Fragrant Coconut Chicken and Sweet Potato
Description: This deeply flavored saucy skillet meal comes together quickly thanks to rich coconut milk and fast-cooking ground chicken (though ground pork would also work well). Sweet potatoes get a head start in the skillet, where they’re speedily cooked until golden and tender; the simple act of covering the skillet with a lid expedites the process. The meat is browned with plenty of scallions, garlic and ginger, which impart lovely aromatic fragrance and depth to the dish. Coconut milk is added at the end to maintain its creamy texture and fresh flavor, while a finish of lime juice and chopped cilantro brightens and balances the sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or safflower
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 pound ground chicken (preferably dark meat)
- 1 cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk (see Tip)
- 4 cups/4 ounces baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
- Cooked rice (such as jasmine), for serving
- Hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
- In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium. Add the sweet potato, season with salt and pepper and stir to evenly coat in the oil. Cover and cook, stirring halfway through, until golden and tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil plus the scallions, garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking up the meat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add coconut milk and sweet potato and bring back to a simmer. Cook until liquid is slightly reduced and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in spinach just until wilted, then turn off the heat. Stir in lime juice and cilantro and season again with salt and pepper.
- Divide the coconut chicken mixture over rice in bowls and garnish with more scallions and cilantro. Serve warm, with hot sauce on the side.