Vietnamese Recipes

Chicken Ragu

Posted by Emily Pham on

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Chicken Ragu Recipe

Chicken Ragu

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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Vietnamese
Servings 8 People

Ingredients
  

ADD TO THE SOUP POT

  • 6 Chicken Leg Quarters (Each piece cut into thirds )
  • 1/4 Cup + 4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil (2 tablespoons to saute tomatoes + 1/4 cup to saute chicken + 2 tablespoons to saute onions)
  • 1/2 Stick Of Butter
  • 1 Can Tomato Paste ( 6 oz )
  • 2 Containers Prego Traditional or Prego Meat Sauce (45 oz plus 24 oz totals 69 oz needed only)
  • 1 Carton Chicken Broth (64 oz)
  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Salt
  • 5 Bay Leaves

MARINATE THE CHICKEN THIGHS WITH:

  • 1/3 Cup Fish Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Garlic Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons Chopped Garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons Chopped Shallots

CUT THE VEGETABLES:

  • 4 1/2 Tablespoons Chopped Garlic = 2 1/2 tablespoons to marinate the chicken + 1 tablespoon to saute the chicken + 1 tablespoon to saute the tomatoes ( Split into thirds )
  • 5 Carrots ( Cut into bite size pieces )
  • 5 Idaho Potatoes ( Cut into cubes )
  • 1 Carton Button Mushrooms ( 16 oz - Sliced )
  • 8 Roma Tomatoes ( Cut into wedges )
  • 1 Large Onion ( Cut into wedges )

BOWL OF SALTED WATER FOR THE POTATOES:

  • Water
  • 1 Tablespoon Salt

GARNISH WITH:

  • Black Pepper
  • Thai Basil

SERVE WITH:

  • French Bread

Instructions
 

  • Wash and chop each leg quarter into thirds.
  • Marinate the chicken with fish sauce, garlic salt, black pepper, chopped garlic and shallots. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours. Before cooking the chicken be sure to bring the chicken back to room temperature.
  • Wash and cut the carrots, tomatoes and potatoes. Slice the mushrooms if they have not been pre-sliced. Cut the onion into wedges. Mince the garlic. Set aside.
  • Wash, peel and cut the potatoes into cubes. Fill a bowl with some water and add a tablespoon of salt. Place the cut potatoes into the bowl of salted water to keep them from turning brown. Leave the potatoes in the salted water until you are ready to add them to the soup. Before adding the potatoes to the soup be sure to give the potatoes a quick rinse. Set aside.
  • Saute the tomatoes. In a saute pan on Medium High heat add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once the oil is warm add 1 tablespoon of garlic. Saute for 30 seconds. Then reduce the heat to Medium and add in the tomatoes. Saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add in 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook the tomatoes until slightly softened. Set aside.
  • Cook the chicken. In a wok on Medium High add 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. Once the oil is warm add in 1 tablespoon of garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Then add in the chicken and let them sit in the pan for about 2-3 minutes undisturbed. Then saute the chicken until it is halfway cooked. Set aside.
  • Make the sauce. In a large pot on High heat add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil plus 1/2 stick of butter. Once the butter is melted reduce the heat to Medium then add in the tomato paste. Stir. Saute for another minute then add in the Prego Sauce and stir. Add in the Chicken Broth and stir. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of salt. Add the Bay leaves. Add in the tomatoes and stir. Bring the sauce to a boil.
  • Then add in the chicken . Discard the fat and juices at the bottom of the wok.
  • Also add in the carrots and potatoes. Bring the sauce back to a boil once more.
  • Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  • Add the mushrooms and sliced onions . Bring the ragu back to a boil. Then cover and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are slightly softened. Stir occasionally.
  • Taste and adjust the soup. If you want it sweeter add more sugar. If it is too thick or salty add some water. If it needs more flavor you can add some chicken seasoning.
  • Turn off the heat and leave the pot on the stove with the lid slightly uncovered for 30 minutes. This will allow the chicken to become tender.
  • Ladle into a bowl. Sprinkle on some black pepper and garnish with Thai Basils.
    chicken ragu recipe
  • Serve with french bread.

Notes

If the ragu ends up being too thick or salty, just add more water to it.
You can use either the Prego Traditional sauce or the Prego Meat sauce  or a mix of both!  Typically this chicken ragu is made with only the Prego Traditional sauce but I prefer to mix one part of the Traditional sauce and one part of the Meat sauce.  And sometimes I will just use the Prego Meat sauce alone !