Thai Chicken Coconut Bowl (Print Version)

Creamy coconut rice paired with seasoned chicken and fresh Thai vegetables

# What You’ll Need:

→ Coconut Rice

01 - 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
02 - 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
03 - 1 cup water
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Chicken

05 - 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
06 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
09 - 1 tablespoon fish sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
11 - 1 teaspoon brown sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
13 - Juice of 1 lime

→ Vegetables and Herbs

14 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
15 - 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed
16 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
17 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
18 - 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves, torn
19 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
20 - 1 red chili, thinly sliced (optional)

→ Garnish

21 - 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
22 - Lime wedges

# How-To:

01 - In a medium saucepan, combine jasmine rice, coconut milk, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add chicken pieces and cook, stirring, until golden and cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, white pepper, and lime juice. Toss to coat chicken evenly. Remove from heat.
03 - Blanch sugar snap peas and carrots in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water to maintain crisp-tender texture. Keep bell pepper raw for crunch and color contrast.
04 - Divide coconut rice evenly among 4 serving bowls. Top each portion with cooked chicken, sliced bell pepper, blanched sugar snap peas, and julienned carrot. Sprinkle with cilantro, Thai basil, green onion, and chili if desired.
05 - Sprinkle chopped roasted peanuts over each bowl. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The coconut rice alone is reason enough to make this, but the chicken and fresh herbs elevate it into something genuinely craveable.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and flexible enough to adapt to whatever's in your fridge.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the rice; it makes the difference between clumpy and fluffy, and coconut rice deserves respect.
  • The fish sauce smells funky in the bottle but tastes nothing like that when it's cooking—it becomes the invisible ingredient that makes people ask what you did to make it taste so good.
03 -
  • Cook the rice first so it has time to rest and fluff while you handle the chicken and vegetables—timing makes this whole process feel effortless.
  • Toast your peanuts fresh if you have them, or buy them already roasted but taste them first to make sure they're not rancid; stale peanuts will ruin the final bowl.
Go Back