Description
This Coconut Chicken recipe is a flavorful Caribbean-inspired dish featuring tender chicken cooked in a creamy coconut milk sauce enhanced with sautéed shredded coconut, aromatic spices, and fresh vegetables. Perfect served with rice, avocado, or fried green plantains, it brings a tropical twist to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasonings
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil (or achiote oil, skip ground achiote if using)
- 1 lb (450 g) skinless chicken
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp achiote/annatto powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetables and Sauce
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tomato (half large or whole medium/small), minced
- 1/2 tsp ground paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp achiote/annatto powder (optional, skip if using achiote oil)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup (or 1/2 tbsp tomato paste)
- 1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 can (450 ml) unsweetened canned coconut milk (room temperature)
- Salt and pepper if needed, to taste
- 2 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
- Cilantro, chopped, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with paprika, cumin, coriander, achiote powder (if using), salt, and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot skillet and cook until golden on one side, about 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Make the coconut sauce: In the same skillet, add a splash of oil if needed, then sauté the minced onion, garlic, and tomato over medium heat. Season with paprika, cumin, coriander, achiote powder (optional), salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion softens and the mixture is fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce or ketchup and cook for 1 minute.
- Add shredded coconut: Stir in the unsweetened shredded coconut and sauté until fragrant, about 2 to 4 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low.
- Incorporate coconut milk and chicken: Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, making sure it is well coated with the sauce. Add the bay leaves, then simmer gently over low-medium heat until the sauce thickens, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve: Remove the bay leaves. Serve the coconut chicken warm, topped with chopped cilantro if desired, accompanied by rice, fried green plantains (patacones), or avocado slices.
Notes
- This dish is thick, creamy, and bursting with Caribbean flavors thanks to the coconut milk and spices.
- Using achiote oil enhances the color and flavor; if you use it, omit the ground achiote powder to avoid overpowering the dish.
- For a more intense tomato flavor, tomato paste can be substituted for ketchup but use half the amount.
- Serve with rice, avocado, and fried green plantains for a complete Caribbean meal.
- Cooking the chicken first ensures it stays tender and gets a nice golden crust before being simmered in the sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
