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This Coconut Milk Braised Black Pepper Chicken with Sweet Potatoes is a fusion of Thai flavors. It’s the perfect bowl of warming comfort food that’s full of color and flavor. Made with chicken breasts or thighs, spices, sweet potatoes, bell peppers and creamy coconut milk. It’s cozy, creamy, just perfectly spicy, and filled with vegetables. Finish each bowl off with steamed rice, herbs, and plenty of lime.
And here we are, the first recipe of the new year. I’m not sure I’m ready for another full year of recipes (when you start to think about it…it’s a lot of recipe). But ready or not I’m excited, especially for the recipes I already know I have coming.
I wasn’t sure what to post today, I had some options, but this ended up feeling like a good fit. It’s healthy, but cozy. And since we’re enjoying below freezing temps here, I decided that this is what I’d want to be making today.
Plus, I love the colors, the flavors, and the fact this is pretty simple to make.
The details – start with seasoning the chicken
The spice mix on the chicken is key to the flavor. It’s a mix of turmeric, ginger, and black pepper. Toss the chicken with the spices. Then, if you can, let the chicken sit in the spices to take on ever more flavor. You don’t have to do this, but an overnight hang in the fridge does add a little more flavor to the dish.
That’s really the only “prep” step.
Next, sear the chicken in a big dutch oven style pot and get it a little crispy. Then pull the chicken out and in goes everything else. Sauté the vegetables, bell peppers, shallots, and garlic, and add chili flakes to taste. Then toss in the sweet potato and pour over the coconut milk.
I love adding a couple tablespoons of fish sauce too. I highly recommend this, but you can use soy sauce as well.
Braising
When everything is in, just cover the pot and let the chicken slowly cook in the coconut milk. It doesn’t take too long, about 25 minutes or so for thighs, shorter if you’re using breasts.
The the coconut milk is obviously creamy and flavorful. But it also prevents the chicken from drying out and creates super tender pieces of chicken.
Since this is such a saucy dish, I love to make a big pot of steamed rice and serve the chicken over the rice. Then top the chicken with lots of Thai basil, lime juice, and salty peanuts for a nice crunch…so delicious!
This one is simple, healthy, and delicious. It’s the perfect (non-boring) recipe to really kick off the new year!! Oh and lastly, while it’s not traditional to Thai cooking, a side of fresh, warm naan is especially delicious with this creamy curry sauce.
Looking for other healthy dinner recipes? Here are my favorites:
30 Minute Creamy Thai Turmeric Chicken and Noodles
Healthier Italian Wedding Soup with Lemon and Garlic
25 Minute Thai Black Pepper Chicken and Garlic Noodles
Lastly, if you make this Coconut Milk Braised Black Pepper Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Coconut Milk Braised Black Pepper Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 547 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 2 medium shallots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, or more
- 2 cups cubed sweet potatoes
- 2 cans (14 ounce) full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- steamed rice, for serving
- 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
- 2 limes
- roasted peanuts
Instructions
- 1. Toss the chicken with the turmeric, ginger, cumin, pepper, a pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon oil. Let sit 5 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge.2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 minutes. Pull the chicken out of the pan. 3. To the pot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the peppers, shallots, garlic, and chili flakes, cook 3 minutes, then toss in the sweet potatoes. Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the coconut milk and fish sauce. Slide the chicken and any juices on the plate into the milk. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt.4. Divide rice between bowls, then spoon the chicken and sauce over the rice. Top with basil, peanuts, and lime juice.
Wow! Hours after dinner I am still dreaming about this fabulous dinner. My sweet potatoes took longer to cook even though I cut it into small chunks. But seriously, the flavors are addicting! I think this is the best Thai food I have ever eaten. I cannot recommend this enough.
Hey Theresa! Thank you so much for trying the recipe out! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! 🙂 xT
This is SOOOOO good! Some people in my family don’t tolerate large amounts of nightshades very well so we do zucchini instead of bell peppers, and it’s still delicious!!
Hey Laura,
Fantastic! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great weekend:)
Hi. It is very tasty and comforting. But wondering how your dish turned out with so much colour. My sauce looked like coconut milk with a bit of yellow from the turmeric. The picture was what initially drew me to the recipe.
Other than that, I love your recipes. I basically only go to your site now for everything.
Thanks so much for all of your recipes.
Thank you so much Joanne! xT
My go to recipe when it’s my turn to cook
Thank you! So glad to hear you’re enjoying this recipe! xT
This was delicious!!! So much more flavorful than I was even expecting 😁 I think next time I will leave the chicken whole to get it browned a little better!
Thank you so much! Hope you have a great fall season! 🙂 xT
I’ve made this recipe several times. It’s so delicious. Whenever I’ve made it for others, they always ask me for the recipe. The only thing I do different is double the amount of sweet potatoes because I love sweet potatoes! Sooo yummy. Definitely my go-to for a quick, delicious, comforting meal.
Hi Alexa,
Wonderful!! I love to hear you have been enjoying this recipe, thanks for making it so often and sharing with others:) xT
Is there a slow cooker version of this?
Hey there,
So sorry, there’s not, but I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Omg, this was so good! I’m incredibly impressed!! Ofc, I COMPLETELY forgot the line juice and peanuts at the end. I guess I was just too hungry, haha, but it’ll definitely be on my leftovers! If I ever need to make this vegetarian, it’s super easy to substitute the chicken with spices cauliflower. Also plan to use more black pepper next time, and more chili flakes. Though, I only use Korean chili flakes anymore (gochugaru) bc there’s less heat due to no seeds. So, that’s probably why I want more. Maybe I’ll drizzle some of my homemade chili oil on top and see how it is. I also left my chicken thighs whole when cooking. The sear was easier. Just delicious! Thank you for the great recipe for my dinner!!
Hey Katelyn,
Happy Friday!!☘️ Thanks a bunch for testing this recipe out and sharing your review, I’m so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Its not very often we pull a recipe off the internet and both say, “wow!” This is delicious. Perfect for a cold evening.
Hey Lois,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This is one of my favorites! I made it with shredded pork and it was fantastic!!!! Your recipes are amazing.
Hey Victoria,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
could you use the same recipe, but with steak?
Hey Shawn,
Totally, I don’t see why not! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I really liked this but my sweet potatoes took a lot longer to cook and I actually chopped them smaller than the photos and video showed. Weird. Either way, will make again!
Hey Tess,
Happy Friday!!🌟 Love to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT
While I enjoy this I found the amount of turmeric and ginger to be overwhelming. In the future I may use less of them. Delicious with the fresh herbs to top it off!
Hey Jordan,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you didn’t love it! xx
This is quick, easy and super flavorful. Another great recipe.
Hey Patti,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:)
This was so delicious and so easy!!! I marinated the chicken overnight. Will be repeating, thank you!!
Hi Sophia,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you making it! Have a great weekend! 🍁🍂