Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice Recipe • 4★

Published December 13, 2022

Sang An for The New York Times. Food Stylist; Simon Andrews.

This comforting one-pot chicken dish features fragrant coconut rice infused with aromatic ginger, garlic and scallion, and studded with toasty cashews. The cashews soften as the rice steams, adding subtle nuttiness to the dish. Chicken thighs absorb the coconut milk as they cook, which keeps the meat tender and juicy. Fresh chopped cilantro brightens the dish, while hot sauce adds nice heat and tang to balance the creamy, rich and slightly sweet rice.

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1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each thigh cut into 2 equal-size pieces

¼ cup neutral oil, such as safflower or canola

2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 ½ cups short-grain white rice, rinsed until water runs clear

1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped (½-inch pieces)

½ cup roasted cashews, coarsely chopped

3 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced (½ packed cup)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro

Hot sauce, for serving

Step 1Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub chicken with 1 tablespoon of oil, and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Rub chicken with 1 tablespoon of oil, and season with 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.

Step 2In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Working in two batches, brown chicken, turning halfway, until no longer pink, around 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Working in two batches, brown chicken, turning halfway, until no longer pink, around 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Step 3Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the ginger and the garlic to the empty pot, and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add rice and stir until evenly coated in the oil. Add broth, coconut milk, bell pepper, cashews, scallions and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Arrange chicken on top, add any accumulated juices from the plate and bring to a boil over high.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the ginger and the garlic to the empty pot, and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add rice and stir until evenly coated in the oil. Add broth, coconut milk, bell pepper, cashews, scallions and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Arrange chicken on top, add any accumulated juices from the plate and bring to a boil over high.

Step 4Cover and bake until all of the liquid is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, 25 minutes. Scatter cilantro over the chicken and rice, then divide among bowls. Serve with hot sauce.

Cover and bake until all of the liquid is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, 25 minutes. Scatter cilantro over the chicken and rice, then divide among bowls. Serve with hot sauce.

Made this last night with the following changed suggested by others: I doubled the garlic and ginger, and used jasmine rice, light coconut milk, and added 1 Tbs garam masala, 1 Tbs fish sauce, and 1 seeded jalapeño pepper to the rice and broth. Those changes made it anything but bland, it was a delicious hit! Will definitely make it again, and it was easy. A great recipe that you can tailor to your liking with all sorts of additions or substitutions. Five stars!

Didn’t have any short grain rice so I used basmati rice and it worked great! Grocery store didn’t have boneless skinless thighs so I just deboned regular thighs and kept the skin. Happened to have TJ’s Thai lime and chili cashews and they added the perfect amount of spice. Pretty flavorful recipe- would make again!

We don't eat chicken, but this was great with tempeh (sliced & cooked atop the rice; no initial browning). I used two peppers for more veg and added a few shakes of tumeric for color.

To make this 5 stars: cook 1/2 serving (still enough for 4-5), use 1 lb chicken bone in, add 1 zucchini, keep 1 pepper, add 1/3 pint cherry tomatoes when adding pepper. Add 1 tbsp mustard seeds to the pan after removing chicken when quick browning, and before adding ginger. Agree with others to up the ginger and garlic, and agree to add fish sauce and garam masala. I cook in a cast iron pan in the oven, covering the last 10 mins, and serve with chili crisp.

Why did we need to preheat the oven to 375? Did I miss a step ?

the first time I made this I forgot a bunch of ingredients and it was just okay, the second time I made as directed and it was amazing! who knew!