One-Pot Curried Coconut Chicken

5 from 1 vote

Replicate your favorite takeout with just one pot and minimal fuss!

One-pot meals are excellent for motivating home chefs with hectic schedules to put away the takeout menu and whip up an easy, no fuss meal. This curried chicken gives you the flavors of your favorite South Asian takeout, but with less fat and calories, and a simple prep and clean-up that will have you concocting it again and again. Lean chicken combines with nutritional powerhouses turmeric, garlic, and bell peppers to comprise a dish that’s full of flavor and great for you.

5 from 1 vote

One-Pot Curried Coconut Chicken

Bursting with flavors, this one-pot chicken is perfect for busy people who want to continue eating healthy and delicious food.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Yield 6 people
Serving Size
Course Dinner
Cuisine Asian, Universal
Author SkinnyMs.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized cubes
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder use yellow curry powder for milder or red for spicier
  • 3 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 1 white onion cut into strips
  • 13 1/2 ounces lite coconut milk can
  • 1 red bell pepper seeded, stemmed and cut into strips
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or honey

Instructions

  • In a large pan over medium-low heat, sauté the onion and bell pepper in olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring every so often until onions are softened and translucent, for about 10 minutes.
  • Add the spices and chicken pieces, and cook for about 3 minutes, until spices are fragrant and the chicken is a bit golden on the outside.
  • Add the coconut milk and sweetener, stir, increase heat to high and bring almost to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
  • Serve over brown rice.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 243mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g |
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 10
Keywords Diabetic-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Paleo

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SkinnyMs.

The SkinnyMs. team believes that all people, regardless of age, size, and fitness level, have the power to transform their lives — they just need the resources to do so. The SkinnyMs. method promotes healthy living through a combination of clean eating and regular exercise. We offer everything you need to be successful.

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48 Comments

  1. This is a great recipe! I didn’t have chicken breast on hand but had chicken thighs..the sauce is delicious!! I like spicy so I added some cayenne pepper to the dish..instead of rice I used quinoa. Thank you for this!!

    1. Great substitution idea, Marey! Glad everything turned out delicious and you enjoyed our recipe. You’re very welcome!

    1. Hi Louise!

      I would not recommend substituting coconut milk for palm sugar in this recipe. Honey would be a great substitution!

    1. Hi Jessica! You can omit the sweetener if that’s what you prefer. The end result might be a little more acidic, but still very tasty! The sugar helps to balance the flavors of the dish, not necessarily add sweetness.

  2. Amazingly, I had all the ingredients (except the red bell pepper) on hand. I made it with what I had. So easy! So good! Thanks skinnyms.com!

  3. Can you use red or yellow curry paste instead of curry powder? I only have Keen’s curry powder & I don’t know if that would give the right flavour?

      1. Thanks…..I ended up cooking it last night & used Red Thai Curry paste & chicken thigh fillets instead of breast. It was awesome!! Will definitely be cooking this one again!! Thanks for the recipe.
        I’m trying the One pot Chicken Paella tonight so we’ll see how that goes.

  4. Cooked this last night & it was a huge success. I used red curry paste & chicken thigh fillets instead of breast fillets. Will be a keeper!!

  5. This recipe was absolutely delicious. Had some leftover rotisserie chicken, made the dish even that much easier. So, so good.

  6. I

    I added a few cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick and whole black pepper corns to the other spices and garlic….OMG…YUM!

    1. Hi Jasmine.

      Yes, you can make this in the slow cooker! Add all ingredients to your slow cooker except for the onions and red pepper. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 3 hours. During the last 45 minutes of cooking, add in the onions and red pepper.

    1. Hi Lilian, you can reduce the amount of coconut milk if needed, or you can mix about 1 teaspoon corn starch with about a tablespoon of cold water until smooth. Add to the hot dish and let simmer to thicken, repeat as needed.

  7. Made it with coconut cream instead of coconut milk and tomatoes instead of red bell peppers. Added a little cayenne pepper, crushed red bell pepper flakes, ginger, extra yellow curry, extra onions, extra garlic and sautéed in the previously cooked chicken fat. Kinda changed up the recipe a little to enhance the flavor profile and it works!💥

    1. It has a slight coconut taste but not like eating shredded coconut. You could substitute this with almond milk if you’d like.

  8. Planned on making this tonight, but after reading recipe and comments…..I’m confused. Two people asked about the amount in a can of coconut milk. One answer was given” Nichole Furlong March 27, 2017 A can is just under 6 ounces – or 2/3 of a cup.”
    And the second answer that was given ” Gale Compton July 6, 2017
    Miriam, They range from 14.5 to 15.5 ounces. About 15 ounces was used in this recipe.”
    So now I am not sure if I should use 6 ounces or 15 ounces.
    It would be helpful if when putting “1 can ” that the ounces were put there so there was no question on what size can to use.

    1. Hello Kathy, Hmmmm…your comment sent me on a search for the average size can of coconut milk. The average size can appears to be 13.5 ounces. Here’s an example of canned coconut milk that is sold in most grocery stores.

      With that said, can size does appear to differ but most brands are indeed 13.5 ounces. I decided to remake the recipe with a 13.5 ounce can, that I had available. It was the correct amount.

      I apologize for any confusion. Hope this helps! 🙂

  9. The chicken was cubed and dusted with cornstarch/flour mixture. The onions were caramelized in a little oil while chicken ‘marinated’ in ginger, turmeric, fresh garlic, hot pepper salt made in the blender with red pepper flakes. The chicken bites were quickly cooked in the wok and kept warm while freshly sliced carrots started to cook in the flavored oil. The onions, and chicken were added in along with the coconut milk, a tablespoon of honey and a
    1/2 teaspoon salt. The sliced peppers were added on top and allowed to steam until serving time. A quick stir to combine all the flavors and plated with a side of rice and sliced mango sprinkled with garam masala. I have made this recipe before and it is delicious just as you presented. Thank you for sharing it. It’s fun to add the little extras the family enjoys. We’ll be back for more deliciousness.

  10. I’ve made this dish many times, and it’s always fantastic! I have *never* used either the coconut palm sugar OR the honey, or any sweetener for that matter, and it hasn’t made the flavour taste “acidic” or strange at all.

    About the “can” of coconut milk size: I’ve always used the same brand of coconut milk–“Arroy-D” from Thailand. (It’s one of the few brands I’ve found that doesn’t add any “guar gum” to its coconut milk.) And it’s also 14 ounces. I actually like the dish with extra coconut milk, so it makes a nice sauce for the jasmine rice I make with it. I keep the recipe “as is,” with the exception of doubling up on the coconut milk!

    Occasionally, I’ve also added in some baby spinach at the end, to truly make this a one-pot meal and to add some colour. This is a fantastic recipe!5 stars

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