Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice

Name: Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each thigh cut into 2 equal-size pieces; 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as safflower or canola; 2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal); 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 1/2 cups short-grain white rice, rinsed until water runs clear; 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth; 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk; 1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped (½-inch pieces); 1/2 cup roasted cashews, coarsely chopped; 3 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced (½ packed cup); 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro; Hot sauce, for serving

By Kay Chun

Published Dec. 14, 2022

Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice — Sang An for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 45 minutes
Rating: 4(15,110)
Comments: Read comments

This comforting one-pot chicken dish features fragrant coconut rice infused with aromatic ginger, garlic and scallion, and studded with toasty cashews. The cashews soften as the rice steams, adding subtle nuttiness to the dish. Chicken thighs absorb the coconut milk as they cook, which keeps the meat tender and juicy. Fresh chopped cilantro brightens the dish, while hot sauce adds nice heat and tang to balance the creamy, rich and slightly sweet rice.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1½pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each thigh cut into 2 equal-size pieces
¼cup neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
2teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
½teaspoon black pepper
2tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1tablespoon minced garlic
1½cups short-grain white rice, rinsed until water runs clear
1¾cups low-sodium chicken broth
1(13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped (½-inch pieces)
½cup roasted cashews, coarsely chopped
3scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced (½ packed cup)
2tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
Hot sauce, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub chicken with 1 tablespoon of oil, and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
Step 2
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Working in two batches, brown chicken, turning halfway, until no longer pink, around 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
Step 3
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the ginger and the garlic to the empty pot, and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add rice and stir until evenly coated in the oil. Add broth, coconut milk, bell pepper, cashews, scallions and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Arrange chicken on top, add any accumulated juices from the plate and bring to a boil over high.
Step 4
Cover and bake until all of the liquid is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, 25 minutes. Scatter cilantro over the chicken and rice, then divide among bowls. Serve with hot sauce.

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Ratings

4 out of 5

15,110 user ratings

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Comments

Ed in San Diego3 years ago

Made this last night with the following changed suggested by others: I doubled the garlic and ginger, and used jasmine rice, light coconut milk, and added 1 Tbs garam masala, 1 Tbs fish sauce, and 1 seeded jalapeño pepper to the rice and broth. Those changes made it anything but bland, it was a delicious hit! Will definitely make it again, and it was easy. A great recipe that you can tailor to your liking with all sorts of additions or substitutions. Five stars!

avery3 years ago

Didn’t have any short grain rice so I used basmati rice and it worked great! Grocery store didn’t have boneless skinless thighs so I just deboned regular thighs and kept the skin. Happened to have TJ’s Thai lime and chili cashews and they added the perfect amount of spice. Pretty flavorful recipe- would make again!

Sue3 years ago

We don't eat chicken, but this was great with tempeh (sliced & cooked atop the rice; no initial browning). I used two peppers for more veg and added a few shakes of tumeric for color.

E5 days ago

I made this with Ed's changes, and swapped the peppers for broccoli. The rice was very flavorful, but the chicken and broccoli were pretty bland (but both had good textur!). I think I would cut the chicken into pieces and mix it in next time. Maybe add edamame or another veg too, it feels like it's missing something.

Eric1 week ago

This is a delicious recipe that I have made twice. I add dried apricots to give it some sweetness, which really makes it stand out.

Adding a little uuumppph2 weeks ago

To be honest this recipe was a little bland for me so I had to add something extra. Someone on here recommended gram masala but at the moment I didn’t have any so I added red curry paste instead and it was great! I feel like any curry could’ve been good, I might try it again with green curry. Also a tbsp of fish sauce and sliced chili of your choice in the rice. Had this recipe with a side of green beans and really enjoyed it

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