Coconut Curry Chicken with Rice
Chicken breasts simmered in a creamy coconut curry sauce and served over fluffy rice. A comforting, high-protein dinner made in one pan.
- Total
- 40 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 25 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Blooming spices
- Savory
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Add the rice, 300 ml water, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
~20 min
Rinsing removes surface starch so the grains stay separate instead of turning gluey.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the rice cooks, pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and cut them into 2 cm pieces. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
~5 min
-
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and cook for 4 minutes without moving, then stir and cook for 3 more minutes until browned on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
~4 min
A single layer and no moving lets the chicken sear and brown through the Maillard reaction.
Searing Pat the chicken dry and leave it undisturbed in a hot pan to build a brown crust; moving it too soon steams the meat and prevents browning.
-
Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tbsp curry paste to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Pour in the coconut milk and stir to scrape up the browned bits. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
~6 min
Blooming the curry paste in hot oil releases its fat-soluble aromatics and cooks out the raw flavor.
Let the curry paste bloom in the hot oil for a full minute before adding the coconut milk. This cooks out the raw paste flavor and builds a deeper sauce.
Blooming spices Cook the curry paste in oil for about a minute until fragrant; this releases its aromatics and removes the raw taste, but do not let it burn.
-
Return the chicken to the skillet along with any resting juices. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 74°C (165°F) and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Taste and add the remaining 1/4 tsp salt if needed.
~5 min
Simmering reduces the coconut milk so the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken.
If the sauce looks thin after adding the chicken, simmer it uncovered for 2 to 3 extra minutes. Coconut milk thickens as it reduces.
-
Fluff the rested rice with a fork. Divide the rice between two bowls and spoon the coconut curry chicken over the top.
~2 min