Creamy Coconut Curry Chicken

Treat yourself to this delicious, flavoursome meal consisting of succulent chicken thighs that are oven roasted to crispy perfection then simmered in a herbaceous coconut sauce. This recipe is guaranteed to be a family favourite and is ideal for the whole family.

This recipe is definitely one for those who enjoy a mild curry with a hint of coconut to it.

This healthy creamy coconut curry chicken recipe is packed with flavoursome, succulent chicken thighs that are roasted not fried creating a crispy exterior upon each and every bite.

The coconut sauce will have you hooked and begging for more.

I made this recipe on a whim using my homemade All Purpose Seasoning blend which I always have in my pantry. I make it in large batches because it's constantly used and works with sooo many recipes.

This curry dish is a prime example of where this particular seasoning blend really shines, it's a like a coconut version of my Jamaican Curry Chicken dish.

Although I have recently added this slow cooker Jamaican Coconut Curry Chicken to the blog.

I also took the liberty of incorporating my colombo curry powder which works perfectly.

The curry shows up twice, the first time to form part of the dry rub specifically for the chicken thighs and the second time it is sprinkled in the coconut sauce.

The colombo curry powder gives the sauce a nice yellow colour and a mild element of flavour which doesn't overpower the star of the show.....the fresh coconut milk.

Since making this recipe I now rotate between my Jamaican curry and the aforementioned which I have highlighted in the comments section.

Ingredients you will need

• Chicken thighs - The star of the show for this recipe is the chicken skin, which is crispy, so use chicken with the skin on i.e drumsticks, quarters etc...preferably on the bone.
• Coconut milk - The sauce should be thick and creamy, so make sure the coconut milk is full fat.
• Colombo curry powder - Known as Poudre de Colombo, this gives this curry dish a slight French Caribbean twist to it, you must use this curry powder to make this recipe.
• All purpose seasoning - This is my go to multi purpose seasoning that I like to use for meat and non meat savoury dishes.
• Shado beni/thyme - Both are my favourite Caribbean herbs that work so well with Caribbean recipes.
• Onion/scallion/garlic and ginger - My go to base/foundation ingredients.
• Black pepper and pink salt - To enhance the taste.

Recipe preparation

This recipe isn't too difficult to put together and the great thing is while one task is unfolding (roasting the chicken) you can carry on with the next step (preparing the coconut sauce) which kills even more time.

Choice of chicken - The chicken I used was thighs, these work best because of the skin which creates a lovely crispy exterior and the meat holds onto the bones which holds in more flavour.  However, you can use drumsticks or quarters if you wish!!

Seasoning the meat - When I initially made this recipe I used to leave the meat to infuse overnight with the seasoning.

I made this recipe in a rush a few times and found that the chicken just as flavoursome by seasoning it and roasting it immediately but you can still leave it overnight or for a few hours in the refrigerator.

Here is a handy trick, that I recommend to optimise the taste, what I like to do is poke tiny holes into the chicken so the seasoning is able to fully penetrate the chicken.

The seasoning is mild, not spicy and is required to ensure the chicken isn't bland because we won't baste the meat during the final stages.

On the contrary, rather the meat will merely simmer away in the creamy coconut curry sauce.

Preparing the chicken for roasting - I like to roast the chicken because it's healthier then frying in a large amount of cooking oil. 

The chicken thighs will take approximately 30 minutes to roast and result in a crispy, golden exterior which will compliment the coconut curry sauce.

Preparing the coconut curry sauce - while the chicken is roasting, do not waste time waiting for the thighs to cook. Now is the perfect time to get the curry sauce in action. Start by sauteing the onion, scallion, garlic  and ginger until soft and translucent.

The ginger adds an element of warmth, using only 1 teaspoon of grated ginger, ground will do. Try not to go over the measurement listed because this may  overpower the coconut sauce.

Herbs and coconut milk - full fat coconut milk which is thicker in texture along with some shado beni and fresh thyme is used to make the sauce. If you are conscious of extra calories/fat feel free to use light coconut milk.

Adding the chicken - Let the coconut sauce simmer for 15 minutes carefully lowering each chicken thigh into the sauce. If you want that crispness to retain then do not baste the chicken with the sauce, simply add to the pan.

Simmering - the chicken can simmer for roughly 5 minutes and the sauce will take on the flavours from the herbs and curry. DO NOT COVER THE PAN or this will result in the chicken skin becoming moist from the steam.

This recipe is best served immediately, if left until the next day the chicken will loose it's crispy exterior

The steps

• Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl.
• Season the chicken thighs with the colombo curry powder and all purpose seasoning, black pepper and pink salt (you can cover and leave overnight/a few hours, if you want to or you can move onto the next steps straight away).
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

• Line a roasting pan with parchment paper and lightly coat with olive oil.
• Use tongs to place the chicken thighs on the baking tray being careful not to overcrowd and leaving enough space between the chicken.
• Lightly spray the tops of the chicken thighs with olive oil (this is optional).
• Roast the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes until deep golden in colour and the skin of the chicken is crispy.

• Once the chicken has roasted, remove from the oven and set aside.
• Prepare the coconut curry sauce by adding 3 tablespoon of  olive oil to a large skillet or frying pan on medium heat.
• Saute the onion, scallion, garlic and ginger until soft and translucent.
• Add the colombo powder and thyme and shado beni to the base ingredients and cook for about one minute.
• Pour in the coconut milk and stir.

• Bring the pan to a rolling boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and put the lid on.
• Leave the sauce to simmer for about 15 minutes.
• After the given time, remove the lid and add black pepper and pink salt and do a taste test and adjust accordingly to your preference.
• Carefully add each chicken thigh to the sauce.
• Leave the pan to simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Garnish with loose thyme and thyme stems before serving (optional).

Notes and tips

• You will need my French Caribbean curry powder also known as Poudre de Colombo to make this recipe.
• You don't necessarily need to leave the chicken to infuse overnight, you can season it and use it straight away.
• This is the recipe link that you will need for my All Purpose Seasoning recipe.
• You can use light coconut milk but the sauce will not be rich if you choose to do so.
• If you want to make this dish with boneless skinless chicken use breasts instead but rather than oven roast the chicken you would simply season it then sear it in the pan and add the ingredients to make the sauce instead.
• This dish is dairy free, contains no gluten and paleo friendly
• You can freeze the chicken if want to and the sauce too. I would advise freezing them separately.
• If you want the chicken skin to remain crispy simply add the thighs to the frying pan but DO NOT baste the chicken. If you want the coconut sauce all over the chicken then baste it in the pan.
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Side dishes to serve this curry with

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