Chicken coconut curry is bursting with delicious flavor.
Chicken with a sauce over rice is a common theme around here. My favorites include orange chicken, sesame chicken, turkey meatballs with delicious coconut rice, and a Thai peanut version. The list goes on. I am always happy to try new combinations and flavors to add to my repertoire of rice-based dishes. The sweetness of the coconut milk is a great base for the curry paste and spices.
Elements
Olive Oil: Used to sauté the onion and chicken breast.
Onion: I use red onion and like the color and flavor they add. Yellow or white onion would also work.
Chicken Breast: You could also use chicken thighs.
Garlic & Ginger: I feel like garlic goes into nearly every savory recipe I make, and with good reason. So much flavor. Fresh ginger adds a bright flavor to the sauce.
Coriander: Coriander is the seeds from a cilantro plant.
Garam Masala: I first used Garam Masala in butter chicken, which has become one of our favorite dinners.
Coconut Milk: Coconut milk creates a rich, creamy sauce base. I use light coconut milk. This recipe uses about a third of a can of coconut milk. You can freeze the leftovers.
Carrot: Shredded carrot adds color, texture, and flavor.
Red Curry Paste: I found this curry paste in the international section of the grocery store. It’s flavorful, sweet, and slightly spicy.
Salt & Black Pepper: Added to taste.
Spinach: I love the pop of green color that spinach adds to the dish.
Lime Juice: Lime juice helps balance the sweet and spicy flavors.
Brown Sugar: A bit of brown sugar for added sweetness.
Rice: We use a basic long-grain white rice.
Preparation
First, I rinse and prep my rice for the rice cooker. The number of times I have nearly forgotten to make rice… ugh.
Start by softening the onions in a large skillet. I like to use my non-stick skillet for this recipe.
While the chicken is cooking, prep and measure the remaining ingredients. Once the chicken is cooked through, add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and garam masala. Stir for one minute as it becomes fragrant.
Add the coconut milk, shredded carrots, curry paste, salt and pepper. Stir to mix the curry paste into the coconut milk. Let the mixture cook at a gentle boil for about five minutes. Unlike many of my recipes, the sauce of chicken coconut curry is sweet and savory, rather than spicy.
Add the spinach, lime juice, and brown sugar. Stir as the spinach wilts.
Plate over rice and serve immediately. I like to serve with a simple green veggie like roasted broccoli.
Chicken Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup onion diced small
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 clove garlic finely minced or pressed
- 2 tsp fresh ginger finely chopped or grated
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ cup coconut milk I use lite
- ½ cup carrot shredded
- 1 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup fresh spinach roughly chopped
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- rice for serving
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the oil, onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften about 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is done; flip and stir often to ensure even cooking.
- Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and garam masala. Cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir frequently.
- Add the coconut milk, carrots, Thai curry paste, salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium, and allow mixture to gently boil for about 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cooks.
- Add the spinach, lime juice, and brown sugar and stir to combine. Cook until spinach has wilted and is tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Plate over rice and serve immediately.