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Cast Iron Curried Chicken and Rice

By Sara Mayer

Published on July 7, 2017

Time

1½ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Cast Iron Curried Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmedSalt and pepper 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces1 onion, chopped fine1 ½ cups long-grain white rice 2 garlic cloves, minced1 tablespoon curry powder 4 cups chicken broth ½ cup canned light coconut milk 1 cup frozen peas ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Before You Begin

The spice level of curry powder varies from brand to brand. If your curry powder is very spicy, you may need to reduce the amount listed.

Instructions

  1. Spread flour in shallow dish. Pound thicker ends of chicken breasts as needed to create even thickness. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour to coat, shaking off excess.
  2. Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons oil and heat until just smoking. Brown chicken, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate.
  3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onion, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, garlic, and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer.
  4. Nestle chicken into skillet along with any accumulated juices. Reduce heat to gentle simmer, cover, and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving platter, brushing any rice that sticks to chicken back into skillet, and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let chicken rest while finishing rice.
  5. Add coconut milk to skillet, cover, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Off heat, sprinkle peas over rice, cover, and let sit until heated through, about 2 minutes. Gently fold cilantro and almonds into rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chicken with rice.
Cast Iron Curried Chicken and Rice
Photography by Keller + Keller.

Cast Iron Curried Chicken and Rice

Headshot of Sara Mayer
By Sara Mayer
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Time

1½ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup canned light coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup canned light coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped fine
1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
4 cups chicken broth
½ cup canned light coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Why This Recipe Works

For a simple, flavorful weeknight take on chicken and rice, we started with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Dredging the chicken in flour before browning it helped develop a golden crust. We then came up with some creative ways to develop deep flavor without the need for a long simmering time. To start, after we browned the chicken we removed it from the skillet and sautéed the rice with onion, carrots, garlic, and curry powder before we added the cooking liquid. This step gave the rice more complex flavor and also kept the grains distinct and creamy without being mushy. We then added back the browned chicken breasts with the rice and the chicken broth, but to ensure that the chicken did not dry out we cooked it until just done, then set it aside while the rice finished. Once we removed the chicken, we added coconut milk to the rice to give it an additional flavor boost and complement the curry powder. Adding the coconut milk toward the end of cooking kept the flavor bright and distinct. Cilantro and almonds gave us the final freshness and crunch we wanted in this fast and flavorful dish.

Before You Begin

The spice level of curry powder varies from brand to brand. If your curry powder is very spicy, you may need to reduce the amount listed.

Instructions

  1. Spread flour in shallow dish. Pound thicker ends of chicken breasts as needed to create even thickness. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour to coat, shaking off excess.
  2. Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons oil and heat until just smoking. Brown chicken, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate.
  3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onion, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, garlic, and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer.
  4. Nestle chicken into skillet along with any accumulated juices. Reduce heat to gentle simmer, cover, and cook until chicken registers 160 degrees, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving platter, brushing any rice that sticks to chicken back into skillet, and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let chicken rest while finishing rice.
  5. Add coconut milk to skillet, cover, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Off heat, sprinkle peas over rice, cover, and let sit until heated through, about 2 minutes. Gently fold cilantro and almonds into rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chicken with rice.

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