Caramelized Vietnamese Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Fish Sauce

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.

Succulent chicken thighs pan-fried in a savory-sweet caramel glaze infused with garlic and fish sauce. This Vietnamese recipe, ready in about 40 minutes, pairs bone-in chicken thighs, garlic cloves, fish sauce for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 410 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: 10 min Cook: 30 min Serves 4 Vietnamese cuisine 410 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Pat dry 6 bone-in chicken thighs with skin on. Season both sides with 1 tsp black pepper.
  2. Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs skin side down and cook for 7-8 minutes until skin is golden brown and crisp.
  3. Step 3: Flip chicken thighs and add 6 minced garlic cloves, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, and 1/4 cup water to the pan. Stir gently to combine and coat the chicken.
  4. Step 4: Reduce heat to low, cover skillet, and simmer for 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens into a sticky caramel glaze.
  5. Step 5: Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high for 2 minutes to reduce sauce further, spooning sauce over chicken frequently.
  6. Step 6: Garnish with 2 sliced green onions and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro before serving with steamed rice.

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