Is lemongrass and coconut not the most incredible flavour combination? Answering my own question here, spoiler - it is. This recipe is along the lines of a Thai inspired coconut chicken curry. It has the vibe, the flavours, but isn’t as soupy. It’s light and fresh, not spicy, just fragrant and morish, and totally versatile to lean into a full lemongrass coconut curry situation if you like by adding more coconut milk and veggies.

Give me a tasty chicken dish that I can throw together on a weeknight with minimal effort, and I'm a happy gal. This one ticks all the boxes, but so does my Marry me pesto chicken, Weeknight chicken bao, and BBQ hot honey chicken wings, Oven baked tandoori chicken, and Chicken Katsu. Try them, love them, make them again.

Why this recipe works

It’s a simple, yummy weeknight dinner. I’m always looking for ways to make easy weeknight meals that are delicious and fuss free. I like the challenge of coming up with new recipes specifically for those nights when there’s no juice in the tank, but you still wanna eat good food. I get it - This recipe is your friend, you'll love it.

Other variations to try

There’s a lot you can do with a recipe base like this. In the warmer months, serve it as is with a cucumber on the side for added freshness. In winter, sub for some charred broccoli and zucchini on the side, or add extra coconut milk and some veggies to make a beautiful mild curry. You can also add some stock to the sauce, and sub the rice for noodles and make a soup!

Now, let's nerd out on the ingredients for a bit.

Chicken breast vs thigh

Not that I want to pick sides, but I developed this recipe with breast in mind because it’s a light flavoured meat that compliments the creamy coconut lemongrass flavours. However, many people I know use exclusively chicken thigh, so I have cooking instructions for both. It totally comes down to preference here. Thigh is much more forgiving, it’s hard to overcook, but it does take a while to properly render down the fat to get the right texture, and will give a richer, ‘meatier’ flavour to the dish.

Coconut milk vs coconut cream

Again, not playing favourites (kind of), but milk is my preference, it helps keep the sauce light. We’re cooking the coconut milk down, almost caramelizing it, so milk works well here, but you can use cream if that’s what you prefer or have on hand.

How to prepare and cook with lemongrass

To prepare, trim off the very bottom stumpy part before the white part. Then peel off the outer dried layer/s. In general, lemongrass can be used whole, sliced, diced/minced at this point. If using whole, bash it a little to bruise the outer layers and release the fragrance, and make sure to remove before serving. In this recipe we’re separating the green top part and bruising it, from the white bottom part, that goes in a food processor. Use this method for any kind of chicken lemongrass combo, it cooks nicely this way. Other ways to typically prep lemongrass is gut into chunks for soups, or sliced wafer thin for stir frys.

Kaffir lime leaf and how to use it

Kaffir lime leaf is a cook’s secret weapon. The fruit is different to ordinary lime, bumpy in texture, and typically only the zest is used in cooking. We use the leaf, which is a uniquely shaped ‘double leaf’. You usually only need one or two for a recipe, and you buy the leaves usually in a bunch or pack from well stocked supermarkets or Asian grocers. Or dried if you live in a region that doesn’t grow or import them.

They’re great for adding to curries and soups, or raw, finely sliced in salads etc. To add them to a sauce, simply make 3-4 tears in the leaf to get fragrance going. To finely slice (as in this recipe), cut out the stem giving two sides. Lay on top of each other then roll in a tight cigar shape. Then with a sharp knife, slice finely into strips.

Cooking tips and tools:

• Equipment: You’ll need a Nutribullet / food processor (to save on prep time) and a meat thermometer is helpful (once you have one, it’s hard to go back) but not necessary for making this dish.
• Cut even sized pieces: This will make sure that the cooking time is the same for all the pieces, meaning smaller pieces won't be overcooked. The reason why it's better to cut the chicken breast into three big peices, not diced into bite sized, this you get better caramelisation on the chicken, it won't steam in the juices. It also gives the sauce a longer cook time to get nice and caramelised by the time the chicken is cooked through.
• Searing the chicken: You want to get the skillet hot enough to caramelise the chicken, but not so hot that it burns the marinade stuck to the pan. I find a skillet over medium heat is good for my gas cooktop, but I suggest you eyeball it and gauge what temp works for you. Adjust as you go if needed.
• Watch your chicken: turn every few minutes as it simmers in the sauce. If you're not sure if the chicken is done, stick a thermometer in the thickest part of the thickest piece. If you don't have one, cut the piece in half to check doneness.

Other simple weeknight recipes:

Looking for more weeknight wonders to add to your menu? My Easy Beef Stir Fry recipe ticks all the weeknight boxes, as does my Tomato Chilli Pasta, and my crispy salmon bowl are high on rotation at my house, they’re real crowd pleasers too.