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Coconut Chicken Rice Bowl

Coconut chicken rice bowl with creamy coconut milk chicken and a lightly reduced coconut curry sauce over jasmine rice. This Thai-inspired rice bowl is quick dinner comfort with mango salsa, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime for bright flavor.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and coconut curry sauce
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp red curry paste
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
Rice and toppings
  • cooked jasmine rice for serving
  • fresh cilantro for topping
  • lime wedges for serving
  • mango salsa for topping

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sear in oil over high heat for 4–5 minutes until golden, then set aside.
  2. Keep the pan juices by leaving the browned bits in the pan; you’ll use them for the sauce next.
Make the coconut curry sauce
  1. In the same pan, sauté the garlic and ginger over medium-high heat for 1 minute until fragrant.
  2. Add coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, turmeric, and red curry paste, then stir until smooth.
  3. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then return the chicken to the pan and stir to coat.
  4. Simmer for 10–12 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly and the chicken is cooked through.
Assemble the bowls
  1. Serve the coconut chicken over cooked jasmine rice.
  2. Top with mango salsa, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges, then spoon over any extra sauce from the pan.

Notes

Pro tip: simmer until you see the sauce cling to the chicken—if it looks thin, give it 2–3 extra minutes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze chicken and sauce (without toppings) up to 2 months, then reheat gently. For a lower-sugar swap, replace honey with a 1:1 portion of maple syrup or omit it for a less sweet, more savory coconut curry bowl.