Vietnamese Ginger-Braised Chicken (Gà Kho Gừng)

a square crop of a birds eye view of a bowl of ginger-braised chicken on a black background.

Vietnamese Ginger-Braised Chicken (Gà Kho Gừng)

This gingery braised chicken is a classic homestyle Vietnamese dish. It's warming, tender and comforting with a big bowl of hot rice.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Vietnamese

Keyword Chicken, Family Meal

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings

Calories 373kcal

Ingredients

1 chicken about 3-4 lbs
1 tablespoon Vân Vân dried garlic
1 tablespoon Vân Vân dried shallot
2 tablespoon Vân Vân dried ginger
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 ½ cups coconut water
¼ teaspoon Vân Vân chili flakes optional

Instructions

Break down your whole chicken into the two thighs, drumsticks wings and breasts. Use a cleaver to chop those pieces up into large chunks. The chicken will shrink once cooked so don't chop it too small.
Season the chicken chunks with the dried shallot, garlic, and ginger. Add the salt, pepper and fish sauce and mix well to coat all the chicken pieces. Let this marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
When you're ready to start cooking, heat the sugar in a heavy bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Stir the sugar occasionally so it melts and caramelizes at the same time. Continue to stir the sugar as it bubbles and browns.
Once the sugar is a deep caramel color, add the chicken and all its juices. Stir the chicken quickly to coat it in the melted sugar.
Once the chicken is browned, add enough coconut water to cover the pieces. Add some chili flakes if you want the dish to be spicy.
Simmer the chicken uncovered until the coconut water has evaporated into a thin sticky sauce.

Notes

Nutrition facts are estimated based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition