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Thai-Style Chicken and Rice

April 7, 2016 by hapagirl 39 Comments

Chicken and rice, quite possibly the most basic meal in existence… at least it is here in the States.

Thai Chicken and Rice - Classic Thai Flavors, Simple Prep!  Great for Weeknight Dinners!

Not to be harsh on basic, I love basic. I love a basic t-shirt, a comfy pair of jeans, and there ain’t nothing wrong with a basic chocolate chip cookie. But generally speaking, basic tends to be synonymous with run-of-the-mill. Well this dish is anything but basic. This Thai-Style Chicken and Rice has the bold flavors of Thailand that you love with simple preparation you’re familiar with. 

Thai Chicken and Rice - Classic Thai Flavors, Simple Prep!  Great for Weeknight Dinners!

Cool, refreshing, Kaffir Cooler - make it boozy or keep it virgin

Have extra kaffir lime leaves? Make this cool and refreshing Kaffir Cooler.

The inspiration for this dish came from a dinning experience with my husband when we tried a new Thai restaurant in our neighborhood. I wanted something relatively light but something with zip to it – I ordered Tom Kha Gai, a soup made of coconut milk (tom), galangal (kha), and chicken (gai). Other prominent flavors are kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, fish sauce, and lime. It’s a soup with incredible depth of flavor that keeps you slurping down spoonful after spoonful; and it’s what the rice in this dish is cooked in. 

Every grain of rice is infused with some serious flavor and as if that weren’t enough to hook you, the chicken is marinated in a blend of coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves, giving it a natural sweetness, incredible aroma, and keeping it perfectly moist as it cooks!  How’s that for saying goodbye to basic?!

Thai Chicken and Rice - Classic Thai Flavors, Simple Prep!  Great for Weeknight Dinners!

 

Thai-Style Chicken and Rice
 
Recipe Type: Entrée
Author: Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 50 mins
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 people
Thai-Style Chicken and Rice – Classic Thai flavors, Simple Prep!
Ingredients
  • [b]Chicken & Marinade[/b]
  • 1/2 of a 14 ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk
  • 2 [url href=”http://hapanom.com/kaffir-lime-leaves/” target=”_blank”]kaffir lime leaves[/url]
  • 4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
  • [b]Cooking Stock[/b]
  • 1 cup good quality chicken stock
  • 1 14 ounce can coconut milk + half a can leftover from the marinade
  • 1-inch piece [url href=”http://galangal” target=”_blank”]galangal[/url], sliced
  • 1 [url href=”http://hapanom.com/lemongrass/” target=”_blank”]lemongrass stalk[/url], cut into 1 inch pieces and smashed
  • 2-3 fresh [url href=”http://hapanom.com/kaffir-lime-leaves/” target=”_blank”]Kaffir lime leaves[/url], bruised or muddled
  • 2 [url href=”http://hapanom.com/thai-chili/” target=”_blank”]Thai chilies[/url], sliced lengthwise, seeds removed
  • ¼ cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes + 1 more lime for garnish)
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • [b]Rice[/b]
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 cup jasmine rice
  • 6 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
  • fresh cilantro, garnish
Instructions
  1. In a blender, combine the kaffir leaves and coconut milk. Process until the kaffir leaves are in little bits. Slather the chicken with the coconut milk and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, but over night is ideal.
  2. Meanwhile, make the cooking stock. Add the chicken stock to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow the stock to simmer until reduced by half. Then add the remaining 1 1/2 cans of coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal, bruised kaffir leaves, and Thai chilies. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the lime juice and fish sauce. Set aside. Using a slotted spoon, remove any solids from the cooking stock.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  4. Remove the chicken from the coconut marinade and pat dry. Place an oven-safe heavy-bottomed skillet or pot with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil. Once hot, place the chicken skin side down and cook until golden-brown, approximately 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside. Pour off the fat and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel.
  5. Warm a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and mushrooms, stir to coat and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cooking stock and bring the contents to a boil. Turn off the heat, and place the chicken on top of the rice. Cover tightly with a lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, and allow the excess liquid to cook off while in the oven for another 5 minutes. Taste and season the rice with more salt, if needed. Plate and garnish with torn cilantro leaves and a few wedges of lime. Serve and enjoy!
 
3.4.3177

 

 

Thai Chicken and Rice - Classic Thai Flavors, Simple Prep!  Great for Weeknight Dinners!

 

Filed Under: Asian, Blog, Chicken, Dishes, Entrée, Fall, Fusion, Healthy, Recipes, Rice & Grains, Spring, Winter Tagged With: Asian, chicken, coconut, easy, galangal, Kaffir, lime, rice, thai, thai chili

« Spicy Chicken Pot Stickers with Ginger Dipping Sauce
Kaffir Cooler »

Comments

  1. Stephanie says

    August 7, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    What temperature do you bake this at? And where do the mushrooms go in?

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      August 7, 2017 at 7:06 pm

      Hi Stephanie. My goodness, I can’t believe I forgot to include that! Thank you so much for bringing that to my attention. The oven should be heated to 350 F and the mushrooms added in step 5. I have edited the recipe to reflect the updates. Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Sabrina says

    April 30, 2016 at 11:24 am

    This looks and sounds delicious! Love those Thai flavors!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      May 3, 2016 at 12:06 pm

      Thanks Sabrina!

      Reply
  3. Beeta Hashempour says

    April 25, 2016 at 5:34 pm

    This dish just proves that stepping outside your comfort zone and playing with new ingredients can create an awesome meal! This looks so so good, Kathleen! I love all the delicious, bold flavors in this dish…and that perfect crisp skin you got on the chicken…*swoon* <3

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 28, 2016 at 11:38 am

      Thank you my dear. I was actually quite pleased with the way this dish developed. It started off as a soup and turned into a chicken and rice dish 😛

      Reply
  4. nagimaehashi says

    April 25, 2016 at 3:20 pm

    OMG. Talk about stepping up the “basic” chicken and rice!!! I can’t believe you figured out how to make a one pot Thai chicken & rice. YUM YUM YUM!!! I can’t WAIT TO MAKE THIS!!!!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 28, 2016 at 11:42 am

      Well it’s not quite one pot. I did use a saucepan to make the cooking broth for the rice. Though I suppose you could cook the chicken, remove, and then make the soup base for the rice to cook in 🙂

      Reply
  5. Eva says

    April 25, 2016 at 12:53 pm

    What a lovely recipe is all what I love it!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 26, 2016 at 7:35 pm

      Thanks Eva!

      Reply
  6. karrie@TastyEverAfter says

    April 22, 2016 at 9:15 am

    Chicken and rice dishes are the best, especially ones that taste like Tom Kha Gai! Whaaaaat??? That’s cray-cray talk girl…but really good cray-cray talk 🙂 I have a whole chicken I just bought at the store yesterday and will breaking that down to make this Sunday night for dinner..then leftovers for Monday’s lunch. WOOHOOO!!! 😉

    Reply
  7. AiPing | Curious Nut says

    April 20, 2016 at 6:54 am

    This is brilliant. What a great idea to cook rice in tom yum kha. Seriously. I’m gonna have to try this since I love tom yum so so much! And that chicken looks so good. This dish is just so me. Yum!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 21, 2016 at 7:47 pm

      The rice is totally addictive in the tom yum kha broth! Just don’t burn your mouth eating straight out of a the hot pan like I did 😉

      Reply
  8. thebrickkitchen says

    April 19, 2016 at 4:19 pm

    Gorgeous Kathleen! I love meals like this where it all ends up in one pan in the oven, and you have so much punchy Thai flavour going on – kaffir limes leaves are beautiful. And galangal and lemongrass? Definitely saving to make!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 19, 2016 at 7:49 pm

      For me one pan that goes in the oven and ready to serve has comfort food written all over it 🙂

      Reply
  9. Helen @ Scrummy Lane says

    April 19, 2016 at 9:50 am

    You probably know that basic’s where it’s all at where I’m concerned, and if you can manage both basic and delicious I’ll be your very best friend!

    To me you’ve totally hit the mark with this one. What I love is that is really does still seem simple – there aren’t that many ingredients.Not to mention that you’ll always win me over with Thai flavours!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 19, 2016 at 8:06 pm

      Thanks Helen! That means a lot to me 🙂 And I’m with you, I can always be won over with Thai flavors.

      Reply
  10. Amanda | Yum In Your Tum says

    April 16, 2016 at 2:47 pm

    This looks fabulous! I love Thai food, so this is right up my alley. I have never seen Thai food done like this though. Looks far from basic, but still looks classic! Wonderful. Gotta give this one a try. 🙂

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 18, 2016 at 3:12 pm

      I’m with you, Amanda! I absolutely love Thai food, the fresh and vibrant flavors always keeping me coming back for more!

      Reply
  11. Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says

    April 15, 2016 at 7:53 pm

    Screw basic! This chicken dish is off the charts!!! You go, girl!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 18, 2016 at 3:17 pm

      Lol! You crack me up, Rachelle 😛

      Reply
  12. annie@ciaochowbambina says

    April 15, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    This is a meal I’d saddle up to the table for any night of the week! It’s so exciting and layered with flavor! I love all the restaurants you go to, Kathleen! So inspiring…just like you!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 18, 2016 at 3:33 pm

      Aww… thanks, Annie *smooch! This dish definitely went through a few incarnations on paper before I hit the kitchen 🙂

      Reply
  13. Maggie | Omnivore's Cookbook says

    April 15, 2016 at 12:39 pm

    What a beautiful dish and I love the flavors going on here. Tom Kha Gai soup is a must order whenever I visit a Thai restaurant. I’d love to enjoy it in a different format. I’ll probably throw in some asparagus into the skillet, so I’ll have a one-pan dinner within no time!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 18, 2016 at 3:29 pm

      Absolutely! Asparagus would be an amazing addition – use up that awesome spring produce while it’s still around! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says

    April 15, 2016 at 1:23 am

    Yay for basic. I also love basic! And thai style chicken looks fantastic, Kathleen. Palatable and delicious. Wish you a lovely weekend! 🙂

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 18, 2016 at 3:34 pm

      Thanks Anu! I hope you had a great weekend too! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Mira says

    April 14, 2016 at 9:35 pm

    Love this dish and the great flavors you’ve created! Need to find the keffir lime leaves and try it!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 14, 2016 at 11:21 pm

      You will love keffir leaves! They’re definitely a must-find!

      Reply
  16. Marissa (@pinchandswirl) says

    April 14, 2016 at 2:44 pm

    Well this is brilliant. I love Tom Kha Gai soup. Whenever I make it, I always I’m making a fancy tea – infusing the coconut milk with all of those lovely aromatics and then removing them. It looks so plain (or basic 😉 ) but then you take a bite and KAPOW! I’d never considered doing something like this with the soup as the liquid. Love love love this recipe!!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 14, 2016 at 4:56 pm

      Yes! I remember the first time I tried Tom Kha Gai… I looked at it an thought I wished I had ordered something else. It didn’t look like much, but one bite and boy was I WAY off! It was like a flavor bomb went off in my mouth! I’ve been hooked ever since 🙂

      Reply
  17. CulinaryGinger (@culinaryginger) says

    April 14, 2016 at 7:28 am

    It may be basic but always comforting and you have used some delicious flavors in your dish. Can’t wait to try this.

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 14, 2016 at 1:28 pm

      Indeed! I hope you enjoy 🙂

      Reply
  18. Miriam @londonkitchendiaries says

    April 14, 2016 at 4:10 am

    Basic does not have to be bland at all – your dish looks incredible. Love the flavours that you have used in your recipe ♡

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 14, 2016 at 1:45 pm

      Thanks so much, Miriam 🙂 This dish definitely has some zip to it.

      Reply
  19. chopstickchronicles@gmail.com says

    April 13, 2016 at 7:45 pm

    Ohhhh is that what Tom means! Coconut. I always learn something from your post 😀 So informative. And Chicken, coconut, lime and rice! what a combination:D Yum!

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 14, 2016 at 1:49 pm

      I didn’t know what ‘tom’ meant either until I did a little research on its background. So I’m learning with you 🙂

      Reply
  20. Cathy says

    April 13, 2016 at 2:04 pm

    This sounds sooo good, just unfortunate I would never find gangal or keffir lime leaves here. Something to try when I go back to the U.S.

    Reply
    • hapagirl says

      April 14, 2016 at 1:51 pm

      Yeah, I wish there were a good substitute for them, but there’s really not :/ You could try ordering online – gotta love the Internet these days 🙂

      Reply

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I'm Kathleen and I live in the Atlanta area. In a lifelong search to discover where I belong and what group I identify with, I found that food is the strongest tie that brings us together. On Hapa Nom Nom, food is a kind of connective tissue, bringing my background, family, travels, and tastes together in one delicious bite. Find out more!

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