Mai

Growing up, this was a dish that frequently appeared on the dinner table in my family. Simple and low effort, but incredibly flavorful- this ginger braised chicken is a winning recipe for weekdays. The chicken is juicy and tender, while the bold ginger flavor warms your palate and your soul!

This recipe came from my mom, but I’m using the word recipe very loosely. In true Vietnamese mom fashion- there were no quantities, just basic steps and an approximate cooking time. The difference between her gà kho and some others that I have seen is that water is not added to the braise. Simmering the chicken at low heat will release moisture to create a lovely sauce without diluting the flavors. You’ll want to make some extra rice to eat with every last drop of that sauce!

Unlike thịt kho or cá kho, this recipe contains no sugar or nước hàng/nước màu (i.e. Vietnamese braising caramel sauce), which makes it lighter and really lets the ginger flavor shine.

INGREDIENTS FOR GÀ KHO GỪNG

• Chicken – Gà: My preference for this dish is, in order most to least favorite: bone-in chicken thighs/drumsticks; chicken wings; boneless chicken thighs; chicken breasts. Bone-in dark meat has a lot more flavor and moisture, which makes for a much juicier final product that doesn’t require additional water. If you use chicken breasts, you may need to add water to the braise.
• Ginger – Gừng
• Shallot – Hành khô/hành tím
• Garlic – Tỏi
• Fish sauce – Nước mắm: arguably the most important seasoning sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from fermented anchovies, it is salty and incredibly umami. Non-vegan Vietnamese recipes without fish sauce are very rare. The best nước mắm comes from Phú Quốc or surrounding islands off the coast- Southwest of mainland Vietnam. Our favorite brand available outside of Vietnam is Red Boat (U.S.).
• Bouillon – Hạt nêm: think broth, but in solid form. Bouillon is an amazingly easy way to bring that umami flavor to your food. We use it instead of salt in many of our dishes. You can usually find chicken, pork, or mushroom bouillon. In Vietnam, Knorr is the most common brand. However, we have only been able to find Knorr in powder form in the US and France, not granules. Instead, we use Totole brand chicken or mushroom bouillon. The quantities on our website are based on the granule-type so if you use powder, adjust to your taste.
• Ground black pepper – Tiêu đen xay
• Vegetable oil – Dầu thực vật
• Cilantro or green onion – Ngò rí/rau mùi hoặc hành lá: For garnish

DIRECTIONS FOR GÀ KHO GỪNG

1. Cut your chicken into 3-5cm pieces.
2. Mince the shallot from the Marinade section.
3. Add the chicken to a large bowl along with the minced shallot and the rest of the ingredients from the Marinade section.
4. Mix or toss to coat the chicken pieces well and let marinate for 30 minutes.
5. Thinly slice the shallot from the Braising section.
6. Rinse the ginger. Without peeling, cut into thin slice, stack up a few slices, then slice into thin matchsticks.
7. Mince the garlic.
8. Chop up herb for garnish, if using.
9. When chicken is done marinating, heat vegetable oil on medium in a small pot.
10. Add sliced shallots, minced ginger, and ginger strips. Sauté until fragrant – about a minute.
11. Pour in the chicken and any leftover bits the marinade.
12. Sauté the chicken, flipping the pieces until the pieces are no longer pink on the outside.
    Optional: if your chicken is a bit pale, you can add some turmeric powder.
13. Reduce heat to medium low and cover with lid for 20 minutes. Check on it and stir a few times.
    You should not need to add any extra water if using legs, the chicken will release moisture as you simmer and the lid will trap most of the evaporation. If your chicken is dry- which might be the case with breasts, add a few tablespoons of water.
14. Season to taste with extra fish sauce and bouillon, if needed.
15. Garnish with cilantro or green onion (if using) and serve with rice!

RECIPE VIDEO

Gà kho gừng • Ginger braised chicken

Course: MainCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Easy

Makes

2

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Resting time

30

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

Tender umami chicken marinated and braised with ginger, which brings warmth and flavor.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 400 g 400 bone-in chicken (See Notes)

• Marinade

• 20 g 20 shallot

• 1 tsp 1 fish sauce

• 1 tsp 1 bouillon

• 1/4 tsp 1/4 pepper

• 1 tsp 1 vegetable oil

• Braising

• 25 g 25 fresh ginger

• 20 g 20 shallot

• 10 g 10 garlic

• 1 tbsp 1 vegetable oil

• 1/4 tsp 1/4 turmeric powder (optional)

• Fish sauce (to taste if needed)

• Bouillon (to taste if needed)

• Garnish

• Cilantro or green onion (optional)

Directions

• Cut your chicken into 3-5cm pieces.
• Mince the shallot from the Marinade section.
• Add the chicken to a large bowl along with the minced shallot and the rest of the ingredients from the Marinade section.
• Mix or toss to coat the chicken pieces well and let marinate for 30 minutes.
• Thinly slice the shallot from the Braising section.
• Rinse the ginger. Without peeling, cut into thin slice, stack up a few slices, then slice into thin matchsticks.
• Mince the garlic.
• Chop up herb for garnish, if using.
• When chicken is done marinating, heat vegetable oil on medium in a small pot.
• Add sliced shallots, minced ginger, and ginger strips. Sauté until fragrant – about a minute.
• Pour in the chicken and any leftover bits the marinade.
• Sauté the chicken, flipping the pieces until the pieces are no longer pink on the outside.
  Optional: if your chicken is a bit pale, you can add some turmeric powder.
• Reduce heat to medium low and cover with lid for 20 minutes. Check on it and stir/flip the chicken a few times.
  You should not need to add any extra water if using legs, the chicken will release moisture as you simmer and the lid will trap most of the evaporation. If your chicken is dry- which might be the case with breasts, add a few tablespoons of water.
• Season to taste with extra fish sauce and bouillon, if needed.
• Garnish with cilantro or green onion (if using) and serve with rice!

Recipe Video

Notes

• Chicken: if using boneless chicken, you need about 300 grams instead of 400 grams. If using bone-in, ask your butcher to cut it up for you if possible. This recipe would also work very well with chicken wings, especially drumettes.

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