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One-Pot Thai Curry Chicken Orzo

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5 from 5 reviews

Thai curry meets pasta bake? Unusual yet delicious! This fusion dish brings together juicy roasted chicken thighs with perfectly cooked orzo, simmered in a rich, aromatic Thai red curry sauce. Everything comes together in one pot, making it the perfect choice for a busy weeknight dinner or a quick yet impressive meal for guests.

  • Author: zenak
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 chicken thighs
  • 1 heaped tbsp good-quality Thai red curry paste (see Notes)
  • 1 x 400ml tin good-quality coconut milk (70% or more coconut extract)
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 1 ½ tbsp palm sugar or light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 10g fresh ginger, grated
  • 225g dried orzo, rinsed (to keep it from getting too sticky when baked)
  • 1 small handful Thai basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat your oven to 220°C / fan 200°C.
  2. Season the chicken thighs with salt on both sides. Arrange them in a single layer skin-side-down in a cold wide Dutch oven.
  3. Set the Dutch oven over a medium heat and cook the chicken until the fat has rendered out and the skin is nicely browned, around 10 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 minutes to seal the other side, then transfer to a plate. Note: the chicken isn’t cooked yet!
  4. Add the Thai red curry paste to the rendered chicken fat and cook, stirring often, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
  5. Add the coconut milk, chicken stock, palm sugar, fish sauce, ground turmeric and fresh ginger. Stir to combine, then add the rinsed orzo.
  6. Nestle the chicken into the orzo, skin-side-up, and bring to a simmer over high heat, then transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the orzo is cooked through.
  7. Transfer the chicken to a plate, stir the Thai basil into the orzo, then you’re ready to serve.
  8. Note: if you’d like, you can pop the chicken under the grill once the orzo is done to crisp up the skin.

Notes

My favourite Thai curry paste brands are Mae Ploy and Thai Taste. Where possible, avoid using supermarket-own brands.

Find it online: https://zenaskitchen.com/one-pot-thai-curry-chicken-orzo/

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