Ca Kho To is one of those dishes that feels simple at first glance, but delivers big, bold flavor in every bite. Tender pieces of fish are braised in a rich, caramelized sauce made with fish sauce, soy sauce and garlic, creating that signature balance of sweet, salty, and savory. Pan-braised until tender, it is best served with steamed rice to soak up every last drop of the sauce.
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT30M
Rating
4.63 stars (29 reviews)
Keywords
ca kho to, Vietnamese caramelized catfish
Ingredients
1 lb catfish fillets (cut into chunks)
1 tsp dark soy sauce (see note 1)
2 ½ tbsp fish sauce
1 shallot (minced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tbsp light brown sugar (see note 2)
¼ cup coconut water (see note 3)
½ tsp black pepper
1 stalk green onions (minced)
Categories
Main Course
Cuisine
Vietnamese
Steps
Marinate catfish in the soy sauce and fish sauce for 10 minutes.
After the fish is done marinating, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add in the shallots and cook until shiny and translucent (about 30 seconds). Then add in the garlic and coconut sugar, and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add in the marinated catfish, the marinade, and the coconut water. Bring the liquid to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer.
Simmer for 20 minutes with the pan uncovered. Leaving the pan uncovered will let the fish braise and thicken the sauce at the same time.
After 20 minutes, flip over the fish and add in the green onions. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the fish every 3 minutes. Once done, top it off with black pepper.
Serve over white rice and enjoy!
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 135 kcal
Carbohydrates: 6 g
Protein: 20 g
Fat: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 66 mg
Sodium: 957 mg
Sugar: 4 g
Reviews
Harriet on 2026-06-01 (5 stars): I LOVE this recipe ! Such a great alternative fish recipe!
Tessa on 2026-04-14 (5 stars): This is so good
Rebekkah on 2026-02-22 (5 stars): went looking for a catfish recipe that wasn't fried or dredged in butter (tasty, but not what we needed tonight), and I really liked this! didn't want to run to the store, so I thinly sliced a leek that was left in the fridge instead of shallots and used the water substitution. still tasted great!
Christina on 2026-01-25 (5 stars): This was amazing!! I don't know why the recipe only has 4.5 stars. Thank you for sharing this!
Joel on 2025-12-11 (5 stars): We catch tons of catfish, but we usually just fry them. I was looking for healthier options, and this recipe came up. And let me tell you, it is awesome! I didn't use dark soy sauce so it looked different (I'll get it right next time). I had two pounds so I used the 2x option on the recipe and it turned out great. Thank you!
Christine P on 2025-05-11 (5 stars): So good! Reminds me of my grandmas! Will add to my rotation.
Elayne Gardner on 2024-08-15 (5 stars): What do you recommend as a side to this dish? I loved the recipe but I do like a good veggie side
Highly recommend this recipe!
Aggie on 2024-05-05 (5 stars): This was so fancy looking and tasting yet so easy to make as a quick dinner. Totally tasty catfish and the caramelization came out perfectly. Thanks for a great recipe.
