Baked Coconut Chicken Legs
This recipe is perfect for the fall and winter season — cozy, warming, and wonderfully easy to make.
Plan to marinate the chicken thighs the evening before; it only takes about 20 minutes to prepare and will make a big difference in flavor.
It’s a great dish to cook just for yourself or when you’re hosting guests and want to enjoy the evening without spending all your time in the kitchen.
RECIPE
Special Equipment- frying pan with high sides
If you’re not a fan of spicy food, simply replace the chili powder with sweet paprika. And if you don’t like coriander, just leave it out — it’s still absolutely delicious!
Ingredients (Serves 1–2 people)
2 Chicken Thighs
500g Baby Potatoes
270g Date or Cherry Tomatoes
1/2 Lemon
400ml Coconut Milk
250g Greek Jogurt
4 Cloves Of Garlic
1 Medium Size Onion
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Spices
1 Teaspoon Fennel Feeds
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Turmeric
1 Teaspoon Ground coriander
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Small Teaspoon Cumin Seeds (Kreuzkümmel)
2 Cardamom Pods
HOW TO
Peel all 4 garlic cloves and cut each one in half. Add them to a small frying pan along with 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds. Add a little olive oil and fry everything for about 2 minutes.
Transfer everything, including the oil, into a mortar. Add 1 teaspoon of chili powder or paprika. Use the pestle to crush everything together until you get a coarse paste.
I like to use circular motions rather than pounding straight down — otherwise, you might end up with oil splashing in your face!
Place your chicken legs in a medium-sized baking dish and add the paste. Stir in the yogurt and squeeze half a lemon over everything. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then mix everything with your hands until a thick, even sauce forms.
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil on all sides and place it in the refrigerator overnight to let the chicken legs marinate.
(If you’re short on time, try to marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour.)
THE NEXT DAY
Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan) or 200°C (top and bottom heat) and place the rack in the center of the oven.
Slice your onion into roughly pieces. Halve your tomatoes and potatoes. Chop the coriander, including the stems – this will be your mise en place. Set everything aside for now.
If you want, you can parboil the potatoes first, but I like them with a bit of bite rather than fully soft.
Take a frying pan with wider sides, add a good amount olive oil,place the cinnamon stick and the two coriander pods inside. Turn the heat to high and let the spices toast for about 2 minutes to release their aromas.
In the meantime, take the chicken out of the refrigerator.
Sprinkle your chicken thighs with the turmeric and ground coriander.
Remove the pan from the heat for a moment, then place the chicken thighs into the pan. Keep the heat on high and sear each side until a golden crust forms — this should take about 7 minutes in total. You can gently press the chicken down to speed up the process and help create an even, nicely browned crust.
Then, add the onions and a small teaspoon of cumin seeds, and sauté everything together for another 2 minutes.
Now add the full 400 ml of coconut milk and the remaining yogurt from the baking dish. Bring everything to a gentle boil for about 1 minute, then stir it together with a ladle until well combined.
Pour everything back into your baking dish and place the chicken thighs in the center, with the front side of the thighs facing upward. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, and coriander, distributing them evenly in the dish and gently pressing everything into the sauce. Then place the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Before baking
After baking