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This Coconut Milk Braised Black Pepper Chicken with Sweet Potatoes is a fusion of Thai flavors. It’s the perfect bowl of warming comfort food that’s full of color and flavor. Made with chicken breasts or thighs, spices, sweet potatoes, bell peppers and creamy coconut milk. It’s cozy, creamy, just perfectly spicy, and filled with vegetables. Finish each bowl off with steamed rice, herbs, and plenty of lime.
And here we are, the first recipe of the new year. I’m not sure I’m ready for another full year of recipes (when you start to think about it…it’s a lot of recipe). But ready or not I’m excited, especially for the recipes I already know I have coming.
I wasn’t sure what to post today, I had some options, but this ended up feeling like a good fit. It’s healthy, but cozy. And since we’re enjoying below freezing temps here, I decided that this is what I’d want to be making today.
Plus, I love the colors, the flavors, and the fact this is pretty simple to make.
The details – start with seasoning the chicken
The spice mix on the chicken is key to the flavor. It’s a mix of turmeric, ginger, and black pepper. Toss the chicken with the spices. Then, if you can, let the chicken sit in the spices to take on ever more flavor. You don’t have to do this, but an overnight hang in the fridge does add a little more flavor to the dish.
That’s really the only “prep” step.
Next, sear the chicken in a big dutch oven style pot and get it a little crispy. Then pull the chicken out and in goes everything else. Sauté the vegetables, bell peppers, shallots, and garlic, and add chili flakes to taste. Then toss in the sweet potato and pour over the coconut milk.
I love adding a couple tablespoons of fish sauce too. I highly recommend this, but you can use soy sauce as well.
Braising
When everything is in, just cover the pot and let the chicken slowly cook in the coconut milk. It doesn’t take too long, about 25 minutes or so for thighs, shorter if you’re using breasts.
The the coconut milk is obviously creamy and flavorful. But it also prevents the chicken from drying out and creates super tender pieces of chicken.
Since this is such a saucy dish, I love to make a big pot of steamed rice and serve the chicken over the rice. Then top the chicken with lots of Thai basil, lime juice, and salty peanuts for a nice crunch…so delicious!
This one is simple, healthy, and delicious. It’s the perfect (non-boring) recipe to really kick off the new year!! Oh and lastly, while it’s not traditional to Thai cooking, a side of fresh, warm naan is especially delicious with this creamy curry sauce.
Looking for other healthy dinner recipes? Here are my favorites:
30 Minute Creamy Thai Turmeric Chicken and Noodles
Healthier Italian Wedding Soup with Lemon and Garlic
25 Minute Thai Black Pepper Chicken and Garlic Noodles
Lastly, if you make this Coconut Milk Braised Black Pepper Chicken, 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!
Coconut Milk Braised Black Pepper Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 547 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
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, or more
- 2 cups cubed sweet potatoes
- 2 cans (14 ounce) full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- steamed rice, for serving
- 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
- 2 limes
- roasted peanuts
Instructions
- 1. Toss the chicken with the turmeric, ginger, cumin, pepper, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon oil. Let sit 5 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge.2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Pull the chicken out of the pan. 3. To the pot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the peppers, shallots, garlic, and chili flakes, cook 3 minutes, then toss in the sweet potatoes. Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the coconut milk and fish sauce. Slide the chicken and any juices on the plate into the milk. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt.4. Divide rice between bowls, then spoon the chicken and sauce over the rice. Top with basil, peanuts, and lime juice.
This post was originally published on January 3, 2022
This was an amazing dish to eat and make. I had to make a few substitution’s because of my food allergies and it was still perfect. Perfect for the cold weather we are having.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Hey Carrie,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I have been wanting try this and finally did tonight. Delicious flavors!
Mine came out light yellow as well. I used sesame oil to brown chic thinking that would help. It took more like 5 +minutes to brown.. No luck
Still loved it and would make again!
Hey Kim,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Really quick and easy to make and follow. I’ve never made Thai food before and it turned out great!
Hey Sara,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I have it cooking on the stove, your sauce is so much darker what did you add? Mine looks like coconut milt with turmeric. (Still tastes good)
Yes I’m making it now as well …wondering what to add to give it that color without changing the flavor…paprika?I have thai red chili paste but that may change the flavor
Hi Barbara,
I really wouldn’t add anything that would change the taste, at the end of the day it’s not about the color, it’s about the flavor in the dish:)
Hey Bev,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry I did not add anything other than what the recipe calls for so I am not sure why mine is darker. xTieghan
I made this last night. Delicious and so easy to prep. I used one can of light coconut milk and one full fat and the result was a little soup like but we loved it. I didn’t have Thai basil and we couldn’t really detect the addition of the Italian basil so next time I’ll up the basil. This is a keeper!
Hey Mary,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
Loved this recipe and will make again. It’s going to be a family favorite for sure. I added a little bit of garlic salt too….5 star meal! Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Jessica,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
Thank you Tieghan for all the beautiful photos and recipes…I just love all that your site and blog offers as well as your creativity and passion for what you do!
I did add some red thai chili paste to this recipe for a little bit richer color and it still tastes delicious?
Thanks so much for your kind message Barbara and trying the recipes! xTieghan
Fabulous, very tasty with a great blend of flavours! My husband loved it, went back for seconds. As one previous commenter noted, I too added a bit of cornstarch to thicken the sauce, but it was then perfect. Already anticipating leftovers for lunch tomorrow … will definitely be making this again soon!
Hey Debby,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
My husband’s birthday was 1/4 and we were supposed to go out to a nice dinner but he wasn’t feeling well so we stayed in and I surprised him with this. He loves food and that we try different things all of the time. Needless to say he LOVED this dish!!! He kept going back for more!! We can not wait to have this again!! Looking forward to making more of your recipes this year!!!!
Hey Jamie,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
This was phenomenal!
Hey Emily,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
I loved it! I toasted my peanuts with a little bit of chili paste to add a kick and swapped out the white rice for a brown/quinoa mix! 🙂
Hey Emily,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
I made this last night and it was delicious! Even my picky family members asked me to make it again soon. I do want to note that I did have to add some cornstarch to thicken the sauce. I don’t have a lot of experience with coconut milk, so when the sauce didn’t thicken like I thought it would–I added a little bit of cornstarch and it was perfect 🙂
Hey Taylor,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! The sauce is not meant to be thick:) Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
I made this subbing in tofu for the chicken to make it vegetarian, it was absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to make it again!
Soooo good! I forgot the chili flakes and peanuts (it was a hot mess over here), but it was still amazing! Can’t wait to make it again with all the ingredients!
Hey Sara,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
Hey Leigh,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
Printed out version has no cumin. Which version mis correct? Thanks, I love all you recipes and your photos.
Hi Cleo,
You will want to use 1 teaspoon of cumin. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was a winner with my family. They all agreed it was a keeper in our meal rotation. I added a little extra red Thai curry just because we like more heat. Flavors worked real well together. Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Linda,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
I have the same question as Rosie and Jenn. I made it last night and also have the whitish/yellow color from the milk and tumeric. Yours just LOOKS like it’s richer and more flavorful!
Also, I had a bit of a mushy texture that I think might be because I didn’t sear the chicken long enough? I did it for the specified time but am wondering if more seared chicken pieces would minimize mushiness and help with the color. I want this recipe to work and look as pretty as yours! Thanks!
Hey Melissa,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try. How did it taste? I am assuming the dark color is from my chicken, otherwise I can’t think of why mine would be so much darker. For the mushiness, was there anything you adjusted? Your chicken really should not be mushy. Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
The taste was excellent! And I did use a mix of breast meat and thighs. I love thighs but want to balance it with less fatty white meat. I should’ve mentioned it tasted great. The mushiness may be an incorrect description. The chicken itself wasn’t mushy. I had whiteish tiny blobs (like what comes off of chicken) and it didn’t cook down in the broth. Do I need to make sure I rinse the chicken thoroughly and pat dry before I toss in the seasoning? I think it was a basic prep mistake and not the recipe itself. Also, is there supposed to be cumin in the recipe?
No need to wash the chicken, but I would pat dry. Those white blobs I am assuming are the fats from the chicken. Yes, I would use 1 teaspoon of cumin:)