I grew up going coming home from school to the wonderful aroma of chicken simmering in coconut milk. As soon as I opened the door, the smell would hit my nostrils, and immediately a feeling of comfort and excitement with come over me. In the recipe below, we make a super-delicious coconut chicken recipe that can easily be prepped, frozen for later and then cooked in the slow cooker.
First, we cut the chicken into large chunks, then generously season it with salt and pepper. We then put the chicken into a gallon zip-lock bag along with curry powder, sugar, chili flakes, garlic and ginger. The rest of the veggies go in, we seal the bag and into the freezer it goes, where it can stay for two to three weeks. When you’re ready to cook, simply remove from the freezer to thaw the night before. The next day, dump everything into a 6-quart slow cooker and add the coconut milk.
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 onion, small diced
2 bell peppers, small diced
1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 lemon, juiced
14-ounce can coconut milk
Place chicken pieces in a gallon zip-lock bag.
Sprinkle in salt, pepper, curry powder, sugar, chili flakes, garlic and ginger. Mix everything together so the chicken is nicely coated.
Add onion, bell peppers, cilantro, tomatoes and lemon juice.
Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible.
Gently shake to mix everything together.
Store in the freezer for up to two to three weeks.
To cook:
Remove from freezer the night before cooking. Place the bag in a large bowl or plate, and set in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
When all the ingredients have completely thawed, empty the bag into a 6-quart slow cooker. Make sure to get everything out, using a spoon or spatula if needed to scrape the bag.
Add the coconut milk and gently mix.
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 6 hours.
Serve with steamed white rice.
