Coconut Chicken
If you've got skin-on chicken legs, basmati rice and fresh mint, chopped, you're most of the way to this chicken: about 70 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for oven and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Pat the chicken legs dry, season the skin well with salt and a generous sprinkle of paprika, then heat the oil in a wide ovenproof pan and brown the legs skin-side down for 5 to 6 minutes until crisp and golden.
- Turn the chicken, add the grated ginger and garlic to the pan and let them sizzle for about a minute until fragrant, taking care not to let the garlic burn.
- Pour in the coconut milk along with the lime zest and half the lime juice, season with salt and stir to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is tender and reaches an internal temperature of 75 C (165 F), turning once halfway.
- Meanwhile rinse the basmati rice under cold water until it runs clear, then cook it in plenty of salted water for about 10 to 12 minutes until tender, drain well and keep warm.
- Uncover the chicken and simmer the sauce for a further 5 minutes to thicken slightly, then stir in the remaining lime juice and taste for salt.
- Scatter the chopped fresh mint over the top and serve each chicken leg over a bed of basmati rice with the coconut sauce spooned generously around it.
You'll use: Oven Β· Pan Β· Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk Β· Β½ cup evaporated milk + Β½ cup water
- Lime
- lemon
Tips & common questions
How long does Coconut Chicken take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 7 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Coconut Chicken is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Tom kha chicken with veggies - bowl.JPG by OperaSmorg, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.