One-Pot Braised Chicken With Coconut Milk, Tomato and Ginger
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1½ to 2pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, at room temperature
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
- 1medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1(2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- ½teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1(14-ounce) can cherry or diced tomatoes with their juices
- 1(13-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- Steamed white rice, for serving (optional)
- 3tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
- 1lime, quartered, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
776 calories; 60 grams fat; 27 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 37 grams protein; 1134 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Pat chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper. In a deep 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook, undisturbed, until nicely browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and brown the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Step 2
Turn heat to medium-low, add the onion and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon and red-pepper flakes, and cook until the garlic and the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt.
- Step 3
Add the tomatoes with their juices and the coconut milk, and stir until combined, scraping up any brown bits that have formed at the bottom of the pan. Nestle the chicken back into the skillet along with any juices that have accumulated. Simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Step 4
Divide the rice, if using, among bowls and plate the chicken on top, spooning additional sauce over it. Scatter with cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if you like.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Maura
This got rave reviews tonight! *15-30 minutes isn't enough. Chicken thighs need 40 minutes to braise * I skimmed off about 1/2 of the fat after browning the thighs, since the coconut milk is so rich * I threw in some cauliflower I had in the fridge at about the 20 minute mark. I think any veg could be a nice addition, since its so rich * Next time I might use light coconut milk * I found the 1/2 tsp cinn. too much and would use just a pinch next time, but my dining companion liked it.
PDXer
In step 1, instead of “set chicken aside,” I set it in a 375 degree preheated oven while I made the sauce. Then I simmered it for 20 minutes as per the directions. That little “boost” ensured that the thighs were cooked thoroughly.
lee
By cooking the chicken with the top uncovered by sauce the thighs stay crispy and brown. Otherwise the skin gets rubbery. If the sauce is half way up the side the thighs definitely cook through.
andrew m
Was very good, but recommend flipping the chicken thighs halfway through the simmer process so they more definitively cook all the way through. I had to make that adjustment after the fact.
Lyssah
Very good recipe. To me, had a delicous savory cinnamon smell and taste. I did it all in an instant pot (rice too) and it came out perfectly. I set the instant pot to the brown rice setting (15 min on mine) and added half a cup of chicken broth for the rice. At the end, the chicken was falling apart. I let it sit on warm for an extra 20 min, and the rice thickened the sauce.
Phil F
Used boneless,skinless chicken thighs and stirred in 5 oz baby spinach at the end to make it a more complete meal. Was excellent.
diane
I followed Lyssah’s advice and used my instapot, rice and all. DIVINE. I sautéed the chicken and the onions in the pot as directed, added the liquid, 3/4 c of rice and the chicken and set it on rice, which is low, for 15 minutes. Yum! I echo the advice of others—don’t forget the lime.
Katinka
This was delicious. I used a 2-inch piece of cinnamon as I didn’t have ground and it was perfect. Another tip: Trader Joe’s has frozen chopped ginger which makes for easy prep.
Eric
So this was a rare miss for us. The chicken needs to simmer significantly longer than 20 min to cook all the way through, and the amounts of spices and garlic, and ginger need to be bumped way up to make it as flavorful as it should be. Maybe we just didn’t have a pan with the right geometry, but there was no way for us to position the chicken to where the skin wouldn’t be covered by sauce while cooking and wind up rubbery. It has potential to be a great recipe, just not working out for us.
Eric
I combined a bunch of different ideas from the notes here and this turned out amazing! Removed all the skin. Added 1 tsp curry powder and 1 Tb tomato paste with the spices. I only used 1/2 of the 13 oz can of coconut milk. Put in in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 375 instead of simmering on stove. Mixed in 1 head of cauliflower with 25-30 minutes to go. Turned out very good, but next time, I think this could be spicier and I think adding red peppers is a great idea.
Josh
Fantastic recipe. I added two red bell peppers - sliced - at the end (when you put the chicken back in). The result was reminiscent of thai curry.
Mary
I would really appreciate it if you would include the nutrition information. thanks.
mcfife
Converted all teaspoons to tablespoons on the spices and still thought more would not be wrong. Delicious!
RickMac
Followed recipe as written. Used 4 boneless/skinless chicken thighs. Very straightforward recipe and delicious results. All suggested cooking times worked well. Tossed in about a dozen halved cherry tomatoes with the can of crushed tomatoes which added a lovely textural element (as well as some punches of sweetness). Husband practically licked the plate clean, so I’m scoring this one a success.
Neda
This is just perfect. The sauce needed more time to thicken and don’t miss the lime squeeze.
Coco
Takes much longer than 15-20 minutes simmering. Skin will stick but makes brown bits.
John Hoppe
I imagine you could start with frozen chicken thighs for this? After the browning step, when they go back into the pot to braise in the liquid, it's just a question of how long they stay in. If you give them more time and monitor with an instant-read thermometer, it seems like you should be fine?
Kat
Used boneless skinless to cook faster, and added about 1/2 tsp. Curry powder for a little warmth instead red pepper flakes. (Added more pepper flakes individually to accommodate pickier eaters.) Super yummy!
Sally N.
I used boneless thighs and the timing seemed to be spot on
Monica D
Fantastic but reading the recipe plus the comments, I knew I’d find it bland. I switched red onion for shallots, doubled the cumin, used cinnamon sticks x2 instead of ground, added a diced lemongrass stalk, used ½ a can of tomatoes, and added a can of chickpeas. I also took all the skin off the chicken before cooking. Topped w cilantro and Thai basil. YUM!!
Gregor
Looks gorgeous in the photo, I'd like to know what they cooked because this isn't it. I guess too much coconut milk? Runny, watery sauce that looks like dirty dishwater, not deep and rich like it the photo. Simmering time too short, as others have noted. A 12in cast iron skillet is not large enough to fit all the thighs so it takes much longer than it should working in batches. All that said, flavors are good. Might be worth trying a different ratio on the sauce and cook the thighs separately
tomasa
“3 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro” What is with details like this? Who and why would you measure this much fresh, roughly chopped cilantro for a dish like this? Take bunch of cilantro. Chop a bunch. Then maybe chop a bunch more. If you are measuring tablespoons of roughly cut fresh cilantro then you have truly climbed to the pinnacle of Maslow’s Hierarchy.
matt
Added scrambled eggs to leftovers. Modifications to consider: Immersion blend vegetables Or Sauté rice with ginger garlic and spices once softened
Sophia Lyons
Our chicken wasn't enough for the number of people to feed so we added a can of chickpeas to stretch it -- I'll make this with just the chickpeas on no-meat nights too. Very tasty. I want to try adding 1/2 tsp curry powder.
maxG
Made this but with desiccated coconut flakes soaked in hot water then blended and strained. Way better coconut milk this way IMO. Added a branch of 15 fresh curry leaves to everything and let it cook like bay leaves in a soup, then removed before serving. Gives curry leaf flavor without a bunch of chopped up curry leaves.
Jordan
This was great, I made three minor changes. First, I removed about half the fat after browning. Second, I only used about half of the coconut milk. It was still a little rich and creamy but didn’t dull the other flavors. Finally, after I added the chicken back in the pan I popped it in the oven at 350 for about 40 minutes. Chicken was cooked through and skin was nicks and crispy,
yeeesss
Y’all are weird. Followed this exactly (but tripled red pepper flakes because spice is good) and it was SO good and cooked all the way through.
spices
Do everything you can to limit greasiness Pat dry Drain fat throughout Cool chicken through as much as possible, before putting in sauce (to preserve crispy skin) Actually, don’t cook it in the chicken fat at all, start with new oil
Loves_to_cook
So, bone in thighs take way longer than 15 minutes to cook and mine, being pasture raised and not commercially raised, were huge, even bigger than most breast. What I did was braise them slightly, otherwise kitchen fills with smoke, so one needs a good hood vent. Cook them as the recipe says, adjusting for time if thighs are huge like mine were, then take the breasts under the broiler for the finish. Otherwise the recipe is perfect.
Fern
I used a yellow onion, otherwise followed the recipe. Delicious!!
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