You guessed it…another gluten-free dinner recipe that will have you so satisfied, that you’ll forget all about your fave gluten-filled foods! Well, not really, gluten can never be forgotten, but you know what I mean. What I mean to say is that these basil coconut curry braised chicken thighs are out of this world. They’re also Whole30 approved, gluten-free and keto for my alternative eaters out there. I am excited to make all of these gluten-free recipes because I want you to know how delicious wholesome, GF or Whole30 recipes can be!
Not a fan of chicken thighs…can I use another kind of chicken meat?
You absolutely can! You can use chicken breasts, drumsticks, or the whole chicken leg quarter. You can also use skinless chicken thighs (however, I would buy them with the skin on because it’s cheaper. You can remove it and render the fat, then discard.) If you’re absolutely averse to chicken fat, use coconut oil as the cooking fat for your skinless chicken and it will compliment the coconut milk mixture.
I don’t have an oven, can I still make this?
No oven, no problem. You can also make these chicken thighs solely on the stove top, in a dutch oven. Just let it simmer for 30-40 minutes on the stove instaed of in the oven, and it will yield similar results. I prefer the oven because the dry heat helps maintain that crispy skin on top of the chicken thighs, but I did make these in a dutch oven on the stove top before. I used the lid to cover the meat for half of the cooking process, but I found that too much steam built up, which left the chicken skin feeling soggy. Of course, if you’re making skinless meat, cook them with the lid on because it will hydrate the meat!
To brine or not to brine?
To brine!!!! I brined my chicken thighs for 2 hours in a basic solution. I eyeballed everything, but it was similar to this one on All Recipes, sans oil. I just used sugar, salt and soy sauce. Of course, if you’re on Whole30, find a different brine that doesn’t include soy sauce or sugar. find that brining chicken too long can leave it to feel kind of rubbery, so I would stick to 1-2 hours of brining. If you choose not to brine the chicken because it seems like a hassle, I understand that. BUT, you won’t get the same layers of flavor throughout the entire piece of meat. The outside of your chicken will have that delicious, aromatic coconut basil flavor, and the inside meat will seem bland in comparison. The brine makes all the difference.
What should I serve as a side?
This chicken has so much flavor that you really don’t need to go crazy on the side. I served it with sugar snap peas and a brown rice. The coconut milk mixture is perfect for rice, quinoa, or any grain of your choice. You can even just serve this with toast, then dip the toast into the coconut milk. *swoon*
For my visual learners out there, watch the recipe video on my YouTube and throw me a like/subscribe!
Not a fan of chicken thighs…can I use another kind of chicken meat?
You absolutely can! You can use chicken breasts, drumsticks, or the whole chicken leg quarter. You can also use skinless chicken thighs (however, I would buy them with the skin on because it’s cheaper. You can remove it and render the fat, then discard.) If you’re absolutely averse to chicken fat, use coconut oil as the cooking fat for your skinless chicken and it will compliment the coconut milk mixture.
I don’t have an oven, can I still make this?
No oven, no problem. You can also make these chicken thighs solely on the stove top, in a dutch oven. Just let it simmer for 30-40 minutes on the stove instaed of in the oven, and it will yield similar results. I prefer the oven because the dry heat helps maintain that crispy skin on top of the chicken thighs, but I did make these in a dutch oven on the stove top before. I used the lid to cover the meat for half of the cooking process, but I found that too much steam built up, which left the chicken skin feeling soggy. Of course, if you’re making skinless meat, cook them with the lid on because it will hydrate the meat!
To brine or not to brine?
To brine!!!! I brined my chicken thighs for 2 hours in a basic solution. I eyeballed everything, but it was similar to this one on All Recipes, sans oil. I just used sugar, salt and soy sauce. Of course, if you’re on Whole30, find a different brine that doesn’t include soy sauce or sugar. find that brining chicken too long can leave it to feel kind of rubbery, so I would stick to 1-2 hours of brining. If you choose not to brine the chicken because it seems like a hassle, I understand that. BUT, you won’t get the same layers of flavor throughout the entire piece of meat. The outside of your chicken will have that delicious, aromatic coconut basil flavor, and the inside meat will seem bland in comparison. The brine makes all the difference.
What should I serve as a side?
This chicken has so much flavor that you really don’t need to go crazy on the side. I served it with sugar snap peas and a brown rice. The coconut milk mixture is perfect for rice, quinoa, or any grain of your choice. You can even just serve this with toast, then dip the toast into the coconut milk. *swoon*
For my visual learners out there, watch the recipe video on my YouTube and throw me a like/subscribe!
Rate & Review
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS RECIPE?
This is the second of your recipes that I have tried, and it did not disappoint! Made this for a dinner party, it was so yummy!!!! Even my picky 16 year old gave it a huge thumbs up! Served with black rice and snap peas. Thank you Skyler!
Yay!! I am so happy to hear that – thank you for the review. 🙂 and thanks for making my recipes!!!