A dinner recipe that deserves to be made over and over again: crispy turmeric chicken with coconut chile rice and cilantro lime vinaigrette.
I would have to say that this recipe is one of the most flavorful dishes to come out of my kitchen. So many bold, vibrant, tangy ingredients all intermingled in a really fun and exciting plate of food.
I honestly can’t stop making it. There’s richness from the crispy turmeric chicken thighs and creamy coconut rice, a little heat from the chiles, and lots of tangy freshness from the lime-packed vinaigrette. So, so delicious and really quite simple, too.
Crispy Turmeric Chicken Breakdown
crispy turmeric chicken – bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs rubbed with ground turmeric and salt, cooked in a cast-iron skillet until crisp, tender, and juicy
coconut chile rice – basmati rice cooked in chicken stock and coconut milk, infused with cilantro and dried chiles, and finished with lots of lime juice
cilantro lime vinaigrette – a simple mixture of lime juice, honey, oil, cilantro, and a splash of vinegar
pan-roasted chickpeas – chickpeas cooked over the stove in olive oil until crispy, seasoned simply with salt
My ideal dinner? This crispy turmeric chicken with a side of these roasted vegetables. I’d make the whole batch of each recipe, and then have leftovers to heat up all week long. THE BEST.
PrintCrispy Turmeric Chicken with Coconut Chile Rice
crispy turmeric chicken thighs served with coconut chile rice, pan-roasted chickpeas, and a cilantro lime vinaigrette
serves: 4
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup neutral oil (safflower, grapeseed, vegetable, etc.)
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped cilantro
- kosher salt
Coconut Chile Rice
- 1 ½ cups basmati rice
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 dried arbol chiles
- 3 sprigs cilantro
- 2 tbsp lime juice
Pan-Roasted Chickpeas
- 1 can chickpeas
- olive oil
Crispy Turmeric Chicken
- 6 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
Instructions
- Combine the salt and turmeric. Rub the chicken thighs with the mixture until fully coated. Let the chicken thighs sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- Combine the lime juice, honey, and vinegar in a small mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking continuously until emulsified. Stir in the cilantro. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
- Combine the rice, coconut milk, chicken stock, chiles, and cilantro in a heavy-bottom pot. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring the liquid to a boil and stir well. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 40 minutes, or until the liquid has absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Meanwhile, rinse, drain, and dry the chickpeas really well. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to very generously coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot, add the dried chickpeas. Cook for about 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer the chickpeas to a plate and season with salt.
- Wipe out the skillet. Heat again over medium heat and add a thin layer of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken thighs in the pan skin-side down. Lower the heat to medium-low. Allow the chicken to cook, undisturbed, for about 12 minutes or until the chicken skin is crisp.
- Flip the chicken and cook another 8 minutes or so until fully cooked through.
- When done, fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the lime juice. Remove the chiles and cilantro. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
- Serve the rice on a big platter. Arrange the chicken over the rice. Spoon the chickpeas and cilantro lime vinaigrette on top. Garnish with more cilantro, if desired.
