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Turmeric Chicken and Cracked Baby Potatoes

This Turmeric Chicken and Cracked Baby Potatoes is a family-friendly meal for any day of the week. It features boneless, skinless chicken thighs pan-seared and cooked in turmeric and coconut sauce, while cracked baby potatoes add creaminess and deliciousness!

Turmeric Chicken and Cracked Baby Potatoes

Turmeric is one of the key ingredients in curry. Since curry isn’t popular in my household, I don’t use turmeric much in my cooking, and it often sits neglected in the back of my spice cabinet. It’s similar to those “oh, this is nice” gifts that end up in the back of the closet. However, unlike those gifts, turmeric is very beneficial for health. Among its many advantages, it is known to be an anti-inflammatory, a cancer fighter, and an immunity booster. Because of these benefits, I am now trying to incorporate more turmeric into my cooking.

This chicken recipe was specifically designed to highlight turmeric, which gives the dish a distinctive yellow color. Both the coconut and cilantro add an Indian-Asian flair to this easy chicken and potato recipe. The baby potatoes are parboiled and then pan-seared to enhance their color. They are slightly smashed to crack the skin, allowing them to soak up the flavors. This last step is enjoyable and a great way to relieve stress!

Turmeric Chicken and Cracked Baby Potatoes
Turmeric Chicken and Cracked Baby Potatoes
  • Bring a pot of baby potatoes in salted water to a boil for 5 minutes. Drain. Set aside.
  • Season chicken thighs with salt and black pepper.
  • Add two teaspoons of oil to a preheated large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Work in batches to sear the chicken thighs on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
  • Add two teaspoons of oil to the skillet over medium heat. Then add the potatoes and season with salt and black pepper. Cook for 4 minutes to toast the skin. Use an unopened canned good to flatten the potatoes. Transfer them to a platter.
  • Add two teaspoons oil and the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Next, add the garlic, cook for one minute, and stir frequently. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, turmeric, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir to blend. Return the chicken to the skillet, then bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. 
  • Combine cornstarch with 1/4 cup chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium-high. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the sauce until it thickens. Tuck the potatoes into the sauce and allow it to come to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes on medium-low. It’s done when the chicken reaches 165°F.
  • Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.

I want to share a little story about this dish, which my husband insisted on calling “Smokehouse Chicken.” This name comes from cooking my latest batch in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. The skillet got so hot that it produced a significant amount of smoke while searing the chicken, filling our whole house with smoke long after I finished cooking. My husband was quite determined about the name, to the point that I found a trail of sticky notes labeled “Smokehouse Chicken” leading from the hallway to the bathroom, through our bedroom, and even onto my pillow when I went to bed. In any event, it gave me a good laugh!

The takeaway from this experience is that you might want to cook at a lower temperature than medium-high when using a cast iron skillet. The skillet seared the chicken faster, generating more smoke than my other pans. This is because cast iron has a greater thermal mass than many other materials.

Turmeric Chicken and Cracked Baby Potatoes

The next time you need a chicken thigh recipe, give this one a try. It’s a fantastic family-friendly meal! Enjoy it with some crusty bread to mop up the luscious sauce. Feel free to add a side of broccoli, green beans, or a salad for freshness and more nutrition!

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Turmeric Chicken and Cracked Baby Potatoes

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 10 minutesCook time: 35 minutesTotal time: 45 minutesServings:6 Servings

Description

This Turmeric Chicken and Cracked Baby Potatoes is a family-friendly meal for any day of the week. It features boneless, skinless chicken thighs pan-seared and cooked in turmeric and coconut sauce, while cracked baby potatoes add creaminess and deliciousness!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Place potatoes in a pot. Add enough water to cover them. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil on high. Reduce heat to medium, cover loosely, and cook for 5 minutes (the potatoes should still be firm but soft enough to insert a toothpick). Drain. Set aside.
  2. In the meantime, unfold the chicken thighs to obtain flat pieces. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper. Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of oil. Working in batches, sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side (the thickest part of the chicken may not be thoroughly cooked; it will finish cooking later). Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
  3. Add 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and season with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, turning to brown the skin. Remove from heat. Using a sturdy mug or an unopened canned good, smash the potatoes just enough to split the skin and slightly flatten them, keeping the potatoes intact. Remove from the skillet. Wipe off any black bits with paper towels.
  4. Return the skillet to the stovetop and add 2 teaspoons oil. Add the onion for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the coconut milk, 3/4 cup chicken broth, turmeric, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir to blend. Return the chicken to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 5 minutes. 
  5. Combine cornstarch with 1/4 cup chicken broth. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the sauce, incorporating it thoroughly. Allow it to come to a boil to thicken the sauce. Tuck the potatoes into the sauce and allow the sauce to come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Check the chicken for doneness.
  6. It’s cooked when it reaches 165° F on an instant-read thermometer. You can also cut into the thickest part of the chicken. It should no longer be pink, and the juices should run clear. Garnish with cilantro, adjusting the quantity to your taste.
  7. Makes 4-6 servings.
Keywords:Chicken and Potatoes, Turmeric, Cracked Baby Potatoes, Chicken Thigh Recipe, Family-friendly Meal, Chicken and Potato Recipe

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