Caramelized Ginger Chicken Thighs with Vietnamese Five-Spice

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

Juicy chicken thighs glazed with a sweet and warming caramel sauce infused with fresh ginger and aromatic Vietnamese five-spice powder. This Vietnamese recipe, ready in about 40 minutes, pairs bone-in chicken thighs, fresh ginger, garlic cloves for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 400 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 25 min Serves 4 Vietnamese cuisine 400 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Pat dry 6 bone-in chicken thighs and season with 1 tsp Vietnamese five-spice powder and 1/2 tsp black pepper evenly on both sides.
  2. Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs skin side down and cook for 6-7 minutes until skin is golden brown and crispy.
  3. Step 3: Flip chicken thighs and cook for 3 more minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
  4. Step 4: In the same skillet, add 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Stir for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and sugar begins to melt.
  5. Step 5: Slowly add 3 tbsp fish sauce and 1/4 cup water, stirring to combine. Bring sauce to a simmer and return chicken thighs to the skillet, spooning sauce over them.
  6. Step 6: Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10-12 minutes, turning chicken occasionally, until sauce thickens and coats the chicken beautifully.
  7. Step 7: Garnish with 2 sliced scallions and serve hot with steamed rice.

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