Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

chicken in coconut milk with lemongrass

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Vickie Parks
Renton, WA

You can use a whole roasting chicken to make this recipe. But the chicken is carved in the end anyway, so I use a pre-cut fryer chicke since it's easier and roasts quite a bit faster, too. The pan sauce is great served over a side of steamed white rice. With the scallions, I used only the dark green part for the garnish, and I tossed the remaining 1 inch (or so) white and pale green part in the pan for added flavor during roasting.

(1 rating)
yield 4 to 6
prep time 20 Min
cook time 1 Hr 30 Min
method Roast

Ingredients For chicken in coconut milk with lemongrass

  • 3 to 4 lb
    chicken (fryer pieces or whole roasting chicken, your choice)
  • 2 to 3 tsp
    sea salt
  • 2 to 3 tsp
    black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp
    butter
  • 1 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • 1
    cinnamon stick
  • 1
    whole star anise
  • 1/2 c
    cilantro stems, roughly chopped
  • 1 md
    lemon, juiced and zested
  • 1 stalk
    lemongrass, 5 inches of white party only, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 6 clove
    garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 14 ir 16 oz
    can coconut milk
  • 3 c
    torn greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc)
  • 2
    green onions (scallions), chopped
  • chopped cilantro (for garnish)
  • cooked rice, to serve

How To Make chicken in coconut milk with lemongrass

  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pat the chicken dry and season it liberally with salt and pepper.
  • 2
    On the stove-top, melt the butter in a large oven-proof Dutch oven or roasting pan over medium heat, then add the oil. Put the chicken pieces in the pan and let sizzle for about 30 seconds. Turn chicken pieces and crisp the other side for another 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat, put the chicken on a plate, and pour out fat from the pot.
  • 3
    Transfer the chicken back into the pot (or transfer chicken to oven-proof baking dish), and add the cinnamon stick, star anise, chopped cilantro stems, lemon juice, lemon zest, lemongrass, garlic, and coconut milk. Roast, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 60 to 90 minutes (depending on size). Spoon the sauce over the top of the bird to baste every 20 minutes or so. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 165°F.
  • 4
    Remove chicken from the pot and put it on a plate. Pull out and discard the cinnamon stick and star anise.
  • 5
    Place pot with the sauce back on the stovetop over medium heat, add the spinach and stir until just wilted, about 10 seconds.
  • 6
    Serve chicken pieces over hot steamed rice, with pan sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro leaves, and serve hot.
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