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This 30 Minute Coconut Milk Braised Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Rice is a fusion of Thai and Indian flavors. It’s the perfect bowl of warming comfort food that’s also healthy…and so delicious. Quickly made in your instant pot (slow cooker, or on the stove) in just about 30 minutes. Made using good for us ingredients like high protein chicken, antioxidant-packed spices, sweet potatoes, spinach, and creamy full-fat coconut milk. It’s cozy, creamy, a little spicy, and filled with vegetables. Finish each bowl off with steamed white rice and serve with fresh naan. You’ll have the perfect healthy chicken curry that can be enjoyed any night of the week. Bonus? The leftovers are even more delicious the next day.
This is the very first post of 2020…and the very first post of a whole new decade too. I hope you all had a great NYE and enjoyed a laid back New Years’ Day. Our NYE day was low-key but very fun. We spent the afternoon playing kickball in the snow, just what everyone wanted. At night I ended up making my Indian Coconut Butter Cauliflower along with my Chicken Tikka Masala from the HBH Super Simple Cookbook. This was not what I had planned on making for NYE, but it was delicious and everyone really enjoyed it.
Today I’m feeling so excited for the new year and ready to jump right into work. Anyone else feeling the same? Something about January 2nd is always so exciting. There’s a whole fresh new year ahead…kind of like a blank slate!
Today kicks off the start of healthy January 2020. If you missed it, I rounded up all my favorite healthy recipes on Tuesday. But today I’m sharing a new family favorite. I debated sharing a salad, but in the end, this just felt right for today. This dish is so GOOD and it’s filled with healthy ingredients too.
The Inspiration…
Like the majority of HBH recipes, this was inspired by my family. I made this over Christmas break because everyone, even my brothers, all enjoy a spiced chicken curry. I wanted the flavors to be somewhat of a mix between Thai and Indian and I wanted the sauce to be extremely creamy.
Most importantly, I wanted to create a cozy, warming winter curry that was healthy, filling, and delicious. Quick and easy was a top priority as well!
I did some googling, looked through past HBH recipes, and ended up combining a few HBH recipes to create this one. The outcome? An easy chicken braised in coconut milk that’s delicious when served over rice…and with a side of naan. Of course.
Here is exactly how to make this…
For starters, this chicken braised in coconut milk can be made in the instant pot, slow cooker, or on the stove-top. I prefer using the instant pot, but either method is great. The instant pot just seems to always leave me with perfectly tender chicken that’s never dry, plus it’s so easy.
The dish starts out simply by tossing the chicken with plenty of turmeric and ground ginger which is key to creating a really flavorful chicken. Sear the chicken to give it even more flavor.
Then toss in a good amount of shallots and garlic, more ginger, sweet potatoes. and a touch of spices too. Stir this all together, then add your broth and coconut milk.
If using the instant pot, lock the lid and let it do its thing.
As this cooks, the aroma in the kitchen is truly incredible. It’s almost Indian like, but with a Thai twist.
Once done cooking, all you need to do is simmer the sauce down a little, then stir in a good amount of both spinach and lime juice and top with cilantro leaves.
And that’s it. Simple. Simple.
I served my chicken over steamed rice with some fresh naan for scooping up the creamy, coconutty sauce. If you want to go the extra mile, make some homemade chili oil, but swap the garlic for shallots. it’s DELICIOUS spooned over top the curry.
Alternately, you could serve the chicken on its own or over brown rice for a whole grain option. Rice noodles would also be delicious.
How are the leftovers?
I swear they taste even better the following day. The flavors have time to mend and the sauce is just more intense. This would make for a great lunch to pack up and take to work, or just enjoy the leftovers for dinner. Either way, you’ll have an amazing meal to enjoy not once, but twice…assuming you’re not serving more than four people.
I can’t tell you how much I love this recipe. This curry is SO flavorful, SO full of color, and filled with good for us ingredients. Yet it feels totally comforting with the sweet potatoes, creamy coconut milk, and rice. The best part, well aside from all the deliciousness, is that this requires only one pot and is ready in just about 30 minutes. Perfect.
And with that, have a wonderful (healthy) start to 2020!
If you make this 30 Minute Coconut Milk Braised Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Rice be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
watch the how to video:
30 Minute Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk with Sweet Potatoes and Rice.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 655 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1/4-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, use more or less to your taste
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped plus more for serving
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks (thicker is better)
- 1-2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups canned coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- juice of 2 limes
- kosher salt
- 2 cups cooked rice, for serving
- chili oil, for serving (optional)
- fresh Naan, for serving
Instructions
Stove Stop
- 1. Toss the chicken with the turmeric, ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil. Let sit 5 minutes. 2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, cayenne, and cilantro, cook 3 minutes, then toss in the sweet potato. 3. Reduce the heat to low. Add 1 cup broth, the coconut milk, and fish sauce. Partially cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. If the sauce is too thick, add additional broth. Stir in the spinach and lime juice. Season to taste with salt. 4. Serve the chicken and sauce over rice. Top with fresh cilantro and chili oil. Enjoy with naan.
Instant Pot
- 1. Toss the chicken with the turmeric, ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil. Let sit 5 minutes. 2. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Add 2 tablespoons oil and the chicken to the instant pot and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, cayenne, and cilantro, cook 3 minutes, then toss in the sweet potato. Turn the instant pot off. To the instant pot, add 1 cup broth, the coconut milk, and fish sauce. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.3. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function. Set the Instant pot to sauté and bring to a boil, boil 5 minutes or until the liquid reduces slightly. If the sauce is too thick, add additional broth. Turn the instant pot off. Stir in the spinach and lime juice. Season to taste with salt. 4. Serve the chicken and sauce over rice. Top with fresh cilantro and chili oil. Enjoy with naan.
Slow Cooker
- 1. Toss the chicken with the turmeric, ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil. Let sit 5 minutes. 2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven or pot set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, cayenne, and cilantro, cook 3 minutes, then toss in the sweet potato. Transfer the chicken and potatoes to the slow cooker. Add 1 cup broth, the coconut milk, and fish sauce. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.3. Remove the lid, cook 30 minutes on high to thicken the sauce. Stir in the spinach and lime juice. Season to taste with salt. 4. Serve the chicken and sauce over rice. Top with fresh cilantro and chili oil. Enjoy with naan.
This post was originally published on January 2, 2020
This is one of my favorite recipes! It’s delicious!
Thank you so much Brittany! xTieghan
Amazing!!! My husband had to take my phone away from me during dinner because I was texting this recipe to everyone. Lol.
Haha that is too good! I am so glad this turned out so well for you, Stephanie!! xTieghan
One of my favourites from you! I’ve made this many times and it’s always so satisfying. I don’t do as much fish sauce as I like it better with just 1 tbsp 🙂
Amazing! Thank you Sarah! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan! Can you modify this recipe for us so that we can make it on the stove top?
Hey Kourtney,
The stove top instructions are listed above:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I make this recipe at least twice a month and add a can of chick peas and a handful of fresh green beans to stretch it. It’s my family’s favorite!
Aw that is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much, Cori! xTieghan
I really wanted to like this recipe. I followed most of aside from a few substitutions, I used soy sauce instead of fish sauce and used ground ginger instead of the fresh ginger the recipe called for. The curry was thick, just how I like it, but it tastes like it’s missing something but Im not sure what. I really love coconut curries but I was expecting this to be more flavorful and a bit sweeter. Any advice? I used several of your other recipes and they’ve been fantastic.
Hey Elena,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am sorry you had issues with the flavoring. Unfortunately, I really think the piece you are missing is the fish sauce, it really adds so much flavor to the dish that soy sauce doesn’t quite emulate. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
I made this for my sister’s birthday. We all absolutely loved it. It was beautiful, delicious, and healthy. I made it on the stove top but will experiment with slow cooker next time. I feel like I have been looking for this recipe for years. Every layer is divine and culminates with the spinach and lime at the end. Thank you!
Thank you so much Elise! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Delicious aromatics! I wish I would have put a couple extra thighs in so I would have more for tomorrow. I didn’t want to waste the lime zest, so I garnished it with zest and some shredded coconut! Thanks! I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
I hope you love them all as much as this one! Thank you so much for trying it Donna! xTieghan
This recipe has become a favorite of mine. My boyfriend loves it too.
I usually have chicken in the freezer and the spices in my cupboard. When I don’t have all the ingredients, I mix it up a little bit. Instead of shallots, I’ve sometimes used yellow onion, I’ve used chicken breast instead of thighs, dried cilantro instead of fresh.
If I want to make a variant with fewer calories, I substitute the coconut milk for a light one, add some extra sweet potato and skip the rice and naan.
There is so much flavor with the fish sauce and spices, it’s hard to go wrong with this one. I’m not usually one for making recipes like this, but now I found one that really works and I keep turmeric, ginger, cayenne and fish sauce in the house at all times!
Thank you for this excellent recipe! 🙂
Sounds amazing! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Henny! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan made this tonight for dinner, OMG amazing recipe as usual! I used bone in thighs and did not add the broth so the result was a thick creamy sauce with great flavors. Loved the lime and spinach, yummy.
Thank you so much Gail! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
We love this recipe and it’s on rotation almost every couple weeks. It’s simple but so flavorful and delicious. Thank you!!
Yes!! Love to hear that, Allie!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! xTieghan
I just made this tonight and my family loved it! My Mom kept saying “I would PAY for this in a restaurant” and “you HAVE to make this again”. It made the kitchen smell great! Will definitely be saving this recipe!
Wow that is so amazing!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Thank you Tieghan, this was a great recipe! Personally, I want to incorporate Tumeric for health benefirs & I just LOVED the flavors! It’s a keeper!
Love to hear that Millette! It is SO good for you and easy to incorporate! I am really glad you liked this one! xTieghan
This looks so good! I think I’ll make it this weekend. It’s summer but it’s been gloomy and rainy for weeks.
Just a quick FYI, the active chemical which makes turmeric so healthy is called curcumin but it doesn’t get absorbed by our bodies very well by itself. Black pepper helps the absorption so it’s important to always have them together if you want the most health benefits from turmeric!
Thank you so much Grace! xTieghan
I cooked this on my stove and it came out really delicious! I will make it again but use less broth/coconut milk because it didn’t thicken up as much as I would have liked. I could also see this being really good with broccoli added too!
Also added in curry powder, cumin, and paprika to the chicken to add a bit more warmth.
Love that!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Jackie! xTieghan