice on the side.
Adapted from Chef Charles Phan, via Epicurious. Recipe first posted Feb. 13, 2008, revised November 8, 2012.
i cooked this last night and it was yummmmm! my melted sugar hardened into a ball tho once I put in my soy mixture. maybe i poured it in not slowly enough? it dissolved later on tho.
just curious, what would be the difference between melting the sugar first then pouring in the soy mix than mixing the sugar with the soy then boiling it?
thanks for the recipe!
the sugar is not caramelized if you simply mix it with soy sauce and boil them. carmamelizing the sugar changes it’s chemical component, and thus, flavor.
Note that I did not simply mix sugar with soy sauce, put it over heat, and call it good. I first heated the brown sugar alone so that it would melt and caramelize. That is actually now caramel is made, in its purest form: melting sugar until it browns.
3 tblsp of fish sauce is not alot and would not cause any “fishy” aroma in the kitchen. I suggest you stick with the fish sauce.
i have it in the oven as i speak.will advise soon;) i did a little change and added whole pickled peppercorns as it is the vietnamese way.definitely needed 3 teaspoons of fish sauce(first press).i used a deboned small chicken and made a stock from the bones.loved it and it was melt in the mouth chicken.
What a fabulous looking Chicken dish! It’s interesting to caramelize the sugar first for the sauce, i can imagine the rich taste with hint of bitterness, enhanced by the umami soy sauce. Yum!
Gotta try this out!
Any suggestions to replace the soy sauce? I have become soy sensitive. I miss this food so much.
This looks great! It’s true you don’t really need a clay pot for this ‘clay pot’ chicken or any clay pot recipe. I was disappointed to find out that most restaurants that serve these caramelized dishes in clay pots don’t even cook them in those pots.
I assume the chicken is bone in, but is the clay pot/dutch oven covered or uncovered when you cook this dish?
Jay – Thanks for the question! The chicken is cooked uncovered, so the sauce can thicken quite a bit during the cooking time. I’ll add a note to the recipe as well. Hope that helps!
Thanks, Diana – I’m glad I asked, I would have cooked covered. I live in SF and visit the Slanted Door regularly; I’m really looking forward to this. I’m cooking this on New Year’s Day!