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My favourite kind of comfort-food bowl-dinner. Creamy Thai-inspired coconut sauce ladeled over fluffy boiled rice and topped with crispy panko-coated chicken.
Nicky’s Notes
I’m a huge fan of bowl dinners, and this easy-to-eat-with-a-spoon meal totally hits the spot.
We’ve got fluffy rice swimming in plenty of creamy-curry sauce made with Thai red curry paste, peanut butter and coconut milk. It’s all topped off with crispy strips of seasoned panko chicken (pan-fry, air-fry or bake – I’ve got instructions for all three).
Oh, and of course the toppings. I’ll always go overboard with the toppings 😁
Why do I think you’ll love it as much as we do?
- It’s all made in the time it takes to cook your rice.
- It’s got all the textures – crispy, fluffy, saucy, creamy 😍
- Make it as spicy or mild as you like (leave out the chillies and use a non-chilli curry paste for the mildest version).
- I’ve discovered a MUCH less messy method of coating the chicken (check out the video and/or instructions) – we no longer have 3 bowls to scrape out and wash up!
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients for this chicken and brothy rice recipe
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
The crispy chicken
The sauce
The rice and toppings
🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Flatten the chicken and coat in seasoned flour, egg and spiced panko, then cook until golden and crisp. For the sauce, gently fry garlic and ginger, stir in Thai red curry paste and peanut butter, then add coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, lime and brown sugar and simmer until fragrant. Spoon over rice and top with sliced crispy chicken, herbs, chilli, sesame seeds and lime.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t pour the sauce over the chicken. The sauce should be spooned around the rice so it soaks up all that lovely flavour. Add the chicken on top at the end ensures it stays nice and crisp.
- Parchment paper and a meat mallet really help with this recipe ⬇️.
– I like this ready-cut parchment paper – perfect for sandwiching the chicken when you’re tenderizing it, and also for coating the chicken (instead of using bowls) – much easier clean-up).
– This meat mallet it small and fairly lightweight, but does the job perfectly for flattening out your chicken.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItMake ahead and Leftovers Guide
- You can make the coconut curry broth ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat it gently in a saucepan. For the best texture, I’d cook the panko chicken fresh just before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. Keep the chicken, rice and broth in separate airtight containers if possible, as this helps the chicken stay crisp. Reheat the broth and rice until piping hot, and reheat the chicken in the oven or air fryer rather than the microwave to bring back some of that crunch.
- You can freeze leftovers – but it’s better to go with full-fat coconut milk if you do (less prone to splitting or going grainy after freezing and reheating). Again I’d recommend freezing the sauce, chicken and rice separately in airtight containers. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as above.
📺 Watch how to make it
Crispy Chicken with Brothy Rice
Thai-inspired coconut curry broth, ladeled over fluffy rice and topped with crunchy golden panko chicken.
Ingredients
Crispy Chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts (approx. 175g/6oz each)
- 2 tbsp plain (all purpose) flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 40 g (3/4 cup) panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 small egg
- spray oil (I use about 10ml/2 tsp altogether)
Brothy Sauce:
- 1 tsp oil
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) chicken stock
- 400 ml (14 oz) tin reduced fat coconut milk (you can use full-fat if preferred)
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp lime juice (juice of approx 1/2 lime)
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 3 tbsp cold water, to form a slurry
To Serve:
- boiled rice long grain or jasmine (around 200g/3.5oz cooked rice per person)
- 2 spring onions (scallions) sliced
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro) roughly chopped
- 1 small red chilli, sliced (I use a mild chilli such a Fresno/Serrano)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- lime slices
Instructions
- You can cook the chicken in the air fryer, oven or frying pan (skillet). If cooking in the oven, preheat it to 200C/400F (fan).Cook your rice at this point too (using a rice cooker or my saucepan method)
- Place a chicken breast between two pieces of parchment, and flatten slightly with a rolling pin. We don't need it to be completely flat, like a steak, we just want to even out the thickness of the chicken.2 chicken breasts
- Repeat with the second chicken breast.
- Place two new pieces of parchment paper on your work surface. To the first, add the flour, salt and pepper in a mound and give it a mix.2 tbsp plain (all purpose) flour, 1/4 tsp salt , 1/4 tsp pepper
- To the second piece, add the panko, cayenne, paprika and garlic powder and give it a mix.40 g (3/4 cup) panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- I like to use gloves for this part. Dredge the two chicken breasts in the flour mixture on both sides. Then crack the egg over the top, give the egg a squish with your hands and coat the chicken in the egg.1 small egg
- Lift the chicken from the first piece of parchment and move it to the second piece with the panko. Dredge the chicken breasts on both sides in the panko mixture.
- Cook the chicken:Air fryer: Place the chicken in an air fryer basket and spray with oil. Air fry for 14-16 minutes, turning once, until golden, cooked through and no longer pink in the middle (internal temp should be 75C/167F).Oven: Place the chicken on a baking sheet and spray with oil. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until golden, cooked through and no longer pink in the middle (internal temp should be 74C/165F).Pan-fry: Heat oil (you'll need 3 tbsps) in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side, until golden, cooked through and no longer pink in the middle (internal temp should be 74C/165F).spray oil
- While the chicken is cooking, make the broth. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds, constantly stirring.1 tsp oil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger paste
- Add the curry paste and peanut butter and stir together to loosen.2 tbsp red Thai curry paste, 1 tbsp peanut butter
- Add the stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar. Stir together, bring to a very gently simmer and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (don't let it boil).120 ml (1/2 cup) chicken stock, 400 ml (14 oz) tin reduced fat coconut milk, 2 tsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- Slowly pour in the cornflour slurry, whilst stirring, to thicken the sauce further if desired (you may not need all of the cornflour slurry).1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 3 tbsp cold water, to form a slurry
- Turn off the heat. Add rice to large, shallow serving bowls. Spoon the sauce around the rice. Slice the chicken and place on top of the rice. Top with spring onions, coriander, sliced chilli, sesame seeds and lime slices, then serve.boiled rice, 2 spring onions (scallions), 2 tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro), 1 small red chilli, sliced, 1 tsp sesame seeds, lime slices
Video
Notes
Can I make the coconut curry broth ahead?
Yes, this is a great curry to make ahead and it reheats well. Make the curry broth, then quickly cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in a pan over a medium heat (you may need to add a splash of water to loosen it up) until piping hot (don’t boil it though).
Can I freeze it?
You can freeze leftovers – but it’s better to go with full-fat coconut milk if you do (less prone to splitting or going grainy after freezing and reheating). I’d recommend freezing the sauce, chicken and rice separately in airtight containers. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat the sauce as above. The chicken can be reheated in the air fryer or oven (heat until piping hot throughout).
Reheat the rice in the microwave with a splash of water, covered, until piping hot throughout. Alternatively, reheat it in a saucepan with a little water over a low heat, stirring occasionally. Only reheat cooked rice once.
How to scale up this recipe
You can double this recipe, sticking to the same ratios. If you double the recipe you may need to add in a little more cornstarch slurry to thicken if desired.
Nutritional information is approximate, per person, including rice and toppings. This recipe serves 2.
Nutrition
Calories: 938kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 1805mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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