Chinese Coconut Chicken Recipe: Tropical Flavors with Chinese Aroma!
Coconut is a popular tropical fruit that is also used in cooking a variety of dishes, including fish, seafood, and poultry. Coconut chicken is a mild dish to give you relief in the summer. If you are bored with spicy food, try this Chinese coconut chicken recipe.
In this recipe, I will use both the coconut water and meat. The recipe doesn’t require a lot of spices. Still, the coconut chicken is so fragrant and tender that you will want to make it over and over again. Let’s cook Chinese coconut chicken.
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview
From start to finish, the coconut chicken recipe will take about 40 minutes. Here are some more information about the recipe.
| Course: Main | Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Hard | ||
| Total Time: 40 minutes | ||||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories | |
| 2 persons | 10 minutes | 30 minutes | 373 kcal | |
Ingredients Needed for the Recipe
You should arrange the following ingredients to make the coconut chicken. I made a list with the quantity of the items for your convenience.
- Chicken: Half of a chicken.
- Coconut: One large coconut
- Ginger: 50g
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Green Onion: 1 stalk
- Red Date: 5-6 pcs
- Chili: 2-3 pcs
- Wolfberry: 3-4 pcs
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Light Soy Sauce: 1 tbsp
- Sesame Oil: 2-3 tbsp
See how small the ingredient list is? The cooking process is also easy. Let’s move on.
Chinese Coconut Chicken Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
The preparation should start with cutting the coconut. Here are the steps for making the recipe.
Step 1: Crack the Coconut
Remove the wrapping from the coconut. Cut the soft shell of the coconut until the hard shell is exposed. Then, hit the hard shell with the back of the knife. Do it on all sides so that the shell cracks evenly. Pry open the hard shell.
Step 2: Collect the Coconut Water and Meat
Pour the coconut water into a casserole. Take a spoon and scoop out the tender coconut meat. Make sure no meat is left inside the shell. Chop the coconut meat with a knife and add to the casserole.
Step 3: Simmer the Coconut
Place the casserole over medium heat and add a large bowl of water to it. Put 2-3 ginger slices and 5-6 red dates into the pot. Then, cover it with the lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Prepare the Chicken
While the coconut is cooking, cut the chicken into pieces. Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and remove any impurities.
Step 5: Cook the Chicken
Add the washed chicken pieces to the casserole. Stir the chicken a few times and then cover the pot again. Simmer the chicken for about 20 minutes.
Step 6: Make the Sauce
You need to mince two garlic cloves and one inch of ginger first. Smash the garlic and ginger with the side of the knife. Then, chop them up finely. Chop the green onion as well.
You Can Also Try Black Chicken Chinese Recipe
If you want the chicken to be spicy, chop some chilies. Take all the spices in a bowl and sprinkle some salt. Pour light soy sauce and sesame oil into the bowl. Then, heat some sesame oil and drizzle it over the spices. Mix it well.
Step 7: Season the Chicken
After 20 minutes of simmering, put some wolfberries into the pot for fragrance. Add salt after tasting the soup. Now, serve the coconut chicken with the dipping sauce.
Nutrition Facts of the Recipe
Each serving of coconut chicken contains about 373 calories. Below are the nutritional values of the recipe.
- Total Carbohydrates: 21g
- Protein: 31g
- Total Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.9g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 3g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugar: 2.1g
- Cholesterol: 109mg
- Sodium: 617mg
- Potassium: 370.6mg
- Calcium: 165mg
- Iron: 0.9mg
- Vitamin A: 32IU
- Vitamin C: 12mg
Do’s and Don’ts of the Recipe
You can make this dish better by following the tips below.
Do’s
- Use free-range country chicken. It gives a better taste.
- Simmer the chicken in coconut water over low heat. Otherwise, the water will evaporate faster and the chicken won’t be tender.
Don’ts
- Don’t use the spicy chili if you don’t like the heat. You can use black peppers instead.
- Don’t throw the white part of the green onion away. It has a lot of flavor.
Chinese Coconut Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Remove the wrapping from the coconut. Cut the soft shell of the coconut until the hard shell is exposed. Then, hit the hard shell with the back of the knife. Do it on all sides so that the shell cracks evenly. Pry open the hard shell.
- Pour the coconut water into a casserole. Take a spoon and scoop out the tender coconut meat. Make sure no meat is left inside the shell. Chop the coconut meat with a knife and add to the casserole.
- Place the casserole over medium heat and add a large bowl of water to it. Put 2-3 ginger slices and 5-6 red dates into the pot. Then, cover it with the lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the coconut is cooking, cut the chicken into pieces. Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly and remove any impurities.
- Add the washed chicken pieces to the casserole. Stir the chicken a few times and then cover the pot again. Simmer the chicken for about 20 minutes.
- You need to mince two garlic cloves and one inch of ginger first. Smash the garlic and ginger with the side of the knife. Then, chop them up finely. Chop the green onion as well.
- If you want the chicken to be spicy, chop some chilies. Take all the spices in a bowl and sprinkle some salt. Pour light soy sauce and sesame oil into the bowl. Then, heat some sesame oil and drizzle it over the spices. Mix it well.
- After 20 minutes of simmering, put some wolfberries into the pot for fragrance. Add salt after tasting the soup. Now, serve the coconut chicken with the dipping sauce.
FAQs
People also ask the following questions regarding this recipe. Find my answers below.
Is there any specific type of coconut milk or coconut cream for this recipe?
No. You don’t need to use any specific type of coconut milk or coconut cream for this recipe. Regular coconuts will be good enough. You can drizzle some coconut cream over the chicken while serving it.
Can I use shredded coconut as a topping or garnish for added texture and flavor?
Of course. Shredded coconut looks great on the chicken. It also adds some crunchiness and refreshing flavor to the chicken.
Is there a preferred cooking oil for frying the chicken in this recipe?
I recommend using sesame oil for the coconut chicken recipe. You can also use olive oil or any other vegetable oil that is easily available.
What should I serve with the Chinese coconut chicken?
You can serve white rice with Chinese coconut chicken. It also combines well with fried rice, noodles, etc. Stir-fried vegetables are a great side dish to go with this coconut chicken recipe.
Conclusion
Among many variations of chicken, Chinese coconut chicken is one of my top favorites. It has a soothing taste and lovely aroma that will invite you to indulge in the tropical flavor. The coconut water gives the soup a rich taste and the coconut meat adds a nice texture to the dish.
Surprise your guests with this delicious Chinese coconut chicken recipe, especially in the hot summer days. You will instantly feel the comfort as this dish is very light on your stomach. Try it and comment on your experience.
