This one pot coconut curry chicken and rice is made in the rice cooker resulting in a savory rice with a nice kick of spice. All you have to do is add all the ingredients (rice, chicken, aromatics) in the rice cooker and wait for the magic to happen!
This easy one pot coconut curry chicken and rice is inspired by Chicken Rendang (Coconut Curry Chicken) that is very popular in Indonesia and Malaysia. Chicken rendang is usually slow cooked and stewed in the rendang sauce until thickened. Since this dish is not authentic Chicken Rendang, the flavors and cooking style will vary. Don’t underestimate the explosion of delicious flavors from the curry chili sauce that the chicken is marinated in. Check out this easy one pot chicken and rice when you’re having a busy work week!
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Ingredients
Equipment
- Zojirushi rice cooker (Model: NW-QAC10) – I’m a loyal fan of using Zojirushi for my one pot meals as the rice doesn’t get soggy or too hard when cooking with vegetables and/or protein. This is a great appliance to invest in as it always makes fluffy and delicious rice, every time!
- Use setting: Jasmine
*note: use Zojirushi’s rice cup and water measuring line on the pot to measure the rice and water quantity
Chicken marinade
- Coconut milk – provides creaminess to the chicken and rice
- Chicken thigh – I recommend using boneless and skinless chicken to ensure quick cooking and juicy chicken!
- Shallot – aromatics in the marinade
- Garlic cloves – aromatics in the marinade
- Red curry paste (lemongrass, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, curry, chilis, blended in mix) – I highly recommend using this curry paste to make things quicker and taste authentic. This is always an inexpensive ingredient that gives this dish lots of flavor!
- Fish sauce – provides umami to the marinade
- Soy sauce – using this to salt and season the chicken
- Brown sugar – helps balance the spiciness and acidity from the lime juice
- Lime, juiced – balances the spicy and sweet flavor!
Rice Cooker
- Marinated chicken – marinate the chicken as long as it takes for you to wash the rice (5 minutes)
- Jasmine rice – wash the rice until water it becomes clear (5-7 times)
Garnish
- Chopped cilantro (optional)
- Thai red chilis (optional)
- Cucumbers (optional)
How to make one pot coconut curry chicken and rice:
Step 1. Make your marinade by mixing coconut milk, minced garlic, shallots, red curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice and brown sugar.
Step 2. Add your chicken thigh and marinate for 5 minutes.
Step 3. Add 2 cups of uncooked jasmine rice using Zojirushi’s measuring cup in the pot.
Step 4. Wash rice for 5-7 times until the water runs clear.
Step 5. Add water up to the second line on the pot for jasmine rice.
Step 6. Add the marinated chicken (don’t add the liquid marinade to the rice or it will be too soggy) on top of the rice and place the rice in the rice cooker! Press the ‘cook’ button on the rice cooker.
Step 7. Once your rice is ready and cooked, let it rest in the rice cooker for 15 minutes before opening the lid! I know this is hard but this helps make your rice more fluffy and moist!
(Optional) Don’t waste the marinade, you can re-use it to marinate more chicken or boil the curry sauce for 5 minutes so you can add on top of your rice!
Serve
Garnish the rice with cilantro, Thai red chilis, and cucumbers. The cucumbers bring freshness and a crispy texture to the dish. To serve, mix the rice together and eat the rice while warm. I highly recommend boiling the chicken curry marinade for 5 minutes to use as a savory sauce on top of your rice. It’s so delicious! Hope you enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use jasmine rice for this dish. Don’t forget to wash the rice in a strainer a few times until the water runs clear. If you don’t wash off the excess starch in the rice, the rice clumps together and tastes a little grainy when cooked. After washing the jasmine rice, the grains will separate and make the rice smooth and soft!
- Make sure you strain all the water after washing your rice to ensure that you add the right amount of liquid to the dish. The water should barely cover the surface of the rice. The right amount of proportions ensure that the rice is tender, flavorful and not mushy!
- Chicken thighs are perfect for this recipe as the meat becomes juicy from the steam cooking. If you want to use chicken breast, you certainly can substitute it. Remember to use the same portions of 0.6 to 0.75 pound chicken thigh. Too much protein can cause the rice to cook unevenly.
- Make sure that the chicken is boneless! Bone-in chicken thighs can be tricky to cook as it is usually much thicker and can be cold in the center from the refrigerator.
- Use the leftover marinade as a curry sauce! You will need to cook the sauce and boil for 5 minutes since it was used to marinate the raw chicken. You can also reuse this sauce to marinate more chicken at a later time. Place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Add the marinated chicken and don’t add the liquid marinade to the rice. The excessive amounts of seasonings may cause the rice to burn.
FAQ
The rendang tastes like a rich and savory curry. The coconut milk creates a creamy and sweet flavor while the complex blend of spices makes the chicken aromatic and spicy!
Rendang is a type of curry that leans toward South East Asian flavors especially if lemongrass and the kaffir lime leaves are used.
Place the chicken and rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, I like to stir-fry the chicken and rice in a pan until warm or microwave for 1-2 minutes with a damp paper towel.
Yes, you can substitute with beef or tofu (use firm tofu and press out the water as much as you can to avoid ending up with flavorless or soggy rice). If you substitute the protein, make sure it’s still the same proportion as the chicken (0.6 to 0.75 pounds).
This Zojirushi IH (Induction Heating) rice cooker will ensure that every grain of rice will be cooked to perfection and the chicken will be cooked evenly. The induction heating technology generates quick and even heat within the inner cooking pan meaning the rice is cooked from all angles, which eliminates any potential for unevenly cooked grains. Learn more about Induction Heat Technology and how this rice cooker will change your rice cooking game.
Pro tip: Make sure to follow this recipe’s measurements (water and rice ratio) for juicy chicken and tender rice. Be careful, don’t add excessive amounts of non-rice ingredients (i.e. more vegetables or chicken) than the recipe suggests. This causes uneven cooking of the rice.
Thank you so much Zojirushi for sponsoring this blog post and giveaway!It’s a dream to work with Zojirushi (click here to learn more) as you know I always use their rice cooker for my one pot recipes! Stay tuned to the end of the blog post to win your very own Zojirushi rice cooker so you can make delicious one pot meals at home (Update: The giveaway has now ended). #LifewithZojirushi
More One Pot Recipes:
- One Pot Rice with Minced Pork and Thai Basil – savory rice cooked in the rice cooker with flavors of Pad Kra Pow
- One Pot Rice with Chinese Sausage and Chicken – Jasmine rice cooked with marinated ginger chicken and fragrant sausage.
- Hong Kong Clay Pot Rice – Chinese sausage and chicken cooked in a clay pot for crispy rice.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
One Pot Coconut Curry Chicken and Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 0.6 to 0.75 pound chicken thigh boneless and skin-less
- 1 shallot finely minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- wedge lime juiced
Rice cooker
- 2 cups jasmine rice use Zojirushi rice cup
- 1¼ cup water add water up to the second line on the pot for jasmine rice
Garnish
- cilantro chopped
- thai chilis sliced
- cucumber sliced
Instructions
- Mince garlic and shallots.
- To make the marinade, mix ½ cup coconut milk, minced garlic and shallots, 1 tablespoon red curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Squeeze half lime and mix together. Add your chicken thigh and marinate for 5 minutes (or as long as it takes for you to wash your rice). (Optional) Don’t waste the marinade, you can re-use it to marinate more chicken or boil the sauce for 5 minutes so you can mix on top of your rice!
- Wash 2 cups of jasmine rice using the Zojirushi rice cup. Wash 5-7 times until the water runs clear. Washing the starch off the rice helps make the rice more delicious! Make sure to strain your rice and there is no leftover water. The correct water and rice ratio ensures tender (not mushy) rice and cooked chicken.
- Next, add water to line 2 for jasmine rice in the pot (if you don’t have this, see notes for US measuring cup measurements). We don’t need to add too much water because the chicken will provide some moisture to the rice and we don’t want soggy rice 😉
- Add the marinated chicken (don't add the liquid marinade to the rice or it will be too soggy) on top of the rice and place the rice in the rice cooker! Press the 'cook' button on the rice cooker. I used the ‘jasmine’ setting on my rice cooker. You can use ‘jasmine’ or ‘white rice’ setting.
- Once your rice is ready and cooked, let it rest in the rice cooker for 15 minutes! I know this is hard but this helps make your rice more fluffy and moist!
- Garnish the rice with cilantro, thai red chilis, and cucumbers (optional). To serve, mix the rice together and eat the rice while warm. Hope you enjoy!
Notes
- Wash your rice until the water runs clear. It usually takes 5-7 times
- Follow the recipe and use the same proportions of water, rice, and chicken to ensure the rice is tender and fluffy (not mushy).
Ants says
If I don’t want to do the whole rice thing, do you think I could just bake (or pan fry) chicken and just cook the marinade as a drizzle sauce? Would you change the sauce at all? Thanks! I really want to try this sauce!
Dana says
Yes, you can definitely make it separately if you like. Feel fry to make white rice, then make the marinated chicken curry in a pot. The sauce is sooo delicious!
Teresa Ho says
Such a simple, quick & delicious meal!
Zack says
Looks like I found a new favorite dish to make 😊
Sabrina says
I need to try this recipe
Teresa says
I love love love your simple one pot recipes! Can’t wait to try this one out. I wonder if it will work in my cuckoo (Korean brand) rice cooker.
Agar says
Looks delicious!
Connie says
Keen to try this recipe!!
Annie says
So excited to have another one! Every time you post a one-pot meal I’m cooking it for the whole week 🙂
Viraj Alimchandani says
Cool recipe, can’t wait to give it a go!
Emily Ritter says
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love simple meals.
Cheri says
this looks really good (and super easy too)!! don’t have a rice cooker so i can’t try it, but currently saving your whole website for future reference 🤭
Bethany Lo says
Can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Izaac Tay says
I love one pot recipes!