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Baked Curry Chicken + Green Rice with Coconut Lime Yogurt

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 5 - 6

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

For the rice:

  • 1 ½ cups jasmine rice, rinsed thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer to remove excess starch
  • ¼ red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed or chopped
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk*
  • 2 cups frozen greens (kale or spinach)
  • 2 cups loosely packed cilantro
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

For the sauce:

  • ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk (what’s left from the can)*
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Toppings:

  • Pickled red onions
  • Cilantro and/or scallions
  • Toasted cashews, almonds, or peanuts
  • *One 13.5 oz can of unsweetened coconut milk is what I based these measurements on.
  • Note: ~ the type of baking dish you use will impact how quickly and evenly your rice cooks. I tested this in my metal baking dish with foil and a thick ceramic baking dish with a lid and got very different results. I find it works better in the metal baking dish! So just use your judgement and follow the troubleshooting tips in the instructions!

Items you can prep ahead (optional)

  • Marinate the chicken in the spices, etc…
  • Thinly slice a red onion 
  • Pickle the red the onion
  • Blend up the coconut milk + greens liquid (or use the Instant Pot method and don't blend everything!)
  • Make the coconut yogurt sauce
  • Bake/cook the rice + chicken ahead, if you’d like
 

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • In a bowl, add the oil, spices, sugar, and salt and mix to combine. Add the chicken and use your hands to toss to coat well.
  • (Scroll down for Instant Pot instructions).
  • In a 9x13-inch baking dish (see note), add the rice, onion (if using), and garlic.
  • In a high-speed blender add the water, coconut milk, greens, cilantro, soy sauce, and salt and blend until smooth. Pour into the baking dish and use a rubber spatula to try to spread the rice/onion evenly in the bottom of the pan. Carefully place the chicken on top. Cover tightly with foil.
  • Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil. Transfer the chicken to your cutting board. Check to see if the rice is cooked through (see “troubleshooting” tips below). If your rice is looking good, fluff it up gently and let it sit uncovered for 3 minutes so the rice can finish cooking and cool off.
  • In the high-speed blender (no need to rinse), add the remaining coconut milk, yogurt, lime, and salt and blend to combine. Alternatively you can just whisk this in a bowl or jar, but a blender will get it the smoothest.
  • Serve the rice and chicken topped with a generous amount of coconut yogurt sauce, pickled red onions, herbs, and nuts.

Instant Pot instructions:

  • Follow the recipe, but don’t blend up the coconut, water, greens, etc…just add each ingredient (chop the cilantro) into the pot, stir it all together, and top with the chicken. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes, let it naturally release for 10 minutes, then manually release the pressure.

Troubleshooting the rice (baking method):

  • Rice is raw in spots: sometimes the center or under the chicken cooks slower than the edges. Gently fluff the rice to mix it up a bit. Pour in another ½ cup water. Cover with foil/lid and bake for 5-10 more minutes.
  • Rice is too al dente: put the lid back on and let it sit out for 10 minutes to let the steam continue to cook the rice.
  • Rice is overcooked: nothing you can do at that point. The rice will be a bit mushy but it will still taste good - don’t skimp on the crunchy toppings!

Notes

Substitutions:

  • To make vegetarian, bake the rice without the chicken on top. Serve the rice topped with your protein of choice. Add 2 teaspoons of curry powder to your sauce to add that curry flavor. 
  • To make vegan, see above + use a vegan yogurt or skip the yogurt and blend the coconut milk with 1-2 tablespoons of almond butter, 1 tablespoon lime, and ½ teaspoon salt.
  • Replace the thighs with breasts.
  • Replace curry powder with more cumin.

Storage:

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container
    • Chicken: up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months
    • Rice: up to 6 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months

Leftovers + Repurposing:

  • Leftover rice will inevitably be a bit mushy. Warm up leftover rice and chicken in the microwave until warmed through. Top with lots of sauce and all the toppings.
  • You can fry up the rice in a skillet with plenty of oil or butter. Get the oil nice and hot, then add chunks of rice and let it get crispy in the oil, then give it all a stir and break up the rice into smaller chunks. Add in the chopped chicken and stir until warmed through, then finish it off with a splash of soy sauce.
  • Add a fried or boiled egg.