Curried Chicken & Coconut Rice Traybake
For this traybake dinner, we’re cooking curried chicken thighs on top of coconut curried baked rice then serving it with mango chutney, yogurt & herbs.
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If you’re looking for an easy one pan dinner, this curried chicken & coconut rice traybake is a fantastic option! Well, technically it uses one baking tin & a saucepan but that doesn’t quite have the same ring to it…
Anyway, let’s talk about the chicken first. As we’re cooking the chicken & rice together, we’re using thighs because they’ll be fully cooked at the same time as the baked rice. Plus chicken thighs are more flavourful & are less likely to dry out compared to breasts (they also tend to be cheaper!). We’re also going to be marinating the chicken in curry paste, for even more flavour. I went with a homemade tikka style marinade but you could use pretty much whatever type of curry you like. You could even use a shop bought one!
Now onto the rice. We’re making a twist on my fluffy coconut baked rice, which we’re using as the base of our traybake. There’s chicken stock in there as well, along with some curry powder, smoked paprika & turmeric, for that bright yellow colour. Then to top it all off, we’re drizzling over a quick mango chutney yogurt, extra mango chutney & some chopped herbs.
This one’s an easy homemade baked chicken & rice, that’s pretty hands off but still packed full of flavour. You save a whole lot of time by baking the raw chicken & rice together but we’re not skimping on the flavour or quality of the finished dish. It’s absolutely delicious & goes great with poppadoms or some homemade naan.
What You’ll Need
- Chicken Thighs – You’ll need skinless chicken thighs for this traybake. I like to use bone in chicken thighs but feel free to use boneless if you’d prefer.
- Curry Marinade – I marinated my chicken with a homemade chicken tikka style marinade but feel free to use a a different style if you’d prefer or use a shop bought one.
- Rice – You’ll need basmati rice for the coconut baked rice. Make sure to give it a good wash & soak in cold water before cooking.
- Coconut Milk – Used to cook the rice, you’ll need 1 tin. We’re adding in a chicken stock pot as well, for extra flavour!
- Curry Powder & Spices – You’ll need curry powder & a few other dried spices for the curried rice & for the curry marinade if you’re making your own.
- Mango Chutney – We’re using mango chutney for a mango yogurt & to serve with the traybake. I used a good quality, shop bought chutney.
- Yogurt – We’re using Greek yogurt to make a mango yogurt sauce to drizzle over the chicken.
- Fresh Herbs – I finished my traybake with a sprinkle of chopped coriander. If you’re not a coriander fan, parsley will work as well.
Chicken Tikka Chicken Thighs
We’re using skinless chicken thighs; either bone in or boneless, it’s up to you! However I prefer to leave the bone in, for extra flavour!
So, because these are curried chicken thighs, we need to marinade them before cooking. I’ve gone with a homemade tikka masala style marinade (which I’ve included in the recipe card) but feel free to use a different style if you’d prefer. It can be homemade or shop bought. Just make sure let the chicken marinade for at least a couple of hours.
To cook the chicken, we sear it in a hot oven first then add it into a baking tin with the rice then cover with foil & bake until everything is perfectly cooked. A quick rest once baked & it’s ready to serve!
Curried Baked Coconut Rice
This curried baked rice is based on my coconut & lime baked rice recipe but with the addition of curry powder, smoked paprika & turmeric. This acts as the base of our traybake & the chicken sits on top as it cooks. Then once baked, we set the chicken to one side, squeeze over some fresh lime juice over the rice then use a fork to fluff it up.
Mango Yogurt
We’re topping our chicken & rice with a drizzle of mango chutney yogurt. As the name suggests, this is mango chutney mixed with Greek yogurt! There’s a squeeze of lime juice in there as well, to cut through the sweetness of the chutney. This stuff goes great with this dish but would also work with a regular curry as well.
Recipe Breakdown
This dish is super easy to make! Once the chicken’s been marinated & the rice has been washed & soaked, it just as case of searing the meat, adding in the rice & milk then baking to cook. All in, the prep takes about 20 minutes & the cooking takes about an hour but is mostly hands off.
- Prep – Marinate the chicken thighs with a curry marinade (homemade or shop bought!). Also wash the rice well under cold water then leave to soak. Drain well before using!
- Sear Chicken – To cook, we add the chicken into a baking tin then roast in a super hot oven for around 10 minutes, to sear & colour the meat. In the meantime, warm coconut milk up on the stove, with spices & curry powder.
- Add In Rice – Next, we take the chicken out of the tin, add in the rice & coconut milk then stir to combine. Place the seared chicken on top of the rice.
- Bake – Cover the tin with foil then bake at 190°c/374°f for 30-35 minutes until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid & the chicken is cooked through.
- Rest & Fluff Up Rice – Once cooked, let the traybake rest for 5 minutes then carefully take the chicken out. Squeeze lime juice over the top, use a fork to fluff the rice up then place the chicken back on top.
- Serve – To finish, we top the traybake with a drizzle of mango yogurt, spoonfuls of mango chutney & a sprinkle of chopped coriander. Then you can spoon it into bowls & serve!
Serving Suggestions
This curried chicken baked rice doesn’t need much with it, as it’s pretty substantial as it is! However, it’s really good served with poppadoms & mango chutney or maybe some homemade naan or a simple salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
You’ll know when baked rice is cooked because all of the liquid will have been absorbed & the grains of rice will be tender. Baked rice is cooked under foil, so you’ll need to take a peak underneath to check it.
Sear the chicken in the roasting oven, on the second from top set of runners. Heat up the coconut milk on the simmering plate then bake the rice in the roasting oven, on a grid shelf placed on the floor.
To give the chicken the best flavour & texture, it should be marinated in the fridge for at least a couple of hours or for up to a day.
There’s a couple of reasons why we use skinless chicken thighs when making a baked rice traybake. Firstly, we remove the skin because it won’t crisp up properly because of how we bake the traybake (under foil) and secondly, chicken skin contains a lot of fat & this can make the baked rice greasy.
Equipment Used
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More Dinner Recipes To Try!
- Beef Burritos
- Tikka Masala Roast Chicken
- Roasted Garlic Lasagne (Deep Dish)
- Hot Maple Fried Chicken
- Teriyaki Roast Pork Noodles With Crispy Fried Eggs
- Goose Fat Jacket Potatoes
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Curried Chicken & Coconut Rice Traybake
Equipment
- 9" x 13" Baking Tin
- Pestle & Mortar
- Microplane/Grater
- Digital Food Probe
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Thighs (Skinless – See Notes)
Curry Marinade
- 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 2 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 3 Garlic Cloves (Grated)
- A 1" Piece Of Fresh Ginger (Peeled & Grated)
- 2 tsp Tomato Paste
- 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Mango Yogurt
- 150 g Greek Yogurt
- 100 g Mango Chutney
- 1 Lime (Juiced)
Baked Rice
- 400 g Basmati Rice
- 400 ml Coconut Milk (1 Tin)
- 300 ml Water
- 1 Chicken Stock Pot
- 2 tsp Mild Curry Powder
- ½ tsp Sea Salt
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- 1 Lime
To Serve
- Mango Chutney
- 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Coriander
- Poppadoms
Instructions
Chicken Curry Marinade
- Add the coriander & cumin seeds into a frying pan then set over a medium-low heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until toasted & fragrant then transfer to a bowl & leave to cool slightly.
- Add the toasted seeds to a pestle & mortar, grind into a coarse powder then stir in the rest of the marinade ingredients, plus a few cracks of freshly cracked black pepper.
- Next, place the chicken thighs into a container, pour over the marinade then massage it into the meat with your hands. Cover & leave to marinade in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Mango Yogurt
- Add the yogurt, mango chutney & lime juice into a small bowl, stir to combine then chill in the fridge until needed.
Baked Rice
- Before you cook your rice, add it into a mixing bowl then rinse under cold water, agitating it with your fingers. Once the water turns cloudy, drain off the water then rinse again. Keep repeating this process until the water is clear.You'll need to drain the water off at least 5 times!
- Cover the rice with cold water then leave to soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat an oven to 220°c/200°c fan (428°f/392°f).
- Add the marinated chicken into a baking tin (I used a 9" x 13" one), making sure they're spaced apart & aren't overlapping each other. Place into the preheated oven then cook for 10 minutes or so, until well seared. Turn the oven down to 190°c/374°f as soon as the chicken comes out.
- In the meantime, place the coconut milk for the rice into a large saucepan, along with the water, stock pot, curry powder, salt, paprika & turmeric. Set this over a medium-high heat. Warm the milk, stirring to dissolve the stock pot & spices then bring it up to the boil. Drain the soaked rice now as well, through a sieve.Time this step so the coconut milk is boiling once the chicken comes out of the oven.
- Once the chicken is golden brown, use a pair of tongs to transfer it to a plate.
- Next, add the rice into the baking tray, pour the hot coconut milk all over, stirring to distribute evenly then place the seared chicken on top. Cover the tin with foil then place into the oven & bake for 30-35 minutes, until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid & the chicken is cooked through.Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of at least 75°c/167°f to be fully cooked.
To Serve
- Let the chicken & rice rest for 5 minutes under the foil then transfer the chicken to a plate. Squeeze the juice of a lime over the rice then fluff up with a fork and place the chicken back on top.
- Drizzle the mango yogurt all over the chicken then top the rice with spoonfuls of mango chutney & the chopped coriander.
- Spoon chicken & rice into bowls & serve with poppadoms.
