Lagu Gà (Vietnamese Chicken Ragu)

5 from 6 votes

Grandma’s Lagu Gà marries the best of the Vietnamese and French for a dish that's loaded with vegetables and melt-in-your-mouth chicken!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: French, Vietnamese

Servings:

Calories: 414kcal

Heat up your wok or pan on high and pour in the oil.
When the oil is hot, turn the heat to medium and throw the garlic and onion in to cook for 30 seconds.
After the 30 seconds, turn the heat back up to high and add the chicken in. Give it a stir for 2 minutes or until the meat's lightly seared.
Pour the tomato paste in and stir it into the chicken.
Note: The idea is to have the paste lightly cover all the pieces, so you might need to add more or use less.
Toss in the potatoes and carrots.
Fill the tomato paste carton with the water and pour it into the wok. Add the remaining water in with the cooking ingredients.
Season with the salt, sugar and chicken bouillon powder.
Let everything cook on a high heat until it bubbles, then turn the temperature to a low-medium.
Simmer the contents for 20 minutes or until the chicken's soft.
Optional: Add a can of baked beans in and continue to cook the Lagu Gà for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve immediately as is with rice!

Use butter. Instead of frying the aromatics and meat in oil, swap it out for a richer taste like butter.
Get a good brown sear on the chicken first. You'll get more flavor cooking into your Lagu Gà sauce.
Find good quality baked beans. Grandma always says adding the tomato sauce baked beans makes the ragu even tastier, so invest in a brand that does it well to elevate the dish.
Grandma often uses chicken wings or drumettes for her Lagu Gà, but you can use any cut you like. Thigh, breast or maryland would work well. Just make sure to cut them into smaller pieces so they're easier to eat.
Some families also like to add peas, so if that's an ingredient you like, include that in the list of vegetables and add them towards the end.