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coconut milk braised chicken
Main Dishes

Coconut Milk-Braised Chicken

Coconut milk-braised chicken is a one-pan, easy-to-make dinner full of flavor!
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 - 2 lbs. bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 serrano, thinly sliced and stem discarded
  • 2 tablespoons Thai yellow curry paste
  • 3 cups full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 4 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

For serving:

  • cilantro
  • lime wedges
  • sliced serrano
  • steamed jasmine rice

Instructions

  • Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or oven-safe skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Working in batches if needed, add the chicken skin-side down and cook until the fat is rendered and the skin is golden-brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, skin side up. Pour out the rendered fat, except for 1 tablespoon, and let the pan cool slightly.
  • Return the pan to medium heat and add the sliced shallot, garlic, ginger, and serranos and cook for 2-3 minutes while stirring often until soft. Add the curry paste and cook for another minute or two while stirring, until the curry paste is very fragrant. Then, add the coconut milk and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan while bringing the sauce to a simmer. Add the brown sugar, fish sauce, and cornstarch slurry and simmer the sauce for another 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Arrange the cubed potatoes in the pan and stir so that they're coated with the sauce. Gently nestle the chicken back into the pan, skin-side up, in a single layer taking care to ensure that the skin isn't submerged. Transfer the whole skillet to the oven uncovered and bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are very tender. Remove the skillet from the oven.
  • Before serving, top with cilantro, lime, and sliced serranos. Serve over steamed rice.