Fragrant Coconut Chicken and Sweet Potato
Tender chicken and sweet potato simmered in a spiced coconut milk broth — warming, lightly sweet, and deeply aromatic in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbboneless, skinless chicken thighs(cut into 1½-inch pieces)
- 1 tspsalt(plus more to taste)
- ½ tspblack pepper
- 2 tbspneutral oil(such as vegetable or avocado oil)
- 1 mediumyellow onion(finely diced)
- 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
- 1 tbspfresh ginger(finely grated)
- 1 ½ tbspred curry paste
- 1 tspground turmeric
- 1 tspground coriander
- ½ tspground cumin
- 2 cansfull-fat coconut milk(13.5 oz each)
- ½ cupchicken stock
- 1 ½ lbsweet potatoes(peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1 tbspfish sauce
- 1 tspbrown sugar
- 1 tbspfresh lime juice
- ¼ cupfresh cilantro(roughly chopped, to serve)
- 2 mediumscallions(thinly sliced, to serve)
Method
- 01
Pat the 1 ½ lb chicken thighs dry with paper towels, then season all over with the 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.
- 02
Heat the 2 tbsp neutral oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- 03
Add the chicken in a single layer and sear for 3–4 minutes per side until golden. Transfer to a plate — it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- 04
Reduce heat to medium. Add the 1 medium yellow onion to the same pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent.
- 05
Add the 4 cloves garlic and 1 tbsp fresh ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- 06
Add the 1 ½ tbsp red curry paste, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander, and ½ tsp cumin. Stir and cook for 90 seconds to bloom the spices in the oil.
- 07
Pour in the 2 cans coconut milk and ½ cup chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- 08
Add the 1 ½ lb sweet potato cubes and stir to coat in the sauce. Bring to a gentle boil.
- 09
Return the seared chicken and any resting juices to the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 18–20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- 10
Stir in the 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp brown sugar, and 1 tbsp fresh lime juice. Taste and adjust salt or lime as needed.
- 11
Ladle into bowls over steamed rice and top with the ¼ cup fresh cilantro and 2 medium scallions.
Adapted from public domain & community sources