One-Pot Chicken thighs with Turmeric-Coconut Rice & Greens
Whenever I want a “feel good” meal, it tends to be something that is both comforting and slightly healthy-ish, but has to be convenient (i.e. not a lot of dishes to clean), so that I actually make it. With garlic, ginger, turmeric, coconut milk, chicken thighs and greens, this dish ticks all of those boxes. Plus, you get a layer of slightly crispy rice at the bottom–almost like a paella’s socarrat. It’s a meal that is both light and hearty – a perfect one-pot dinner for any season.
Too often I see recipes for “one-pot” meals that also have you dirty up several bowls… NOT HERE, FOLKS! The only other dish you need here is a plate for the chicken thighs (or I guess you could use your Dutch oven lid, if you’re REALLY going the no-dishes route), and some cooking utensils.
The trickiest part of developing this recipe was getting the timing ratio of cooking the rice and chicken at the same time, all in the same pot. So I would stick with a jasmine rice here. But feel free to experiment with other vegetables: instead of leafy greens, maybe try steaming broccoli florets, sliced sugar snap peas, or haricot vert (thin French green beans)—any veg that would benefit from a quick 10 minute steam on top of the rice.
One-Pot Chicken thighs with Turmeric-Coconut Rice & Greens
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
Kosher salt & black pepper
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled & grated (about 2 Tablespoons)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon red chili flake
1 ½ cups jasmine rice, rinsed until water runs clear
1/2 cup white wine or water, chicken/vegetable stock
1 (14oz) can full-fat coconut milk
1 lime, zest & juice
1 medium bunch of leafy greens like kale, swiss chard, or spinach, cut into bite-sized pieces
Thinly Sliced Scallions, and additional Chili flakes for garnish (optional)
METHOD:
In a 5-quart Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels, and season generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Once oil is shimmering, sear thighs on one side, undisturbed, for 6-8 minutes, or until they release from the bottom of the pan easily. Remove thighs to a plate and set aside.
Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the pan, then add onion, bell pepper, and a big pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium, and sauté until the onions become translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, and chili flakes and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant (about a minute).
Add rice, and stir to combine with the onion, oil and spice mixture, scraping any fond from the bottom of the pan into the mixture. Stir until the rice is glistening and coated with oil, and is lightly toasted, about 1-2 minutes.
Increase the heat slightly to medium-high and add 1/2 cup of wine (or stock/water), and 3/4 cup of water. This will also deglaze the pan of any fond that remains on the bottom of the pan (the broth will become darker in color).
Stir in coconut milk, and zest lime directly into the pot. Let the liquid come to a low boil, then return chicken thighs to pot (along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate) by nestling them seared-side-up into rice mixture. Cover Dutch oven, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, uncover the pot to sprinkle greens on top of rice in an even layer. Cover again, and cook until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat, and let pot sit, covered, for an additional 5-7 minutes.
Uncover pot and remove chicken thighs to a plate (you can slice or dice them, if desired). Gently stir greens into rice, taking care to keep it fluffy, but also scraping up any crispy rice from the bottom of the pan (it’s delicious!). Squeeze lime juice over the entire dish just before serving. Taste to see if it needs any additional salt and pepper. Scoop rice and greens into bowls and top each with chicken thighs, scallions, and chili flakes, if using.
