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Coconut Chicken Rice Bowl

Coconut chicken rice bowl with golden-seared chicken and a silky ivory coconut milk sauce. Smoked paprika, tomato paste, garlic, and ginger simmer into a thick, fragrant base served over fluffy jasmine rice with fresh cilantro.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breast
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast, diced
Dried herbs and spices
  • 1 tsp dried oregano or dried herbs
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
Aromatics
  • 0.5 onion, minced
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
Sauce base
  • 0.25 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1.25 cup canned light coconut milk
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
Rice
  • 3 cup cooked jasmine or basmati rice
Garnish
  • 1 fresh cilantro, for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and brown the chicken
  1. Season the diced chicken with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, smoked paprika, and dried herbs.
  2. Preheat a large skillet over high heat, spray with oil, then brown the chicken in an even layer for 3 to 5 minutes until golden; remove and set aside.
Build the coconut sauce
  1. Reduce the heat to medium-high, spray with more oil, then cook the onion, garlic, and ginger for 1 minute, stirring until fragrant and softened.
  2. Add the chicken broth to the pan and deglaze, scraping up browned bits, and simmer for 1 minute.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add the coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes until thickened and silky.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken and any juices to the skillet and cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until cooked through and coated in sauce.
  2. Serve over the cooked jasmine or basmati rice, garnished with fresh cilantro and a drizzle of coconut milk if desired.

Notes

For the silkiest sauce, simmer just until thickened—avoid boiling hard once the coconut milk is added. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of chicken broth or water. Freezing is not recommended since coconut milk sauce can separate after thawing. For a dairy-free swap, this recipe already is dairy-free; for lower-carb, replace the rice with cauliflower rice and simmer the sauce as directed, then spoon over warm cauliflower rice.