Ga Roti is essentially the Vietnamese equivalent of the classic American comfort food, roast chicken. The only difference being that this one is better. #Biased. Sorry America.
Need we bombard you with an entourage of details? This dish is hearty, savory, rich with umami, sticky sweet with brown sugar, and balanced out by fresh sides and Nuoc Cham, which is a sweet & tangy fish sauce. Basically, the food speaks for itself. Marinade aside, it only takes 30 minutes of active work to make this chicken! Did you just find the answer to your next weeknight meal plans? I think so.
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Person: “What came first, the chicken or the egg?”
Vegan: “I don’t know. Soy?”
Vegan Vietnamese Roast Chicken with Sweet & Sticky Basting Sauce (Ga Roti)
Comforting, meaty, and chewy vegan chicken, roasted with a sweet, umami-rich basting sauce. Served with jasmine rice, fresh sides, and refreshing nuoc cham (sweet & tangy dipping sauce).
Ingredients
Ga Roti
- 7 oz vegan chicken, thawed*
- 1 medium garlic clove, grated
- 2 tsps vegan fish sauce
- 2 tsps soy sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 tsp chilis in hot oil
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 1/8 tsp five spice
Basting Sauce
- 1 oz soy sauce
- 1 oz brown sugar
- 1/2 oz sesame oil
- Leftover marinade
Nuoc Cham (Dipping Sauce)
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp crushed chilis
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsps vegan fish sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsps lime juice
Serving
- Lettuce
- Cucumber slices
- Fried shallots
- Jasmine rice
Directions
- Whisk together garlic through five spice in a small bowl, rub it all over chicken, and marinate at room temperature for 2-4 hours.
- Whisk together all of the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside for now.
- When the chicken’s almost done marinating, pre-heat oven to 450° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place marinated chicken on cookie sheet and place in oven for 8 minutes.
- Combine leftover marinade and all of the Basting Sauce ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and reduce until thickened to the consistency of eel sauce; about 3 minutes. Keep in mind it will thicken more as it cools.
- After 8 minutes, remove chicken from oven, brush on a light layer of the basting sauce, and place in oven for another 8 minutes. Repeat one more time, making for a total of 24 minutes.
- After chicken’s roasted, finish with a final brush of basting sauce. Serve alongside jasmine rice, fresh lettuce, cucumber, fried shallots, and dip everything into the Nuoc Cham from Step 2!
*For this recipe, we prefer the soy chicken available at Asian markets, as they’re firmer and chewier than most American variations. Many also offer them “half-chicken” style, which is perfect for Ga Roti!
NO EGGS OR HAM 