Coconut Milk Braised Chicken

From the kitchen of Carly

Chicken thighs and drumsticks braise in coconut milk spiked with curry paste, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic until fall-apart tender. The sauce turns golden and rich. Finish with toasted coconut and cilantro, serve over rice.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
n/a
Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 11 (13.5-oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 12 Tbsp. Thai curry paste
  • 12 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layers removed, lightly crushed
  • 11 (2") piece ginger, peeled, smashed
  • 16 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 14 chicken legs (thigh and drumstick; about 3 lb. total)
  • 1Kosher salt
  • 1Toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1cilantro leaves with tender stems
  • 1cooked rice
  • 1and lime wedges (for serving)

Instructions

  1. Place a rack in top third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Stir coconut milk and curry paste in a 3-qt. baking dish to combine (or, use a medium skillet if that’s what you’ve got). Add lemongrass, ginger, and garlic.

  2. Season chicken with salt (hold back a bit since curry pastes often have a lot of salt). Place in baking dish and spoon some liquid over. Bake, occasionally spooning liquid over, until chicken is browned, tender, and cooked throughout (the joint should be reasonably easy to flex), 60, 75 minutes.

  3. Transfer chicken and sauce to a platter. Top with coconut flakes and cilantro. Serve with rice and lime wedges alongside.