Nigerian Chicken and Coconut Rice Casserole

About This Recipe

This casserole takes the flavors of Nigerian coconut rice -- pepper sauce, coconut milk, curry powder -- and bakes them together with chicken in one dish, which suits family dinners where a hands-off oven method is more practical than tending a stovetop pot. Chicken thighs are browned first for color and flavor, then nestled into the rice and coconut milk mixture before the whole dish goes into the oven to finish cooking together. Baking the rice and chicken together rather than cooking them separately means the rice absorbs rendered chicken fat and juices as it cooks, deepening the flavor beyond what stovetop coconut rice usually achieves. A final few minutes under the broiler crisps the chicken skin and lightly browns the top layer of rice, adding textural contrast to the otherwise soft, coconut-rich dish underneath. Served straight from the baking dish, this casserole is a practical, mostly hands-off way to get coconut rice's signature sweetness and mild heat onto the table with minimal stovetop attention.

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 8bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 cupslong-grain parboiled rice(rinsed)
• 1 can (400ml)coconut milk
• 1.5 cupschicken stock
• 1red bell pepper(blended)
• 0.5scotch bonnet chile(seeds removed)
• 1onion(sliced)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 1.5 tspcurry powder
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 2 tspfine sea salt(divided)
• 2 tbspcilantro or parsley(chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Season and brown the chicken

   Pat chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt, curry powder and thyme. Heat oil in a large oven-safe pot or skillet and brown the chicken skin-side down until golden, about 6 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

2. 2

   Cook the aromatics

   In the same pot, cook onion until soft, then stir in blended red bell pepper and scotch bonnet. Simmer 8 minutes until slightly thickened.

3. 3

   Add rice and liquid

   Stir in rice, coconut milk, stock and remaining salt, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

4. 4

   Assemble and bake

   Nestle the browned chicken thighs into the rice, skin-side up. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35 minutes.

   Nestling the chicken skin-side up rather than submerging it keeps the skin from turning soggy during baking.

5. 5

   Crisp the top

   Remove the foil and broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken skin crisps and the top layer of rice turns lightly golden.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Let the casserole rest 5 minutes, then fluff the rice around the chicken, garnish with cilantro, and serve directly from the dish.

Variations

• •

  Drumstick version: use bone-in drumsticks instead of thighs for a slightly leaner casserole.

• •

  Extra vegetables: stir in chopped carrots or green beans with the rice for added color and nutrition.

• •

  Spicier: leave scotch bonnet seeds in, or add a whole chile instead of half.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven until warmed through, adding a splash of stock if the rice has dried out.

Frequently Asked Questions