One-Pan Kuku Paka (Chicken in Coconut Curry)
Updated June 15, 2026
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
- Ready In
- 40 min
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 ½ pounds), patted dry
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
Vegetable oil or ghee, if needed
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon red chile powder, such as Kashmiri (or ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne)
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Roughly torn mint or cilantro, lemon wedges, and flaky sea salt, for serving
Crusty bread or basmati rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
9 grams carbs; 167 milligrams cholesterol; 630 calories; 16 grams monosaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams saturated fat; 53 grams fat; 696 milligrams sodium; 31 grams protein; 1 gram sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Season chicken thighs all over generously with 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside at room temperature for 5 minutes or, if time allows, cover and refrigerate overnight. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
- Step 2
Heat a large, high-sided skillet (ideally stainless steel) over medium-low. Meanwhile, check to see if your can of coconut milk has settled and separated, leaving the thicker coconut cream at the top. If so, scoop about 1 tablespoon of the coconut cream and add to the warmed skillet. If not, use 1 tablespoon of cooking oil or ghee in its place. Once melted, swirl or spread with a spatula to coat the bottom of the skillet.
- Step 3
Place chicken thighs skin-side down in the skillet in an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, until the skin easily releases from the pan and has crisped and browned evenly, and the chicken appears to be cooked most of the way through, 15 to 25 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through and an instant-read thermometer registers between 185 and 200 degrees, about 5 minutes more. (Cooking the chicken until well done will make it especially flavorful and tender.) Transfer the chicken to a platter to rest while you prepare the coconut curry.
- Step 4
Tilt the skillet to pool the rendered chicken fat, then add the garlic, cumin, coriander, red chile powder and turmeric to the oil and stir to toast the aromatics and spices until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the skillet to lie flat and add the remaining coconut milk, stirring well to combine and scraping as needed to help lift off any browned bits. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and the sugar and stir to combine. Taste and add more sugar and salt to your preference (some brands of coconut milk are sweeter than others). Let simmer until slightly thickened and warmed through, about 3 minutes.
- Step 5
To serve, either transfer the chicken back into the skillet, skin-side up or pour the coconut curry around the chicken on the platter. Scatter herbs over top and finish with flaky sea salt. Serve with lemon wedges and basmati rice to soak up the sauce or crusty bread for dipping.
Private Notes
Comments
Outstanding. Recommend keeping the curry sauce separate and pouring a bit on the plate with rice, broccoli, and the chicken - this keeps that delicious cripsy skin you worked so hard to create. Will be making this again!
Excellent! I added spinach into the sauce for a truly one pot meal. Splashed lemon over everything as per. I like how the coconut taste really came through in the sauce. The spices didn't overpower it. There is a subtlety here that is really welcomed and makes the dish feel sophisticated. And the colors were really beautiful. I will definitely be making this again!
This was delicious, although there was too much salt (I added another can of coconut milk to compensate.) Added a squeeze of lemon at the end of cooking, as well. I threw bok choy leaves in the curry towards the end of cooking, and also added the chicken back in. Served it over coconut rice. It got rave reviews from the family!
Meh. Maybe it’s because we’re in the SW and like our food on the spicy side but it really was bland. We even 4X the garlic and spices. The sauce was pleasant enough but would have been enhanced with fresh ginger and finished with chopped peanuts, chutney and chopped blond raisins. Very rich! All that being said it’s summer in NM and too hot to cook!
Crispy skin was delicious. The curry sauce was bland. The chicken took a lot longer to cook then the recipe indicated...probably 40 minutes...gave up and finally, finished it in oven at 400 for 10 minutes...super unhappy with results.
I’m not sure if people don’t have tastebuds? But this is a hugely flavorful dish and was a hit in our house. Followed the recipe but I will say that the bone in thighs take longer to reach that minimum temp when flipped, maybe an extra 5 minutes.