Brazilian Golden Caramel Chicken
A show-stopping chicken dish where a homemade caramel creates a beautiful amber glaze on every piece. Inspired by traditional Brazilian home cooking, this recipe turns an everyday chicken into a rich, crowd-pleasing dinner. Quick to prepare and full of bold flavour.
🛒 Ingredients
5 servings
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 1 kg of thighs and drumsticks)
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 packet of poultry seasoning
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley and chives to finish
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Directions
- 1
Rinse the chicken pieces thoroughly under cold water and pat dry.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, onion, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and coat every piece well. Leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
- 3
Heat a wide, deep pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil and the sugar. Without stirring, let the sugar melt into a golden amber caramel.
- 4
Carefully add the chicken pieces to the caramel, placing bone-in pieces at the bottom. Pour the marinade juices over the top and cover immediately with a lid.
- 5
Every 5 minutes, turn the pieces so each side gets an even golden colour. Keep the lid on between turns.
- 6
Halfway through cooking, use a fork or knife to pierce the thickest parts of the chicken directly in the pan — this helps heat penetrate without drying the meat out.
- 7
Continue cooking for 30 to 35 minutes total until the chicken is cooked through and deeply golden. Scatter parsley and chives on top before serving.
💡 Chef's Tip
Watch the caramel closely — it should be golden amber, not dark brown, or it will turn bitter. Keeping the lid on right after adding the chicken traps steam and keeps the meat tender while the outside caramelises beautifully.
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Same category — Poultry
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