Baked Curried Chicken

Baked Curried Chicken.

One of my favorite ways to eat chicken, and this recipe is so straightforward.  You make the sauce on the stove, which is fast.  Then pour over chicken breasts and bake.  This is also a great dish for satisfying my regular curry-craving, saving us from spending $30 at Chapati, the our favorite local Indian restaurant.  

I haven't tried making it ahead and freezing it because there are conflicting opinions about freezing coconut milk, as it can separate.  However, I believe you could make it through the final steps without adding the coconut milk and just stir it in on the day of cooking.

This recipe calls for 6 chicken breasts, but that's more than enough chicken for our household and we don't enjoy reheated chicken, so I used one pack of chicken breasts, which is 3 breasts.

Chop onion and garlic.

Melt butter and olive oil together in medium saucepan.

Sautee onions until softened, about 8 min.  

Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Measure out 2 Tbsp curry powder.

I used equal parts Garam Masala (an ingredient in curry powder) and Curry powder to make it sweeter and less spicy for the kids.

Add to onions and cook for 1 min.

  Stir frequently after adding the spices, they will become fragrant over the next few minutes.

Combine flour, salt and pepper.

Stir into onion mixture.

This will get dry and sticky fast, and that's ok.

Cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.

Yes, you're right, its the base of a roux!

Combine coconut milk and broth.  Pour into onion mixture, stirring quickly to prevent lumps.

Simmer to thicken, 3-4 min.

Measure 1/2 cup golden raisins.  Regular raisins would tasty, too.

I am not a raisin person.  Always wanted to be as a kid, always wanted those teeny, tiny raisin boxes, but there was still that strong raisin flavor.  Golden raisins, however, have a sweeter, milder flavor and I just love them.  I still don't eat them straight out of the box, but on salad or in dishes, very yummy!

Add raisins to sauce.

  Add chicken to 9x13 pan.

Pour sauce over chicken.

Move chicken breasts around to coat both sides.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 min.

Baked Curried Chicken Breasts
by Linda Larsen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large saucepan, combine butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until tender, about 6-7 minutes.

Add curry powder; cook and stir for 1 minute. Then add flour, salt, and pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and broth; bring to a simmer. Stir until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in raisins.

Place chicken in 13" x 9" pan. Pour sauce over chicken; move chicken around in the sauce so the bottom is coated.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked, 160 degrees F. on an instant read thermometer. Serve over hot cooked rice or pasta. Serves 6