Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce
We love any good saucy chicken dish, and this one delivers just that. This savory Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce is ladled out over steamed white rice making it the ultimate Thai-inspired take out Asian style meal made at home.
Happy wife, happy life, right?
Well even though it may be true in our house that if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy- I have found over the years that if daddy isn’t happy, then we aren’t all that happy either.
And the daddy in our house loves him some Thai food, even if mama does not.
This recipe though is a mutual favorite, which a badly stained page in the family cookbook can attest to.
This mama doesn’t even like coconut (the only definite exception to that rule being a Girl Scout’s somoa cookie) and I love this dish.
It’s also been called basil chicken coconut curry or even coconut basil chicken curry. The Thai is implied, at least if you’re familiar with the cuisine.
At the end of the day, it’s chunks of hearty chicken slow simmered in a rich coconut curry based sauce.
And this dish is heavy on the sauce, which we love. Enough to soak our rice when it’s served over it.
In no way is this basil chicken recipe meant to be ‘authentic’, although it is super delicious and will undoubtedly satisfy any take out cravings you may have.
Realistically, it’s a flavor infusion of two different origins.
It’s mainly a mish-mash of both Thai AND Indian flavors. And this basil chicken with it’s luscious, creamy coconut curry sauce is the absolute best of both worlds!
Other Thai Inspired Dishes To Try
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Ingredients
- 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 14- oz can coconut milk light or full fat
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 3 cups steamed white rice
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into roughly 1 inch cubes. Place the cut chicken into a large bowl and set it aside. In a small bowl, stir together the curry, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, pepper and chili powder. Once they’re evenly combined, sprinkle the spice mix over the chicken, then toss together until the chicken is nice and coated. Cover the chicken and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, but no more than two.
- In a large skillet stir together the onion, basil, garlic and peppers in the olive oil heated over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add in the chicken and then stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- In a separate bowl, stir the coconut milk and cornstarch together until evenly combined. Slowly pour the mixture into the skillet, stirring constantly until evenly incorporated. Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce has slightly thickened and is gently bubbling. now stir in the ginger and let the mixture bubble for another minute or so, again stirring vigorously. Remove the skillet from heat and Serve over hot rice.
Nutrition
recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
originally published July 21, 2015
Sounds tasty – we have some coconut-based curry favorites in our family too! Thanks for sharing with FF.
Thank you! The coconut flavor is so mellow, it’s hard NOT to like :)
I love curry and this sounds very good.
It’s not as curry-ish (or as spicy) as a traditional curry, which is probably why it’s such a meet in the middle meal for the hubs and I. It’s dee-lish!