A beautiful rustic bowl filled with tender chicken chunks coated in dark glossy sauce, garnished with chopped cilantro and served over fluffy jasmine rice. Complemented by a handful of vibrant green bok choy and slices of bright red chili pepper, it's a warm palette complemented by fresh pops of green and red.

Slow-Cooked Vietnamese Garlic Chicken

Name: Slow-Cooked Vietnamese Garlic Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 375 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: Garlic, 6 cloves minced; Chicken thighs, 6 pieces boneless and skinless; Lemongrass, 2 stalks bruised and chopped into 2-inch pieces; Ginger, 1-inch peeled and minced; Fish sauce, 2 tbsp; Brown sugar, 1 tbsp; Bird's eye chili, 1 sliced (optional); Baby bok choy, 2 halved; Jasmine rice, 1 cup cooked; Salt, to taste; Fresh cilantro, for garnish; Coconut oil, 1 tbsp

Category Main Course

Prep 15 minutes

Cook 360 minutes

Style Vietnamese

Technique Slow cooking

Diet Friendly Paleo

Daily Recipe: November 27, 2023

Leveraging the rustic charm of a slow cooker, this Vietnamese inspired dish brings the pungent aroma of garlic and the multilayered flavours of lemongrass, ginger, and fish sauce. Slow cooking process allows all the ingredients to meld together beautifully, giving you a warm bowl of comfort and complexity. The star element, garlic, imparts a robust flavour to the dish that is both alluring and delectable.

Ingredients (for 2)

Garlic - 6 cloves - minced
Chicken thighs - 6 pieces - boneless and skinless
Lemongrass - 2 stalks - bruised and chopped into 2-inch pieces
Ginger - 1-inch - peeled and minced
Fish sauce - 2 tbsp
Brown sugar - 1 tbsp
Bird's eye chili - 1 - sliced (optional)
Baby bok choy - 2 - halved
Jasmine rice - 1 cup - cooked
Salt - to taste
Fresh cilantro - for garnish
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Preparation

Step 1 - 🥥🍗🍳

Heat the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and brown them on both sides. Remove and set them aside.
Step 2 - 🍳🧄🌿

In the same pan, sauté the minced garlic, ginger, and lemongrass till they become fragrant.
Step 3 - 🍲🍗🌶️

Transfer the sautéed ingredients into a slow cooker. Add the browned chicken, fish sauce, brown sugar, salt, and sliced chili. Set the slow cooker on low heat and let it cook for 6 hours.
Step 4 - 🥬🕗🍲

30 minutes before serving, add the halved bok choy to the slow cooker.
Step 5 - 🥣🍚🌿

Serve the slow-cooked chicken with fragrant jasmine rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Additional

The slow-cooking method is heavily used in Vietnamese cuisine to deepen the flavours and create tender, fall-off-the-bone meat. Do feel free to replace the chicken thighs with breast or drumstick, depending on your preference. This dish invites you to get creative with seasonal vegetables. Steamed broccoli or sautéed spinach would be a great addition. Kids can definitely contribute by cleaning the bok choy or garnishing the dish with cilantro.