Description
Diane’s Vietnamese Fried Chicken is packed with bold, savory-sweet flavors from a garlicky fish sauce marinade, then fried until golden and crispy. The result is juicy, flavorful chicken with a shatteringly crisp crust—perfect for sharing or serving with rice and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken
- 3 pounds (1.36 kg) chicken drumsticks or thighs, skin-on and bone-in (or boneless skinless if preferred)
For the Marinade
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) fish sauce
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar
- 4–5 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) fresh ground black pepper (or more to taste)
For Frying
- 1 1/4 cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder
- 1 cup (240 ml) cold water, about
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, fish sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, and black pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to let the flavors soak in.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Gradually add cold water until a smooth batter forms (should be similar to pancake batter consistency).
- Heat oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Remove chicken from the marinade (shaking off excess) and dip each piece into the batter, coating fully.
- Fry chicken in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through (about 10–12 minutes for drumsticks, 6–8 minutes for boneless pieces). Internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C).
- Transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Serve hot with lime wedges, fresh herbs, or a side of rice.
Notes
- Marinating overnight gives the chicken the most depth of flavor.
- If using boneless chicken, reduce frying time by a few minutes.
- For extra crunch, double-fry: fry once until light golden, let rest for 5 minutes, then fry again briefly until crispy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 drumstick or thigh
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: Vietnamese fried chicken, garlic fish sauce chicken, crispy fried chicken, Asian chicken recipe