Main Meals

Braised chilli-and-coconut caramel chicken

By
10 November 2026
4
Easy
10 minutes
1 hour

Ever since I found out that I had Vietnamese blood, I have been exploring Vietnamese flavours. This is such a great marriage of sweet, salty and spicy. Make sure to eat it with lots of rice.
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Ingredients

Method
  • 6 medium free-range skin-on chicken thighs
  • 100 g brown sugar (any type)
  • 3 T water
  • 1 x 400 g can full-fat coconut milk
  • 4 T fish sauce
  • 3 T cider vinegar
  • 2 bird’s-eye chillies, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small brown onion, thinly sliced
  • ¼ t white pepper

Method

Ingredients

1. Trim the chicken thighs and remove any excess skin. Score the top of the thighs a couple of times. This is to ensure the flavours penetrate deeper and help them to cook faster, too.

2. In a wok or a casserole dish, combine the brown sugar and water. Simmer over a low heat until the sugar has melted and started to bubble.

3. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down onto the caramel and let sit for 20 seconds.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a strong simmer over a medium heat for 30 minutes.

5. After this time, turn the chicken over and simmer for another 25 minutes until the oil separates from the sauce.

6. The chicken thighs should be sticky and cooked through and ready to serve.

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Photographer: © Sam Folan 2026

Extracted with permission from Rice by Ping Coombes is published by Murdoch Books, and distributed by Jonathan Ball Publishers in South Africa.
Ping Coombes

Recipe by: Ping Coombes

Growing up in Ipoh, Malaysia, Ping Coombes was inspired by her mother's cooking. Now living in the UK and travelling globally, she draws inspiration from her heritage and delivers food with modern twists and local ingredients. Ping stunned the MasterChef judges with food inspired by her Malaysian heritage when she won the competition in 2014 and then again in 2022 when she won MasterChef Champion of Champions, becoming the first double MasterChef Champion. Her Malaysian recipes are frequently featured in the press, and her first book MALAYSIA topped the Amazon bestseller list. She regularly hosts supper clubs and events in Bath and across the UK, as well as masterclasses at her Ping at Home Kitchen. She also offers a range of chilled ready meals and recently started producing her own range of chilli condiments. Her signature Peanut and Shallot Chilli Oil is currently stocked in Selfridges in London.

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