This chicken with coconut sauce is going to be one of the easiest dishes you make today. I like to serve this dish with Jasmine rice and a side of vegetables because it’s easy to get my children to eat when they are not feeling well. They love dabbling in the sauce. It’s sweet, savory, and has the perfect amount of curry for the adults.
DELICIOUSLY CREAMY CHICKEN COCONUT SAUCE
This deliciously creamy chicken coconut sauce recipe is a very easy one, and it’s packed with so much flavor I’m sure you will love it!
CREAMY COCONUT SAUCE
This vibrant creamy coconut chicken recipe combines melt-in-the-mouth chicken and a rich coconut sauce with a savory profile that is exotic, fresh, hot, and sweet. Serve simply over white rice and garnish with parsley/cilantro for culinary perfection!
WHAT MAKES THIS COCONUT SAUCE SO SPECIAL?
I am always looking for new and fun ways to cook with chicken. This creamy coconut chicken is one of my firm favorites, and I know you will love it too. So whether you are looking for a jazzy chicken dish to serve as part of a colorful celebration feast or just to cheer up family and friends, this is the recipe for you!
INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING COCONUT SAUCE
The secret to this recipe is in the well-balanced combination of irresistible ingredients.
- Juicy chicken legs and thighs, seasoned with a lively blend of paprika, curry powder, garlic, and onion powder, and cooked until just starting to fall off the bone.
- Coconut milk is the basis of the stunning sauce. It brings a delicate, creamy sweetness without being heavy.
- Ginger and garlic add depth of flavor and an exotic hit.
- Habanero peppers deliver their trademark fruity, sweet, and aromatic punch of heat that will have everyone dancing around your dining table!
- Tomatoes finish the creamy coconut chicken off nicely with a lovely layer of freshness to cut through the heat.
HOW TO MAKE DELICIOUSLY CREAMY CHICKEN COCONUT SAUCE
- First, I like to pat my chicken dry with a paper towel. In that way, the seasoning is going to be able to stick very well to the chicken.
- Season the chicken with the spices – I used bone-in, skin-on thighs, but you can use any chicken part of your choice.
- Next is the addition of olive oil. I also do this to help the seasoning stick to the chicken.
- Now add the seasonings and massage that inside the chicken.
- Melt some coconut oil on medium heat and fry the chicken skin side first for about 7 to 10 minutes each or till the skin side becomes nicely browned and crispy.
- Add the diced onions and cook until the onions become soft and translucent. Throw in the minced garlic, fresh thyme leaves, and grated ginger.
- Stir in the tomatoes now and leave to cook until the tomatoes release their juices and become nice and softened. Season well.
- Stir in the star of the recipe – coconut milk. Add the chicken stock and throw in two habanero peppers and bay leaf.
- Place the chicken back inside the sauce and leave it to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the chicken becomes really tender. (Don’t forget to remove the habanero peppers and the bay leaf, so no one ends up chewing them).
- I like to add some diced bell peppers for some additional nutrition and color. This is totally optional. Finish this up with some parsley/cilantro leaves.
- Serve over a bed of white rice, pasta, couscous, quinoa, or any other grains of your choice. I also like to sup up the sauce with my crusty french bread.
HOW TO GET A PERFECTLY TENDER CHICKEN
Although you can use any chicken part of your choice but I strongly recommend using legs and thighs over breasts in this recipe.
The meat is richer in flavor and more tender when simmered gently in the sauce. It’s pretty hard to ruin chicken thighs, especially when stewing them. They are so forgiving and easy to cook with. Just don’t forget about them for too long; 20-30 minutes is great.
WHAT TO USE IF YOU CAN’T GET HABANEROS
Habaneros are available in some supermarkets but can be challenging to find out of season. A good substitute is Scotch Bonnets. You could also use Jalapenos, but they are a lot milder, so you would need to use 3 or 4 to achieve the same heat as a Habanero.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS CREAMY COCONUT CHICKEN
This dish is so jam-packed with perfectly balanced flavors that it is best served over a simple bowl of white rice with a sprinkling of cilantro and perhaps a wedge of lime.
You could also serve it with my delicious Jamaican rice and peas, white rice, pasta, couscous, and much more.
DELICIOUSLY CREAMY CHICKEN COCONUT SAUCE
This deliciously creamy chicken coconut sauce recipe is a very easy one, and it’s packed with so much flavor I’m sure you will love it!
5 from 1 vote
Keyword: chicken, Coconut, sauce
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 People
Calories: 545kcal
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 3 lb chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp oil
For the sauce
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- Smoked Paprika
- 2 habanero
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1½ cups coconut milk
- 1 cup chicken stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp of fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish
- Green and red bell peppers optional.
Instructions
- Season the chicken with paprika, curry powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add some oil to a preheated pan and brown the chicken on low-medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside. Allow about 7 to 10 minutes on each side.
- Put in the onion, and cook until it becomes translucent.
- Add the garlic, grated ginger, and thyme sprigs and leave to cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the diced tomatoes and let them cook until they become softened—about 5 minutes.
- Add the curry powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook over medium heat for about a minute or until the spices activate and become fragrant.
- Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, habanero peppers, and bay leaf.
- Add in the chicken and let it come to a rapid boil on high heat. Then, reduce the heat to medium and allow it to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Throw in some diced bell peppers (optional) and garnish with parsley.
- Serve over a bowl of white rice or rice and peas, garnish with parsley or cilantro, and enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 764mg | Potassium: 595mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 663IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 3mg
Chicken with Coconut Sauce
Gallery
Recipe Summary
Prep:
30 mins
Total:
50 mins
Servings:
4
Ingredients
Ingredient Checklist
- 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for grates
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, (6 to 8 ounces each)
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 2 jalapeño chiles
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Cooked white rice (optional)
- Lime wedges, (optional)
Directions
Instructions Checklist
- Step 1In a small saucepan, bring coconut milk to a gentle simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes.
- Step 2Meanwhile, heat grill to high; oil grates. Rub chicken all over with oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Place chicken and jalapenos on grill; cover. Cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and jalapenos are blackened all over, 12 to 16 minutes.
- Step 3Transfer chicken to a platter; keep warm. Peel jalapenos, rubbing off the blackened skins with a paper towel; transfer to a blender. Add reduced coconut milk, lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend on high speed until smooth.
- Step 4Slice chicken crosswise into 4 or 5 pieces, and place on plates; spoon coconut sauce over the top. Serve with rice and lime wedges, if desired.
Coconut Chicken Sauce
Coconut Chicken Sauce served with Basmati rice and some dodo is one lunch meal you will thank me for after you get round to making one yourself. Chicken dishes are quicker to cook particularly when it is the soft type. Making a sauce like Coconut Chicken Sauce will add some exciting moments to meal times. Tomato price has gone through the roof. I understand that Nigerian tomato farmers are are now supplying their tomato to some tomato puree industry which is why home consumption is being starved. I hope we get over this period very soon.
The last couple of months has also been challenging storing food at home in Nigeria. Poor electricity supply keeps one wondering what dishes to cook such that you enjoy the dish if even when you have left over. Today I am more inclined to cook for each meal. This is something I am not used to. The habit of cooking like 5 different sauces and soups over the weekend and storing in the freezer is gone. I don’t know about you but the whole idea of cooking every day is not funny. I need a cook right now in my life but where can I find one. The few I interviewed cannot fry descent brown dodo that cooks to the middle. What to do? Well I have to continue cooking until I find a good cook.
For my Coconut Chicken Sauce I used canned coconut milk which made the dish easy to cook. Enjoy my offering today
Recipe for making Coconut Chicken Sauce
3 Chicken laps
1 cup Coconut milk
1-2 Scotch Bonnet Pepper
1/2 medium size Onion (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon Ginger Powder
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1/2 teaspoon fresh Rosemary
Pinch black Pepper
Little vegetable oil to brown Chicken
Chicken seasoning to taste
Salt to taste
Method
1. Cut up chicken, wash and pat dry.
2. Season with ginger, garlic, chicken seasoning and salt and set aside to marinade.
3. Heat the oil and brown the chicken pieces.
4. Sprinkle on black pepper add the rosemary, onion and pepper and fry for about 2 minutes.
5. Add a little water cover the pan, lower the heat and cook the chicken till well cooked through. This could take about 15-20 minutes.
6. Lastly add the coconut milk and cook for about 5 minutes.
7. Serve warm with rice and dodo and don’t forget to include some veggies.
