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Home » Recipes » Chicken

Coconut Chicken with East African Flavors

Published: Aug 26, 2024 · By Lisa Goldfinger · 18 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links

Jump to Recipe
A bowl with two chicken thighs in coconut curry sauce.

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.

Sega girls dance

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!

Print

Recipe

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Two coconut chicken thighs in a bowl bathed in lots of coconut curry sauce with a lemon wedge on the side and a cilantro sprig on top.

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
Print Recipe

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

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #panningtheglobe

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!

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Filed Under: Africa, All Recipes, Chicken, Dinner, Special Features, Stew Tagged With: gluten-free

Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. Lisa

    February 18, 2024 at 1:56 pm

    Super easy to make, and packed with complex, layered flavor. Toppings fun, too. Served to friends last night and got a “may I please have that recipe” text this morning.
    I will make this again …. soon!
    PS. Was caught without coriander on hand but fortunately had the presence of mind to grind coriander seeds. The smell of the powder was incredible and I think probably upped the flavor of the dish..

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      February 18, 2024 at 5:36 pm

      Hi Lisa - I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed this dish! Thanks for reporting back 🙂 I might have to try grinding some fresh spices next time I make this - it takes extra effort but it always gives the dish a big flavor boost.

      Reply
  2. Jeff

    August 13, 2021 at 6:58 pm

    Everyone loved it. Very surprised it was not spicy considering the jalapeños. I will make again soon. I am very interested in more recipes from this culture! Thank you so much

    Reply
  3. Andrea Newman

    March 17, 2020 at 9:50 am

    I love this dish, and so does my family! I only use half the coconut, and add in eggplant and zucchini. So satisfyingly flavorful and delicious .

    Reply
    • Lisa

      March 17, 2020 at 10:01 am

      Hi Andrea, I'm so happy to hear you and your family are enjoying! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and for sharing your yummy sounding adaptations.

      Reply
  4. Otapp

    February 12, 2020 at 3:58 am

    I had just visited Zanzibar most of the time I tried the local cuisine which is awesome full of flavours.. as in Zanzibar I had a coconut soup with beans which was best, I even got the recipe from one local lady.. I think in Tanzania cuisine more coconut is used in curry.. which gives more authentic and creamy flavours..

    Reply
  5. Mercedes V Cutler

    August 17, 2019 at 4:47 pm

    I just made this for a giving circle, Dining For Women, as tomorrow we have our monthly meeting and dinner. It is delicious and I'm so happy to be brining a dish that echos the mission of DFW: educating and empowering young women internationally. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  6. Dave K

    July 31, 2016 at 7:50 pm

    Another amazing recipe... whole family loved it. We garnished with crushed peanuts, cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon. Served it over some nice at the bottom of the bowl and it was a big hit. Really wonderful flavors and the chicken thighs were very tender and delicious!

    Reply
    • Dave K

      July 31, 2016 at 7:50 pm

      "rice" not "nice"... lol

      Reply
    • Lisa

      August 01, 2016 at 5:36 pm

      I'm so glad you and the family enjoyed the coconut chicken, Dave. Thank you for letting me know 🙂

      Reply
  7. Nancy

    March 10, 2016 at 4:21 pm

    What a nice flavorful dish and it's easy to make. Loved all of the ingredients and will definitely make this dish again soon. Hade problems with the stars for the rating as it would only go to 4.

    Reply
  8. Lori Yarvis

    February 23, 2016 at 6:56 pm

    This recipe is delicious and really quick and easy. This is going to become a regular recipe in our house! We are also supporters of Nurturing Minds-a wonderful organization. Many thanks, Lisa, for sharing information about the organization and for a great addition to our dinner repertoire.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      February 24, 2016 at 1:56 pm

      Thanks for the review Lori. I'm so glad you enjoyed the coconut chicken!

      Reply
  9. Stephanie

    June 10, 2015 at 8:29 am

    Thanks so much for this incredibly easy recipe. Of course, as with all recipes, I had to mess with it a bit and added carrots and chickpeas, but the flavor was amazing. And the back story about the Sega Girls School makes it just that much more special.

    Also, I've added a backlink to this article on my own blog in a post about Tanzania - https://30somethingtravel.blogspot.com.au/2009/11/hatari-lodge-tanzania.html.

    Thanks again and I look forward to following Panning the Globe for more great posts,
    Stephanie

    Reply
  10. Wendy Yellen

    September 10, 2013 at 11:34 am

    Lisa, I LOVE your recipes and site - thank you so much for your site. Many of your recipes are now my go-to favorites!

    Question on this recipe. By mistake I made it with a whole can of tomatoes. It made it pretty soupy, and it was delicious, but... I am thinking that without the whole can, there wouldn't have been enough liquid to simmer for that long.

    Any thoughts on this? Your photo looks fairly liquid-y, which is similar to mine. I used less chicken, too.

    Thanks!
    Wendy

    Reply
    • Lisa Goldfinger

      September 10, 2013 at 6:20 pm

      Hi Wendy - Thanks so much for your kind words about Panning The Globe. As for the Coconut Chicken recipe, I know what you're saying about wanting enough liquid - I love to serve it with rice let the sauce flavor the rice. I think maybe it was a happy accident that you used extra tomatoes. I don't think you can go wrong adding a little more broth or tomatoes if you like it soupier - maybe up the spices by a pinch too. Or you could even double everything in the recipe except the chicken. Then you'd have a very saucy dish!

      Reply
  11. Rick

    March 13, 2013 at 1:05 am

    Great recipe! Made a wonderful dinner for us tonight. I look forward to trying others on this site.
    Inspirational story about your school to. This is how we improve.

    Reply
  12. Jean

    December 10, 2012 at 5:21 pm

    Thanks for the amazing recipe, and for sharing this wonderful and inspiring information about Sega Schools.

    Reply

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