Coconut Chicken and Rice is the easiest dump-and-go meal. Cook rice and veggies in a creamy coconut milk broth, then top with rotisserie chicken and a coconut cilantro sauce.
author’s note
My Secret To A Stress Free Weeknight Dinner!
This Coconut Chicken and Rice took so many tests that I lost count. I’d usually move on when a recipe fights me this hard, but something about creamy coconut rice baking right in the oven with zero fuss kept pulling me back. And honestly, I’m so glad I stuck with it.
I pulled a lot from my herb rice and pesto rice recipes and decided to stick with basmati rice since it never fails me when baked. After a bit, I finally nailed it, and it was worth every round of testing.
This is the life-saver kind of meal I reach for when the evening is not going to plan and all I want is dinner to cook itself. Everything bakes in one pan. No sautéing. No stovetop. No babysitting. And the sauce? Only five ingredients, blends in seconds, and uses ingredients you already have out.
Coconut Chicken and Rice Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swaps or Notes |
|---|---|
| Basmati Rice | Only rice that cooks right in this dish. No good swap. If you don’t have basmati, I don’t recommend making this recipe. |
| Canned Full-Fat Coconut Milk | Use canned, full-fat only. Avoid refrigerated coconut milk, lite coconut milk, cream of coconut, and coconut cream. I like Imperial Kitchen. |
| Chicken Stock | Brings big flavor. I use Swanson’s, but any good stock works. |
| Soy Sauce | Use regular soy sauce for the right salt and flavor. Skip low-sodium. I prefer Kikkoman’s. |
Shortcuts
Here are the quick shortcuts I use in this Coconut Chicken and Rice recipe.
- For garlic and ginger, I use Dorot cubes from the freezer. You can also use refrigerated garlic paste or minced garlic. If using fresh, just grate it right into the pan.
- Rotisserie chicken is a big time saver, and buying it already shredded makes this even quicker.
- Frozen veggies keep things hands-off. I use frozen corn and edamame for easy flavor with zero chopping.
Coconut Chicken and Rice Sauce Tips
- Don’t shake the can of coconut milk to combine (like most recipes call for) since we’ll remove the thickened milk at the top of the can to use in the sauce. If there is no cream separated from the liquid in your can, it’s okay; the sauce will just be a little less thick.
- Use fresh cilantro — stems and leaves. Twist off about half of a large bunch of cilantro and loosely pack in a 1/2 cup measuring cup to get the right amount of cilantro.
- Don’t over blend. This sauce can go from perfect to chunky if the coconut milk is over-blended. As soon as the cilantro is broken down and ingredients are emulsified, stop blending.
- Taste and adjust. The sauce is tangy and a bit sweet. Add a touch of sugar or honey if the sauce is too tangy for your liking and a pinch of salt to cut down on the sweetness.
Coconut Chicken and Rice Tips
- Don’t rush the process. The bake time is long on this dish, but it’s all pretty hands-off. Don’t try to rush the process; you may end up with unevenly cooked or mushy rice.
- Rice needs to rest. Just like cooking rice in a pot on the stovetop, it needs time to stand and steam so it doesn’t get mushy. This recipe is no different — allow time for the rice to rest and become fully tender. This is the perfect time to warm the chicken.
Quick Tip
This Coconut Chicken and Rice is a quick, life-saver recipe, but if you have an extra minute, I highly recommend making this Asian Cucumber Salad — it makes the BEST side/topping!
More recipes using coconut milk
- Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup with chickpeas
- Coconut Cream Pie with a graham cracker crust
- Teriyaki Chicken Skewers over coconut rice
- Coconut Chicken with a honey-mustard dipping sauce
- Coconut Curry Chicken with veggies
Coconut Chicken and Rice
Coconut Chicken and Rice is the ultimate easy meal—just toss uncooked rice and veggies in a pan, let them cook in a creamy coconut broth, then top with rotisserie chicken and a coconut-cilantro sauce. So simple, so delicious!
Video
Equipment
- 9 x 13-inch baking pan glass or ceramic (not metal)
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 (13.66-ounce) can coconut milk divided, see note 1
- 1-1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice no other types of rice work! See note 2
- 1-1/3 cups chicken stock see note 3
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce not reduced-sodium
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste see note 4
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 (12-ounce) package frozen edamame
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2-1/2 cups diced cooked chicken like rotisserie
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon jalapeño see note 5
- 3 limes divided
- Optional toppings see note 6
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously spray a glass or ceramic (not metal) 9×13-inch pan. Without shaking it, open the can of coconut milk and remove 1/3 cup of the coconut milk solids and put into a small blender or food processor. Pour the remaining coconut milk into the prepared 9×13-inch pan.
- Right into the pan with the coconut milk, add the uncooked basmati rice, chicken stock, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ginger, garlic, salt (I add 1/2 teaspoon) entire package of unthawed edamame, and unthawed frozen corn. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are incorporated. Spread in an even layer and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove the foil and bake 15 more minutes.
- Meanwhile, shred/chop chicken into small pieces and make the sauce by blending together the 1/3 cup coconut milk, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the cilantro, jalapeno, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and salt to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon). Blend until just combined and cilantro is broken down (don’t over-blend) and place in the fridge until ready to use.
- Once dish has baked for 15 minutes without the foil, remove from oven. Don’t stir. Sprinkle the chicken over everything and drizzle 1 teaspoon lime zest and 2 tablespoons lime juice over everything. Cover dish again with foil. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, gently mix everything together and lightly fluff rice with a fork. Serve on plates and generously drizzle sauce over everything on individual plates.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I recommend Imperial Kitchen’s coconut milk. Be sure to not shake it up to combine—we want to pull out the cream for the sauce. If there is no separated cream from liquid in your can, it’s okay, the sauce will just be a little less thick.
Note 2: I tested this recipe with all kinds of rice and only found success with basmati rice. Other grains of rice ranged from very mushy to unevenly cooked.
Note 3: Chicken stock is very important to flavor—use a full bodied (not low sodium) stock. I love Swanson’s stock best.
Note 4: Or use fresh ginger and garlic; simply grate (with a zester) ginger root and individual garlic cloves into the dish—no other preparation necessary.
Note 5: Coarsely chop a jalapeno without seeds or ribs and measure to get 1 tablespoon.
Note 6: Optional toppings: thinly sliced Persian cucumber, ripe avocado, additional cilantro, and/or lime wedges.
Storage: Store rice and veggies separate from chicken in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze the rice mixture for longer storage. Reheat with a splash of coconut milk to keep creamy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.9g | Protein: 27.1g | Fat: 23.4g | Cholesterol: 45.3mg | Sodium: 273.5mg | Fiber: 4.1g | Sugar: 4.6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Coconut Chicken and Rice recipe looks absolutely delicious! I love how creamy and flavorful the coconut milk makes the dish. Can’t wait to try this for dinner! Thanks, Chelsea, for such a great recipe!
This Coconut Chicken and Rice looks absolutely delicious! I love how creamy the coconut milk makes the dish. Can’t wait to try this recipe for dinner this week. Thanks for sharing!
Yay! So happy to hear this! Thanks Reje!
making this now. Are there 3 T lime juice in sauce and 3 T over chicken? same with the zest?
thanks
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp zest in sauce and 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp zest over chicken!
This was such a great meal! Not only was it easy but it tastes great, especially with the sauce! Thanks!
I am so happy to hear! Thanks! 🙂
Absolutely delicious!! What an interesting and amazing combo! I’m making it for dinner a second time tonight!
So happy to hear that!! Thank you Gina 🙂
As your Dad I have to thank you for the wonderful recipe! Thank you for persisting with your experimentation or as you call it, “trial and error.” It is worth it!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe 🙂