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Let’s eat colorfully today!
I mean, this Thai Lemongrass Chicken is not even close to a salad, but yet it’s so beyond colorful. I LOVE it! I love color in the dead of colorless winter. Oddly, I also love winter white, but not when it comes to my food. Ok wait, I take that back, give me white cheese + carbs and I’d be pretty happy.
Monday though, Monday needs color! Healthy, colorful and EASY, but I think we had the easy recipes discussion last Monday.
This Monday can we discuss something a little more off topic? Oh boy, oh boy, here I go…
Let me tell you how I procrastinate, because right now, after writing all day long, that’s pretty much all I want to do. First, I totally check social media. Snapchat and Instagram are my go-to’s. If nothing there is interesting, I float off and check my emails. I know, that’s so fun, right? Well, I look at the junk emails, you know, the ones I should really un-subscribe from. Some of those junky emails can lead me to all the celebrity gossip, which yes, I secretly kind of love. I try not to admit it, but it’s true. Sometimes the mind just needs to be taken away from serious thoughts and on to brainless material, you know?
Today for example, I was checking some things on my YouTube Channel and saw the video for Selena Gomez’s new music video. I can’t say I’m a serious Selena Gomez fan, but yet I still watched the video. Weirdly that video somehow lead me to the new Fuller House trailer. I was just all kinds of happy after that… can’t wait for that series to start on Netflix!
Sooo yeah, now do you see why a desk job would be horrible for me? Any tips for focusing while sitting at the computer would be very much welcomed at this time. Please and thank you. 🙂
And now that I got that all out of my system I can tell you all about this Thai lemongrass chicken braised in coconut milk and how much I stickin LOVE it. First, let me explain about the whole chicken in milk thing. I’m sure you guys are probably familiar with Jamie Oliver, right? If you aren’t head here and prepare to be amazed. He does incredibly delicious things with food. One of them is braising a whole chicken in milk. I’ve been seeing this recipe around the internet for the last year and telling myself I have to try it soon.
Well, me being me, I have still yet to try that exact recipe. I really had every intention to, but then me being me, I kept thinking about it. You all know I have a serious love for coconut milk, so when the thought of swapping the cow’s milk for coconut milk popped into my head, there was really no looking back from there, I just had to explore the idea. For a while I wasn’t that sure about it, but then the day finally came to actually test the recipe. I knew from the moment the coconut milk hit the chicken that it was going to be SO good.
SO. DANG. GOOD.
There are almost not even words to describe the deliciousness, but then of course… you know I have some.
Instead of using a whole chicken I kept things simple and went for skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs. You can certainly use chicken breasts too, but lately I am loving all the flavor the thighs give. You must use canned coconut milk for this chicken, as the refrigerated varieties are not nearly thick enough. Lite canned coconut milk works, but I prefer full-fat and all its yumminess.
The whole meal is made in one pot in about an hour. It could not be simpler. It’s full of lite Thai flavors, moist and tender chicken and my favorite green at the moment, bok choy. There’s also large amounts of lemongrass, ginger and lime. YESSS – take that all you winter colds!
Also, I could not decide between black rice (aka forbidden rice) and rice noodles, so I did what I do best. I decided not to choose and just used both. A little noodles with my rice, chicken and coconut broth please. Obviously you do not HAVE to use both, but I cannot deny that both where equally delicious and I was super happy with the combo.
Like party in my stomach happy.
Man, I think I get cheesier with every passing day. Oh well, it’s food, to me there is no other way of explaining it!
I also have to mention that this dinner was a hit with all. Well, not the two pickiest brothers Kai and Red… and certainly not Creighton because he was not here, but everyone else that was in my parent’s house at the time (friends included) fell hard for this chicken. I even got an “I think this is my favorite recipe yet” statement. So you see, this is what a really, really awesome chicken dinner looks like.
And yes, I do think it’s all because of the coconut milk. It keeps the chicken moist and makes for THE BEST creamy broth/sauce that chicken can be paired with! Bold statement, but true.
Thai Lemongrass Chicken Braised in Coconut Milk.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 743 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 pounds bone in skin on chicken thighs (may also use breast)
- salt + pepper to taste
- 1 small sweet onion finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger grated
- 1-2 red fresno chiles or jalapenos seeds removed + chopped (I use 2, but use 1 for less spice)
- 1-2 lemons grass stalk sliced
- 3-3 1/2 cups canned coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 baby bok choy halved
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped + more fore serving
- Juice of 1 lime
- steam black or white rice for serving
- rice noodles for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Heat a large dutch oven or oven safe pot over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Season the chicken with salt + pepper. Once hot, add the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pot and place on a plate.
- To the same pot, add another drizzle of oil. Add the onion and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger, fresno peppers and lemon grass. Season with salt + pepper. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Add the chicken back to the pot. Pour in the coconut milk (starting with 3 cups and fish sauce. Add the cinnamon sick and position the bok choy around the chicken. Sprinkle over the cilantro.
- Place the pot in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. If the coconut milk sauce starts getting too thick towards the end of cooking, add in the remain 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Check the chicken 1-2 times throughout cooking, spooning the sauce over the chick to help keep it moist.
- Remove from the oven. Drizzle the lime juice over the chicken. Divide the chicken among bowls or plate and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Top with fresh cilantro and green onions. Serve with black rice and or rice noodles. EAT!
Notes
*Adapted from [The Kitchn | http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-chicken-in-coconut-milk-with-lemongrass-recipes-from-the-kitchn-81026].
Now if you will excuse me, I need some one-on-one time with that bowl there… it’s calling my name.
Absolutely fantastic! I’ve cooked quite a few recipes from your blog but this is probably the best! Rice noodles soak up all the flavor of the infused coconut milk and the chicken was tender and flavorful! Thank you for sharing.
Hey Peggy,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I want to try this, but can’t find lemongrass here. Any substitution suggestions?
Hey Jessica,
While it won’t be quite the same as lemongrass, you can use some lemon zest and even some mint would be great! I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Ridiculous. The sauce is just ridiculously delicious. I was pretty much just drinking it by itself!
Haha so amazing to hear! Thank you Michelle! xTieghan
Last minute question since I’m making this tonight — do you think this would work well in the instant pot? I’m thinking saute as usual, pressure cook the chicken for about 18 minutes, add the bok choy and cook for another 2. What are your thoughts?
HI! I think this would be great and the instant pot. Your cooking times sound good to me, but I haven’t tested that so I can’t say for sure. Let me know how it goes. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Is it ok to have the braised chicken sit in the coconut milk and marinate?
Sure, I think that should be fine. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Is it possible to do this recipe on the stove top? I don’t have a dutch oven.
Sure! Just simmer the chicken until cooker through over medium heat. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
This looks amazing, and I’m getting ready to try it! I have a question, before I do. When putting my Dutch oven into the oven, is it with or without a lid?
Hi! I like to leave the lid off. Let me know if you have questions. Hope you love this! 🙂
Forgive me..but is that
3 to 31/2 cups of Coconut milk or total 6 1/2 cups?
Can’t wait to make this!!
Thanks
Hi! It is 3 to 31/2 cups of Coconut milk. Sorry for any confusion. Hope you love this!
I just cooked this today and it was a hit. Chili, fresh ginger, lemongrass, coconut and coriander are some of my favourite ingredients, so this was right up my alley!! I cooked it for 55mins, only used the rice vermicelli and used sweetheart cabbage instead of baby bok choi and it worked really well. A few thing to watch out for: my oven dish was on the small side which meant when I sprinkled the cilantro/coriander on top it wasn’t in the sauce and got burnt so will need to make sure that everything is submerged by the coconut milk next time. I might just sprinkle it fresh after cooking next time and include a little bit of ground coriander in the sauce. I might also add a little more ginger. I can’t wait to make this again; many thanks for sharing this recipe. I will be sure to check out some of your other ones.
I am so happy it went great for you Marie! Thank you so much!
Seriously you are my new favorite food blogger. You have mad skill. I am a Mom of four young kids and so far have they devoured all of your recipes that I have attempted. Thank you for providing delicious recipes that are healthy and unique.
Wow! Brooke this is so nice to read! Thank you so much(: Hope you love everything! Have a great day (:
This looks amazing and simple. I have been experimenting cooking a lot of Thai food of late and love the flavor of coconut milk.
Thanks Lona!!
Hi, total amateur at cooking here. Was curious if it’s possible to make this recipe with a crock pot as opposed to an oven at the same time (medium heat)?
HI Jessica!
This will work great in the crockpot, but I would cook it on low for 6-8 hour or high for 5-6. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you!
I made this for my boyfriend’s birthday dinner on Friday and we both LOVED it. Thanks for the great recipe!
I made this a few days ago and my family really enjoyed it. The flavors were wonderful and it was perfect with the side of black rice. Thanks for the great recipe!
So happy you all loved it! Thanks!
Hi Tieghan! I made this Friday during Snowmaggedon (we didn’t loose power…yay!) and it was amazing!! Loved the flavor combo and it was really very easy to make. The only negative was the lemongrass. This is the first time I have used it so I wasn’t sure what to expect. They were really tough and woody. I ended up trying to fish them out of the bowls. Was I supposed to remove them before serving or should they have been softer after cooking? This dish was so good, my husband asked me to make it again!
Thanks!!
Lisa
Hey Lisa!!
So lemongrass is woody and should be chopped very thin. Did you leave the pieces a little bigger possibly? Sorry, I should mention this in the recipe and I will edit it. SO happy you loved it and did not lose power! YAY!!
Tieghan 🙂