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Honey Curry Chicken with Coconut Rice
This Honey Curry Chicken is a 5-ingredient slow cooker recipe that is rich and savory with the perfect hint of sweetness. Serve this golden goodness over a bed of coconut rice and your tastebuds will thank you!
Why This Recipe Works
- It is damn good. My family loves this recipe because it’s a little different and has the best combination of flavors. The chicken is buttery, rich, tangy, and sweet all at the same time. When served over coconut rice, it is nothing short of delicious magic.
- You only need a handful of ingredients. The Honey Curry Chicken recipe is 5 ingredients and the Coconut Rice is 3 ingredients (4 if you count salt).
- Slow cookers for the win! The Honey Curry Chicken is made in a slow cooker. All you have to do if put the slow cooker on low and it does the rest. Set it and forget it at its finest.
- Leftovers… need I say more?
What Goes Into This Recipe
Honey Curry Chicken Ingredients
Coconut Rice Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Yellow Mustard
- Please note, this recipe calls for yellow mustard, not Dijon mustard. Dijon has a slightly different flavor and is darker in color. Although I recommend sticking with classic yellow mustard, you can use Dijon if you’re in a pinch.
Curry Powder
- Curry powder is technically a spice blend you can find in the baking aisle with the other spices.
- Please note, that curry powder and yellow curry powder (aka Madras curry powder) are different. The main difference is heat. Yellow/Madras curry powder is spicier than standard curry powder.
- This recipe calls for standard curry powder, but can be substituted with Yellow/Madras curry powder as long as you’re ok will a little spice!
Canned Coconut Milk
- You can find canned coconut milk in the International/Asian aisle at the grocery store.
- I recommend getting full-fat coconut milk and skipping the low-fat version.
- Canned coconut milk may separate into two distinct layers. The top layer is a thick white cream and the bottom layer is a liquid. That is totally normal and it will smooth out once you stir it.
Step-by-Step Instructions
How to Make Honey Curry Chicken
Step 1 – Combine & Slow Cook: Combine all Honey Curry Chicken Ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Step 2 – Shred: Shred the chicken and cook on low for an additional 30-60 minutes.
How to Make Coconut Rice
Step 1 – Combine & Cook: In a pot, combine all the Coconut Rice Ingredients except the sugar. Cook rice normally per package instructions.
Step 2 – Fluff & Sweeten: Once the rice is done cooking, add the sugar and stir to combine.
To Serve
Serve: Serve the Honey Curry Chicken over the coconut rice. Garnish with fresh herbs for extra color and freshness (optional). I recommend cilantro!
Expert Tips
Curry Powder Tip (IMPORTANT) – Curry powder stains very easily! Clean up spills immediately. Use dark kitchen towels. Store leftovers in glass or ceramic containers (plastic will stain).
Chicken Shredding Tip – One of my favorite cooking hacks in shredding chicken with a hand mixer in seconds. However, DO NOT use this hack to shred the chicken in this recipe. It will create a mess and the yellow sauce stains very easily because of the curry powder!
Serving Tip – Serve this recipe with warm naan (Indian flatbread). Rip off a piece of naan. Fill it with the coconut rice and Honey Curry Chicken to make a little bite size taco situation. It is SO good. Naan is very common and can be found in the International aisle and/or the bakery section at the grocery store. I’ve also found frozen naan in the freezer section which is convenient and pretty good.
Storage Tip – Store the leftover rice and chicken in separate containers. If stored together, the rice will absorb the sauce from the chicken and become mushy.
Recipe FAQs
The coconut rice in this recipe has a mild coconut flavor that is slightly sweet and creamy. It is so simple yet so tasty.
The chicken is drenched in a golden sauce. It’s buttery, tangy, and slightly sweet with savory, earthy, warm spices. Every bite is an amazing array of flavors mixed together in perfect harmony.
This particular recipe is not spicy at all. However, other recipes can range in spiciness from mild to your mouth is on fire.
Curry powder is a blend of spices. There are many different variations/blends but some common spices include turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, pepper, cinnamon, garlic, cloves, and chilies.
The short answer is, yes. However, Dijon mustard is slightly different in flavor and much darker in color than yellow mustard. So, I recommend yellow mustard but if you’re in a pinch, Dijon will work!
There are a variety of ways. This recipe is a quick and easy version. It’s as simple as combining ingredients in a pot and cooking the rice like you normally wood (boil, cover, simmer). The more traditional way is a bit more time consuming and involves washing the rice, soaking the rice, etc.
Yes! This recipe can be made ahead of time and makes delicious leftovers. Make the recipe. Then let the chicken and rice cool completely. Store them in separate containers in the fridge until ready to use.
The chicken is pretty forgiving when it comes to reheating. If you are reheating for a group of people, you can simply warm up the chicken in the slow cooker. The oven and stove will also work, but I almost always opt for the microwave out of convenience. TIP – Stir in a splash of water before reheating to keep the chicken saucy (instead of dry and sticky).
You can reheat the coconut rice in the microwave or on the stove.
For the microwave, breakup any big clumps of rice and stir in a good splash of water (a couple tablespoons or so). Then microwave for 30 second intervals until heated through.
For the stove, put a little coconut oil or butter in a pan over low heat. Put the rice in the pan and break up any large chunks. Add a couple tablespoons or so of water to the rice when reheating to increase the creaminess. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until warmed through, while occasionally stirring the rice.
Similar Recipes
Looking for other interesting chicken recipes? Here are a few of my favorites!
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Veggie Loaded White Chicken Lasagna
- Air Fryer Spiced Chicken and Vegetables
- Rainbow Couscous and Tzatziki Chicken
Watch the How-to Video
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Honey Curry Chicken with Coconut Rice
Ingredients
Honey Curry Chicken Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard, (see note 1)
- 1 Tbsp curry powder, (see note 2)
Coconut Rice Ingredients:
- 2 cups uncooked white rice
- 1 can coconut milk, (see note 3)
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
To Serve:
- cilantro, (optional)
- naan, (optional)
Instructions
Honey Curry Chicken:
- Put the chicken breast in a slow cooker. Combine the melted butter, honey, mustard, and curry powder in a bowl or measuring cup and pour the mixture over the chicken breast. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours (see note 4).1 lb chicken breast, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup yellow mustard, 1 Tbsp curry powder
- Shred the chicken and cook on low for an additional 30-60 minutes.
Coconut Rice:
- Combine the rice, coconut milk, water, and salt in a pot. Cook rice per package instructions.2 cups uncooked white rice, 1 can coconut milk, 2 1/2 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt
- Once the rice is done cooking, add the sugar and stir to combine.2 Tbsp sugar
To Serve:
- Serve the Honey Curry Chicken over a bed of the coconut rice (see note 5).
