Vietnamese Ginger Chicken (Ga Kho Gung)

Vietnamese ginger chicken, ga kho gung, is the chicken dish you make when a big piece of fresh ginger needs a purpose. Chicken thighs braise in fish sauce and a quick caramel until the liquid shrinks to a shiny, amber glaze, and the ginger softens into sweet, warming strips you eat right along with the meat.

Unlike a ginger stir-fry where the ginger stays crisp and sharp, here it cooks down in the sauce. It loses its bite, turns mellow, and flavors every bite of chicken. A bowl of rice underneath is not optional in spirit, even if it is on paper — that glaze belongs on rice.

What Makes Ga Kho Gung Different from Other Kho Dishes

Kho is the Vietnamese braise-in-a-clay-pot family: protein simmered in fish sauce and caramel sauce until the liquid reduces and coats. Our Ca Kho To: Vietnamese Caramelized Fish in Clay Pot uses the same idea with fish, coconut water, and a longer, darker caramel. Ginger chicken is quicker, brighter, and built around one aromatic.

The short verdict: choose ga kho gung when you want a fast braise with a sauce that still feels light. If you are deciding between fish sauce and soy sauce as the base, our guide to Fish Sauce vs Soy Sauce lays out when each one works — here, fish sauce leads and a little soy sauce adds color.

The Ginger Is the Point

Use fresh ginger, and use more of it than feels polite. For 1 1/2 pounds of chicken, this recipe uses about 3 ounces: half julienned into matchsticks that soften in the braise, half minced into the marinade so the flavor goes all the way through.

A few ratios worth keeping:

• 3 oz (85 g) fresh ginger to 1 1/2 lb (680 g) chicken — that is the balance where ginger leads without taking over.
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce + 1 teaspoon soy sauce — salty depth plus a deeper color.
• 2 tablespoons sugar for the caramel, cooked just to amber. Past amber it turns bitter fast, so watch it.
• 3/4 cup coconut water or water — coconut water adds a gentle sweetness; plain water works fine and lets the ginger stand out more.

Young ginger, with its thin, pale skin, is lovely here if you find it: scrape the skin off with a spoon, slice it thin, and it will be tender enough to eat in quantity. Mature ginger works just as well; just cut the matchsticks a little finer.

Vietnamese Ginger Chicken (Ga Kho Gung)

Chicken thighs braised with lots of fresh ginger in a fish sauce caramel until the sauce reduces to an amber glaze.

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Total time: 40 minutes Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the chicken and marinade:

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 oz (30 g) fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the braise:

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 medium shallot (about 1 1/2 oz / 40 g), thinly sliced
• 2 oz (55 g) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) coconut water or water
• 1 to 2 Thai chilies, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

For serving:

• Steamed jasmine rice
• 2 scallions, sliced
• A few cilantro leaves (optional)
• 1 small cucumber, sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken. In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon fish sauce, the soy sauce, minced ginger, garlic, and black pepper. Mix well and set aside for 15 minutes at room temperature, or up to 2 hours in the fridge.

2. Make the caramel. Heat the neutral oil in a wide, heavy pan or clay pot over medium heat. Add the sugar in an even layer and let it melt without stirring, swirling the pan once or twice. Cook until it turns a clear amber, about 2 to 3 minutes, then move quickly to the next step before it darkens further.

3. Add the aromatics. Stir in the sliced shallot and the ginger matchsticks. Cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant and coated in the caramel. Work fast so the caramel does not burn.

4. Add the chicken. Add the marinated chicken with all of its marinade. Spread the pieces out and let them sit undisturbed for 2 minutes to pick up color, then stir and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges look opaque.

5. Braise. Pour in the coconut water (or water), the remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce, the chilies if using, and the salt. Bring to a lively simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low.

6. Simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked through and tender. The ginger matchsticks should be soft and bend easily.

7. Reduce to a glaze. Raise the heat to medium and cook 3 to 5 minutes more, stirring often, until the liquid shrinks to a shiny glaze that coats the chicken and pools just a little in the pan. Take care at the end — a reduced caramel can catch quickly.

8. Rest and serve. Take the pan off the heat and rest 5 minutes. Taste for salt and add a pinch more if needed. Scatter the scallions (and cilantro, if using) over the top and serve over jasmine rice with cucumber on the side.

Notes

• Thighs hold up best here. Breast meat works, but cut the simmer to about 8 minutes and the glaze step to 2 minutes so it stays tender.
• If your caramel goes too dark and smells bitter, start that step over. A burnt caramel cannot be fixed by the rest of the sauce, and it only takes a few minutes to redo.
• No coconut water on hand? Use water plus 1 teaspoon extra sugar. The flavor stays clean, and the ginger comes forward even more.
• Leftovers keep well for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of water, covered, until the glaze loosens and shines again.

How to Serve It

A wide bowl of jasmine rice is the classic base: spoon the chicken over the top and let the glaze run down into the rice. Cucumber slices on the side cool the ginger warmth between bites.

If you like this style of cooking, the same weeknight logic shows up in our Bo Luc Lac: Vietnamese Shaking Beef — quick, savory, and built for rice — while Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken swaps the ginger for lemongrass and a longer marinade. Trying the three side by side is a good way to find which aromatic your household reaches for most.

Variations Worth Trying

With skin-on chicken. Use bone-in, skin-on thighs, add 10 minutes to the simmer, and skim any extra fat before the glaze step. The skin picks up the caramel beautifully.

Extra ginger, two ways. Add a handful of ginger matchsticks in the last 3 minutes of cooking as well as at the start. The early ginger melts into the sauce; the late ginger stays bright and a little chewy.

With mushrooms. Add 5 oz (140 g) sliced shiitake or oyster mushrooms with the chicken in step 4. They soak up the glaze and stretch the dish for a hungrier table.

Milder for kids. Skip the chilies, cut the black pepper in half, and add 1 extra teaspoon of sugar at the braise step. The ginger warmth stays, the heat goes.

Vietnamese Ginger Chicken (Ga Kho Gung)

Chicken thighs braised with lots of fresh ginger in a fish sauce caramel until the sauce reduces to an amber glaze.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the chicken and marinade

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 oz (30 g) fresh ginger peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the braise

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 medium (about 1 1/2 oz / 40 g) shallot thinly sliced
• 2 oz (55 g) fresh ginger peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) coconut water or water
• 1 to 2 Thai chilies sliced (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste

For serving

• Steamed jasmine rice
• 2 scallions sliced
• Cilantro leaves optional
• 1 small cucumber sliced (optional)

Method

 

1. Marinate the chicken. In a bowl, combine the chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon fish sauce, the soy sauce, minced ginger, garlic, and black pepper. Mix well and set aside for 15 minutes at room temperature, or up to 2 hours in the fridge.
2. Make the caramel. Heat the neutral oil in a wide, heavy pan or clay pot over medium heat. Add the sugar in an even layer and let it melt without stirring, swirling the pan once or twice. Cook until it turns a clear amber, about 2 to 3 minutes, then move quickly to the next step before it darkens further.
3. Add the aromatics. Stir in the sliced shallot and the ginger matchsticks. Cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant and coated in the caramel. Work fast so the caramel does not burn.
4. Add the chicken. Add the marinated chicken with all of its marinade. Spread the pieces out and let them sit undisturbed for 2 minutes to pick up color, then stir and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges look opaque.
5. Braise. Pour in the coconut water (or water), the remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce, the chilies if using, and the salt. Bring to a lively simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low.
6. Simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked through and tender. The ginger matchsticks should be soft and bend easily.
7. Reduce to a glaze. Raise the heat to medium and cook 3 to 5 minutes more, stirring often, until the liquid shrinks to a shiny glaze that coats the chicken and pools just a little in the pan. Take care at the end — a reduced caramel can catch quickly.
8. Rest and serve. Take the pan off the heat and rest 5 minutes. Taste for salt and add a pinch more if needed. Scatter the scallions (and cilantro, if using) over the top and serve over jasmine rice with cucumber on the side.