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This 30 Minute Coconut Milk Braised Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Rice is a fusion of Thai and Indian flavors. It’s the perfect bowl of warming comfort food thatโs also healthy…and so delicious. Quickly made in your instant pot (slow cooker, or on the stove) in just about 30 minutes. Made using good for us ingredients like high protein chicken, antioxidant-packed spices, sweet potatoes, spinach, and creamy full-fat coconut milk. Itโs cozy, creamy, a little spicy, and filled with vegetables. Finish each bowl off with steamed white rice and serve with fresh naan. Youโll have the perfect healthy chicken curry that can be enjoyed any night of the week. Bonus? The leftovers are even more delicious the next day.
This is the very first post of 2020…and the very first post of a whole new decade too. I hope you all had a great NYE and enjoyed a laid back New Years’ Day. Our NYE day was low-key but very fun. We spent the afternoon playing kickball in the snow, just what everyone wanted. At night I ended up making my Indian Coconut Butter Cauliflower along with my Chicken Tikka Masala from the HBH Super Simple Cookbook. This was not what I had planned on making for NYE, but it was delicious and everyone really enjoyed it.
Today I’m feeling so excited for the new year and ready to jump right into work. Anyone else feeling the same? Something about January 2nd is always so exciting. There’s a whole fresh new year ahead…kind of like a blank slate!
Today kicks off the start of healthy January 2020. If you missed it, I rounded up all my favorite healthy recipes on Tuesday. But today I’m sharing a new family favorite. I debated sharing a salad, but in the end, this just felt right for today. This dish is so GOOD and it’s filled with healthy ingredients too.
Like the majority of HBH recipes, this was inspired by my family. I made this over Christmas break because everyone, even my brothers, all enjoy a spiced chicken curry. I wanted the flavors to be somewhat of a mix between Thai and Indian and I wanted the sauce to be extremely creamy.
Most importantly, I wanted to create a cozy, warming winter curry that was healthy, filling, and delicious. Quick and easy was a top priority as well!
I did some googling, looked through past HBH recipes, and ended up combining a few HBH recipes to create this one. The outcome? An easy chicken braised in coconut milk that’s delicious when served over rice…and with a side of naan. Of course.
For starters, this chicken braised in coconut milk can be made in the instant pot, slow cooker, or on the stove-top. I prefer using the instant pot, but either method is great. The instant pot just seems to always leave me with perfectly tender chicken that’s never dry, plus it’s so easy.
The dish starts out simply by tossing the chicken with plenty of turmeric and ground ginger which is key to creating a really flavorful chicken. Sear the chicken to give it even more flavor.
Then toss in a good amount of shallots and garlic, more ginger, sweet potatoes. and a touch of spices too. Stir this all together, then add your broth and coconut milk.
If using the instant pot, lock the lid and let it do its thing.
As this cooks, the aroma in the kitchen is truly incredible. It’s almost Indian like, but with a Thai twist.
Once done cooking, all you need to do is simmer the sauce down a little, then stir in a good amount of both spinach and lime juice and top with cilantro leaves.
And that’s it. Simple. Simple.
I served my chicken over steamed rice with some fresh naan for scooping up the creamy, coconutty sauce. If you want to go the extra mile, make some homemade chili oil, but swap the garlic for shallots. it’s DELICIOUS spooned over top the curry.
Alternately, you could serve the chicken on its own or over brown rice for a whole grain option. Rice noodles would also be delicious.
I swear they taste even better the following day. The flavors have time to mend and the sauce is just more intense. This would make for a great lunch to pack up and take to work, or just enjoy the leftovers for dinner. Either way, you’ll have an amazing meal to enjoy not once, but twice…assuming you’re not serving more than four people.
I can’t tell you how much I love this recipe. This curry is SO flavorful, SO full of color, and filled with good for us ingredients. Yet it feels totally comforting with the sweet potatoes, creamy coconut milk, and rice. The best part, well aside from all the deliciousness, is that this requires only one pot and is ready in just about 30 minutes. Perfect.
And with that, have a wonderful (healthy) start to 2020!
If you make this 30 Minute Coconut Milk Braised Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Rice be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I’ve been a fan of your recipes for a long time, I make about one a week. This is my first comment, because it was so good! To adjust to my taste levels (I like things spicier) I added black pepper and cayenne to the chicken marinade, a tablespoon of red curry paste to the broth, and some extra chili garlic sauce at the end. These flavors all work together so well for a delicious dinner you can feel good about eating!
Hey Murphy,
Wonderful!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it and your feedback! Thanks for making so many recipes:) Happy Holidays! XxT
Can you sub dried basil for the fresh?
Hi Nav,
Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I think I’d recommend adding a little salt and pepper to the chicken seasoning. The dish was good but the chicken was a little bland. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thanks so much, Elizabeth!! I am so glad to hear this dish was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Have a great Tuesday! xx
Great flavors but struggled to make it less “watery”. Cooked on stove top – it was more like chicken/potatoes in broth.
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! This dish definitely has a broth base to it. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Was looking for an awesome curry recipe and came across this one with fab reviews – and I completely understand why!
Made this for dinner tonight and my goodness it was a taste explosion in the mouth. I only used the juice of one lime as I felt it was more than enough. Waitrose didn’t have any fresh ginger so I used lazy ginger, also no fish sauce so used a combination of soy and Worcester. That all said – beautiful delicate flavours and will be making this again – as it is now a family favourite. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much, Janice! I am so glad to hear your family enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you making it! xT
2 tablespoons of fish sauce has to be a typo. This was by and far the saltiest dish I’ve ever eaten. I added juice from two limes to this to tone it down and it helped on the night I made it. Leftovers were overwhelmingly salty and I gave up.
Hi Jen,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry about the saltiness. It’s not a typo, but you could certainly use less next time! xx
A family favorite!
Hey Miquel,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Sunday! x
Used the slow cooker and the potatoes kind of dissolved which was actually delicious. Chicken shredded just by stirring
Hey Melissa,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Loved this dish, so simple, even the picky eaters in my family raved about it!
Hi Danielle,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was delish, thanks for trying it and your comment! xT