Easy Indonesian Coconut Chicken and Rice

We saw so many versions of this Indonesian coconut chicken and rice recipe online that we had to try it for ourselves. This recipe is a lifesaver when dinner time is near, and you’re running on fumes. It’s super easy, but doesn’t skimp on flavor. Earthy spices and coconut milk combine to enhance the natural flavor of the chicken and add fragrant goodness to the rice. A squeeze of lemon juice adds the bright acidity needed to cut the richness of chicken thighs. And, a topping of cilantro adds just the right amount of herbal complexity to round out the overall flavor. This dish is no boring chicken and rice recipe. It’s a delicious and effortless one-pot meal.

Indonesian Coconut Chicken and Rice

Print Recipe

This delicious one-pot meal makes a satisfying dinner when you want something good without a lot of effort. It’s a Southeast Asian spin on chicken and rice, which is always a crowd-pleaser.

• Author: Such Is Motherhood
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Indonesian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 chicken thighs
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, cut into thin slices
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 1 2/3 cups unsweetened coconut milk (one 13-ounce can)
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 pound zucchini, diced
• 5 ounces of spinach
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• optional: 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. After sprinkling the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, place the chicken in the pan. Brown on both sides, about 6-8 minutes on each side.
3. Remove the chicken and all of the fat, except for 1 tablespoon.
4. Reduce the heat to low and add the onions. Stir occasionally and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
5. Add garlic to the pan and cook for about 1 minute.
6. Add coriander, cumin, rice and the rest of the salt and pepper. Toast the rice while stirring for about 2 minutes.
7. Pour in the coconut milk and water. Add the chicken back in and bring to a simmer.
8. Cover and let simmer over low heat until the rice and chicken are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Occasionally stir the rice during this time.
9. Add the zucchini and spinach. Replace the cover. Cook until done, about 7 minutes.
10. Add the lemon juice and cilantro into the rice and serve.

Keywords: chicken, rice, leaf vegetables, squash, one-pot meals, dinner, main dish, Southeast Asian

Make It Your Own

This recipe for Indonesian Coconut Chicken and Rice provides an excellent base for improvising. For some heat, top with our favorite homemade spicy chili oil or one of the clean store bought varieties listed below. You can also sprinkle some dried chili flakes. Chili bamboo shoots or the roasted mushrooms in our salt and pepper post would make a great topping as well. For an alternate flavor, you could also try turkey thighs. Tell us how you’ve made this recipe your own!

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Curated Picks

Lodge: We have this dutch oven and it’s our most versatile pot. It can go from stove top to the oven (up to 500°F) and then onto the table. Use it for one-pot meals, stews, soups and sourdough boules. The enamel coated cast iron construction is very low maintenance and durable. It’s available in a variety of beautiful colors as well.

Healing Life: These cutting boards check all the boxes for sustainability and being toxin-free. Healing Life makes these boards from a single solid piece of raw hinoki wood. So, there are no glues or varnishes to worry about. Hinoki wood from Japan is prized for its durability, antimicrobial properties and ability to preserve sharp knives.

de Buyer: This carbon steel frying pan comes in a versatile 11″ size. While it does require a little more maintenance, it’s a pan that will last you a lifetime. We own a few of these in a variety of sizes.

OXO: This splatter screen is a necessity when you have little ones running in and out of the kitchen while you pan fry or even just brown chicken. It protects you, your clothes and most importantly, your kids. The folding handle make it easy to store as well.

As promised, clean but authentic chili oil and crisp

Blank Slate: This all-natural chili oil is made with only real food ingredients. It’s perfect for adding a touch of heat and tingle to a dish or sauce that already has a lot of flavor. This is more of a chili oil than a chili crisp. And yes, we keep a variety of chili oils on hand because like little black dresses, they’re not all the same.

Fly By Jing: A true Sichuan chili crisp made without artificial flavor or preservatives by a native Sichuan chef. Okay, we admit it. We’ve been known to hoard this in our fridge. If tongue numbing spice is something you strive for, this goes well on basically everything from your typical congee and pizza to vanilla ice cream. We admit this is weird, but true.

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