Thai Chicken and Green Bean Stir Fry
with coconut curry sauce / rice
A rich coconut curry always makes for a satisfying weeknight meal. This one features tender chicken and snappy green beans in bright, zesty red curry.
Smarts #1: Red curry can be fairly spicy and varies by brand. Add the curry paste a bit at a time until it's as spicy as you want it.
Smarts #2: Coconut milk lends creaminess to this dish, but don't expect the sauce to thicken. It will be more like a broth when it's done.
Ingredients
- Rice, uncooked white or brown - 2 cups
- Green beans - 1 lb , trimmed
- Bell peppers, red - 1 , thinly sliced
- Garlic - 3 cloves , chopped
- Ginger, fresh - 1 tsp , minced or grated
- Peanuts, dry roasted - 1/4 cup , chopped
- Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless - 1 lb , thinly sliced
- Curry paste, red - 1 to 3 Tbsp (use more or less depending on your spice preference; sub another type of curry paste)
- Fish sauce - 2 Tbsp
- Brown sugar - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Lime juice - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Coconut milk (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can
- Cilantro, fresh (opt) - 3 Tbsp , chopped
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
Prep
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Rice (This makes enough for 2 nights) - For white rice, rinse until clear. Fill a saucepan or Dutch oven (or rice cooker) with rice, water (use 2:1 ratio for water to rice), and some salt. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Once water boils, stir, lower heat to a low-medium, and cover. Check white rice after ~20 min; brown at ~45 min. Rice is done when it's absorbed all the water. If it's not done, leave the cover on until all water has been absorbed. Take cover off to release steam and fluff with a wooden spoon after 5 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Green beans / Bell peppers / Garlic / Ginger / Peanuts - Prep as directed. Combine green beans and bell peppers in one container. Store garlic and ginger together in another container. Store peanuts in their own separate container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Chicken - Thinly slice the chicken. Season with some salt and pepper and tenderize with a fork. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Make sauce - Whisk together curry paste, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and coconut milk.
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Cilantro - Prep as directed.
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Make
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Place a wok or deep saute pan over medium-high heat and add cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add green beans and bell peppers and stir fry until crisp-tender and beginning to brown in spots, 4 to 5 minutes.
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Stir in garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant, ~1 minute.
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Push vegetables to one side of the pan and add chicken to the empty side (add another splash of oil if the pan seems dry). Sear chicken without stirring until lightly browned, then flip and cook on the other side until lightly browned. Fold chicken into vegetables and continue cooking until chicken is nearly cooked through, ~2 to 3 minutes.
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Give the sauce a stir and slowly pour it over the chicken and vegetables.
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Reduce heat and bring sauce to a low simmer. Simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 2 to 3 minutes more (be careful not to boil the mixture, as this can cause the chicken to turn tough).
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Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning - add more fish sauce (or some salt) for saltiness, curry paste for heat, sugar for sweetness, or lime juice for acidity, if desired.
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If rice was made ahead, warm it in the microwave (remember to reserve half for Wednesday’s meal).
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Serve curry over rice and top with cilantro (if using) and chopped peanuts. Enjoy!
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