Baked bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs marinated with Vietnamese flavours. An easy and flavourful chicken dinner. These Vietnamese chicken thighs are great cooked on the BBQ, too!
The marinade for this Vietnamese chicken is so full of great flavours. Simply marinate the chicken thighs for 30 minutes or up to 6 hours, bake and enjoy! Too hot to turn on the oven? This chicken is also great cooked on the BBQ.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Bone-in chicken thighs – This recipe uses bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. You can use skinless, boneless chicken thighs however the oven time would be less, somewhere in the 15-20 minute range, depending on the size of the chicken thighs.
Fish Sauce – Fish sauce is an important flavour in Vietnamese cooking, so this is probably not the recipe for you if you don’t care for that flavour. There really is no substitute for fish sauce here.
Sambal Oelek – Sambal brings a touch of heat and flavour to the marinade. You could also use Asian Chili Garlic Sauce or Sriracha as a substitute, though you will want to use a bit more than specified for the same intensity.
How to make Vietnamese chicken thighs
This is a summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe.
- Start by adding all the marinade ingredients to a measuring cup.
- Stir the ingredients together well.
- Add the chicken thighs to a plastic zipper bag, then pour the marinade over the chicken.
- Seal the bag and shake to coat the chicken well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.
- Place the marinated chicken into a baking pan (I’m using a cast-iron skillet here). Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30-35 minutes.
- If you like, quickly pickle some cucumbers to serve alongside. See below for how to make quick-pickled cucumbers.
Recipe tips!
- The leftover chicken marinade must be boiled before using, as it will have raw chicken juices in it. Bringing the marinade to a boil and simmering for 3-4 minutes will sufficiently cook the chicken juices.
- This chicken would also be lovely cooked on the BBQ. You can use the marinade (without boiling first) to baste/glaze the chicken for the first part of cooking. Be sure the chicken will cook at least 5 minutes after the last basting to be sure the marinade liquid is thoroughly cooked.
- The recipe specifies a marinating time of up to 6 hours. A longer marinating time isn’t recommended due to the presence of lime juice in the marinade, which can negatively affect the texture of the chicken over time. If you’d like to marinate longer, you could leave out the lime initially and add near the end of marinating instead.
What to serve with Vietnamese chicken
I love to pair Vietnamese chicken with quick-pickled cucumbers. A cucumber salad, either creamy or with an Asian rice vinegar and oil dressing, is another great option. Asian coleslaw would also be nice on the side. Finally, rice would be a great addition to this meal.
Quick-pickled cucumbers are a great side for this chicken. Simply bring 1/2 cup rice vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 6 Tablespoons of white sugar to a boil. Remove from the heat and add fresh cucumber slices. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Transfer the cucumbers (without the liquid) to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
Making ahead is built in to this recipe, as it will need to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.
Store leftover cooked chicken in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The cooked chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Get the Recipe: Vietnamese Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 5-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 1 – 1 1/2 lbs.
Vietnamese Marinade:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, low-sodium recommended
- 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
- 1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or similar neutral-tasting cooking oil
- 2 Tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or ginger paste
- 1-2 teaspoons Sambal oelek, or Asian Chili Garlic Paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
For serving:
- Sliced limes and chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in a large plastic zipper bag. In a medium bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients, then pour over the chicken in the zipper bag. Seal the bag and shake to toss well. Place into the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (non-convection/not fan-assisted). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Remove the chicken from bag, allowing excess marinade to drip off back into the bag. Place the chicken thighs onto the baking pan skin-side up. Bake the chicken until cooked through (160F internal temperature), about 30-35 minutes. If the chicken isn't brown enough, turn the oven broiler on briefly to brown the skin.
- Transfer the marinade to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer at least 3-4 minutes.
- Serve the chicken garnished with lime slices and cilantro and with the heated marinade for drizzling.
- This chicken is lovely served with a cucumber salad, Asian coleslaw or quick-pickled cucumbers. Rice is another nice addition to the plate.
Notes
Adapted from a Serious Eats recipe.
More bone-in chicken thigh recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Made this recipe last night and we loved it! Very quick to come together, followed recipe as written with the exception of cilantro as I was out, instead used chopped green onions as garnish. Thank you for this tasty recipe which I will certainly make again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Fatima :) Thanks so much!
I haven’t tried this chicken recipe yet. But, I know an excellent recipe when I see one. I will have to ask my wife to make this for our family. Being that she does the cooking. Thank you for sharing this new recipe with us.
Thanks Timothy! Enjoy :)