Name: Coconut Chicken with East African Flavors
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Tanzanian
Ingredients: ¼ cup oil (sunflower, olive or canola); 2 medium onions, thinly sliced; 4 large garlic cloves, pressed; 3 tablespoons very finely chopped or grated fresh ginger (2 inch piece); 1 tablespoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 cup crushed tomatoes (from a can); 4 pounds bone-in chicken thighs (about 12 thighs), skin removed & trimmed of fat; 2 jalapeno peppers (seeds and membranes discarded), finely chopped; 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (shake well before opening); Lemon wedges (to serve on the side); 1/2 cup chopped peanuts; 1/2 cup chopped cilantro; 1/2 cup raisins; Sliced bananas browned in a little butter

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This one pot coconut chicken recipe highlights the deliciousness of East African cuisine. Chicken thighs are simmered in coconut curry sauce with ginger, garlic, crushed tomatoes and fragrant spices, and topped with crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro for a tasty final layer of flavor.

Bowl of coconut curry chicken with two chicken thighs in lots of coconut curry sauce, a lemon wedge in the bowl and a sprig of cilantro in the center.

I am very excited to share this delicious coconut chicken recipe with you, and even more excited to share the heartwarming story behind it, which started with my friend and neighbor Laura, who loaned me her African cookbooks.

Laura lived in Tanzania for a year after grad school where, in addition to her great collection of cookbooks, she acquired an intense devotion and care for the local people and their plight.

Sixteen years ago, Laura joined a fledging organization called Nurturing Minds that raises funds and provides technical support for SEGA, a nonprofit organization based in Tanzania. SEGA's purpose is to improve the quality of life for vulnerable Tanzanian girls. It currently operates four programs, including the SEGA Girls’ School.

Red roofed one-story buildings in a beautiful landscape of fields and greenery and mountains in the distance.

Much of my neighborhood has learned about this wonderful organization, and we now have embraced their cause. Here's a peek at the beautiful SEGA Girls’ School and a little bit about why it's so special.

Currently (2024), at the SEGA Girls’ School in Morogoro, Tanzania, there are nearly 290 bright, highly motivated young girls who are on a path to success they could not have dreamed of a few years ago. They are admitted based on a series of tests and interviews confirming high intelligence, strong motivation to receive an education, and a high financial need.

Two girls smiling, wearing their school uniforms standing outside a building with lots of greenery.

The majority of students receive full scholarships. In addition to teaching the national curriculum, students are taught communication, leadership, and business planning skills. They receive individual counseling and career development, learn about human rights and sexual reproductive health, and participate in an Environmental Stewardship Program.

two female students at their desks at school, smiling.

The SEGA education goes beyond the classroom. They grow nearly half of all the produce they eat on campus, and their school chores include tending the organic vegetable gardens, caring for the chickens, and assisting the chef. By the way, the chicken farming is part of an initiative to run small businesses on the property that both support the school financially and also teach the girls business skills.

female students in their school uniforms gardening and cooking in outdoor classroom areas.

Now in its 16th year, SEGA has graduated 11 classes of students with 99% going on to higher levels of education. If you want to know more about the SEGA Girls’ School, visit the Nurturing Minds website.

Much of the population of Tanzania are subsistence farmers. They grow vegetables and many also raise chickens, mainly for the eggs. Poultry is considered by many a delicacy and is cooked only for special occasions. This Coconut Chicken is definitely worthy of a special occasion!

two pieces of coconut chicken on a plate with a fork stuck into a tender looking piece, plus rice and zucchini and a lemon wedge on the plate.

More about this Coconut Chicken

"Super easy to make, and packed with complex, layered flavor." This is an exact quote from one of our commenters who made this dish, and I couldn't have said it better! This coconut chicken has a short list of common easy-to-source ingredients. It uses bone-in chicken thighs with the skin removed, so there's no need to brown the chicken before simmering. You get the same delicious bone-in flavor and texture with no fuss. The result is flavorful, fork-tender chicken with lots of luscious coconut curry sauce.

The recipe

Here's what you'll need:

Aromatic vegetables: onions, garlic, ginger
Spices: coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, salt
Canned crushed tomatoes
Jalapeño peppers
Bone-in chicken thighs
Unsweetened coconut milk
Optional toppings: lemon wedges, chopped cilantro, raisins

See how to make this Coconut Chicken

Here's an overview of how to make this dish. Although I think you'll find this a very straightforward recipe, I've included some photos of the cooking process to familiarize you with the steps and make it even easier.

First: Sauté the onions to soften (not brown) them. Then add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 20 seconds or so, until fragrant.

Wooden spoon stirring chopped garlic and ginger into sauteed onions in the bottom of a dutch oven.

Add the spices and cook for an additional 20 seconds or so, stirring, to toast them.

Spices added to a Dutch oven full of sauteed onions, a wooden spoon stirring.

Add the chicken thighs and the tomatoes to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

bone-in chicken thighs in a dutch oven on a bed of sauteed onions with canned chopped tomatoes on top.

Add the canned coconut milk and chopped jalapeños and bring the mixture to a boil. Then then the lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook at a gentle simmer for 35 minutes.

Coconut milk and chopped jalapenos added to a pot with chicken, onions, tomatoes and spices.

Now it's ready to serve.

Two piece of coconut chicken on a plate with a pile of white rice and a pile of sliced sautéed zucchini and a liemon wedge

How to serve coconut chicken and what to serve with it.

Serve the coconut chicken in bowls because there's plenty of delicious coconut curry sauce and you'll want room for rice in there too, to help soak it all up.
Add some, or all, of the suggested toppings: chopped peanuts, cilantro, sliced of banana sautéed in butter and/or raisins.
For something green, a simple salad will round out the meal really well. I recommend either this delicate butter lettuce salad with citrus honey dressing or this green salad, which combines kale, arugula and endive and has a lemon-dijon vinaigrette.
Steamed or sautéed green beans or zucchini also go really well with this dish.
If you're looking for the absolute perfect vegetable side dish for coconut chicken, serve it with these Roasted Vegetables from the Spice Islands.

close up of coconut chicken thighs in a bowl with rice and sautéed zucchini, a fork pull at the tender chicken meat.

Here's the Coconut Chicken Recipe. I hope you try this delicious easy chicken dish. And if you do, please come back to leave a review and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Recipe

Coconut Chicken with East African Flavors

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 7 reviews

Author: Lisa Goldfinger
Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
Yield: 5-6 1x

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Description

Tender chicken thighs in a spicy coconut curry sauce.

Ingredients

Units Scale

¼ cup oil (sunflower, olive or canola)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
3 tablespoons very finely chopped or grated fresh ginger (2 inch piece)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup crushed tomatoes (from a can)
4 pounds bone-in chicken thighs (about 12 thighs), skin removed & trimmed of fat
2 jalapeno peppers (seeds and membranes discarded), finely chopped
1 can unsweetened coconut milk (shake well before opening)
Lemon wedges (to serve on the side)

Toppings (choose your favorites)

½ cup chopped peanuts
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup raisins
Sliced bananas browned in a little butter

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Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onions and cook 5-7 minutes until softened and starting to brown.
Add garlic and ginger and stir for 20 seconds. Add dry spices and stir for 20 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes and chicken thighs. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes to cook spices and flavor the chicken.
Add coconut milk and chopped jalapeños. Stir to mix. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer 30-35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Let chicken sit for a few minutes. Excess fat will rise to the surface and you can skim some of it off with a spoon, if you like.
Serve in deep bowls with basmati rice, lemon wedges and an assortment of toppings. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Category: Main Dish, Curry
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Tanzanian

This recipe post was first published on December 10, 2012. It has been updated with new, up-to-date information about SEGA girl's school, new photos of the coconut chicken dish, added photos of the cooking process, and more helpful information added to the written post, to aid you in making this delicious dish!

Coconut Chicken with East African Flavors

More about this Coconut Chicken