By This curry chicken and rice is the easiest weeknight dinner you'll make all month! Dump everything in one dish, bake it covered, stir in coconut milk, and you're done. This is not your average chicken and rice, it's packed with flavor and zing from red curry paste but with extra protein and fiber from edamame. No stovetop work, no sautéing, just pure dump-and-bake magic!
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I'm obsessed with curry flavors but I'm not obsessed with standing over the stove making curry from scratch on a Tuesday night. 🫠 That's where this dump-and-bake high protein low calorie dinner comes in. You get all those bold, complex flavors-the heat from red curry paste, the richness from peanut butter, the brightness from lime-but with literally 5 minutes of prep!
The edamame and bone broth are our secret weapon here. They add a combined 25 grams of protein per cup, so you're getting serious protein and fiber but not in a sad, boring chicken kind of way. They stay incredibly tender even after over an hour in the oven, which is why we don't use chicken breast for this one (trust me, we tried!).
Jump to:
use the right rice
Don't use basmati or long-grain rice for this recipe-they take too long to cook and can turn out hard. Use jasmine rice or a shorter-grain white rice. The rice needs to fully cook in the time it takes the chicken to cook through, and these varieties cook faster and absorb the curry flavor better.
Also, there will likely still be liquid in the dish after the covered baking time. That's normal! The last 5-10 minutes uncovered helps the rice finish absorbing everything and thickens the sauce.
key ingredients & swaps
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: Non-negotiable. We tested this with chicken breasts and they were dry and overcooked by the time the rice was done. Thighs stay juicy and tender even with a long bake time.
- Red curry paste: This is where most of your flavor comes from. Don't skip it or swap it for curry powder-they're completely different. Red curry paste has lemongrass, garlic, chilies, and aromatic spices already built in. Find it in the Asian aisle.
- Soy sauce: Adds saltiness and umami. I always use low sodium!
- Peanut butter: Sounds weird, but it adds richness and a subtle nutty depth that complements the curry beautifully. Creamy or chunky both work. Almond butter or cashew butter work too if you're avoiding peanuts.
- Jasmine rice: Or any short/medium-grain white rice. Do NOT use basmati or instant rice-they have different cooking times and won't work here. Brown rice will work but will add about 15 minutes to the bake time. For a noodle version, check out our high protein peanut noodles.
- Bone broth: Adds extra protein and deeper flavor than regular chicken broth. But regular chicken broth works fine too.
- Frozen edamame (shelled): This is your protein boost. One cup adds about 17g of protein. If you can't find edamame, use frozen peas (lower protein but still good) or skip and add more chicken.
- Coconut milk: Added at the very end for creaminess. Don't skip this-it balances the heat and makes everything yummy and saucy. Full-fat coconut milk from a can is best. Use the rest of the can to make oat milk coffee creamer!
- Fresh lime juice and cilantro: For finishing. The lime brightness cuts through all the richness and the cilantro adds freshness. If you hate cilantro, use fresh basil or just skip it.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
the best pan to use
Use a 9x13 casserole dish, braiser, or shallow Dutch oven with a lid. You want something wide enough to spread the chicken in a single layer but deep enough to hold all the rice and liquid. Glass or ceramic works best-metal pans can cook unevenly and leave the rice hard in spots.
If you don't have a lid, tightly cover with heavy-duty foil or 2 layers of regular). Make sure the seal is tight so steam doesn't escape. Super important to make sure the rice cooks!
step by step: tips to nail this recipe every time
- Mix everything except the chicken and coconut milk first. Stir the rice, bone broth, curry paste, soy sauce, peanut butter, and edamame together in your baking dish. This makes sure the rice gets evenly coated with all the flavor.
- Cover tightly. Use foil or a tight-fitting lid. Steam is essential for cooking the rice evenly. If steam escapes, your rice will be undercooked and crunchy.
- Don't peek! Seriously. Every time you lift the lid, you release steam and add cooking time. Set a timer and walk away.
- Check the rice before finishing. After the initial baking time, check if the rice is tender. If it's still a bit hard, re-cover and bake for another 5-10 minutes. There will probably still be liquid-that's fine! Cooking uncovered will get rid of this.
quick recipe video
why add coconut milk & lime juice at the end?
Ok, there's some fun science behind this! The high fat in coconut milk and the acid in the lime juice play perfectly together when timed right. Coconut milk loses some of its sweetness when baked long and lime juice completely degrades when cooked. So adding them both right before serving is key to making every single flavor pop!
what to do if your rice is still hard after cooking
Re-cover the dish and bake for another 10 minutes. Some ovens run cooler, and some baking dishes (especially metal ones) don't distribute heat as evenly. Just keep checking until the rice is tender. And make sure there's still liquid for the rice to cook in. If not, then the lid or cover likely wasn't tight enough.
If it's cooked well but there's still liquid, just cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes until the excess moisture evaporates.
troubleshooting & testing notes
Using the right rice
I originally tested this with basmati rice and the results were bland and not cooked well. Short grain rice cooks faster and absorbs the flavors better.
Always add lime juice and cilantro before serving
Without it, the dish can fall flat (both right after baking and after reheating). I'm telling you, the lime juice is magical!
Recipe
high protein curry chicken and rice (dump & bake!)
Ingredients
Main Dish:
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup jasmine rice (uncooked)
- 1.5 cups chicken bone broth (or chicken broth)
- 4 tablespoon red curry paste
- 3 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 10 oz package frozen edamame, shelled
To Finish:
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- Juice from 1 lime
- ¼ c Fresh cilantro (chopped)
- Optional: extra lime wedges for serving
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F.In a 9x13 baking dish (or braiser/shallow Dutch oven), combine the 1 cup jasmine rice, 1.5 cups chicken bone broth, 4 tablespoon red curry paste, 3 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 2 cloves garlic, and 1 10 oz package frozen edamame, shelled. Stir everything together until the curry paste and peanut butter are fully mixed in and the rice is evenly coated.Nestle the 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture in a single layer. Don't stir them in—just lay them on top.
- Cover the dish tightly with a lid or heavy-duty foil. Make sure the seal is tight so steam doesn't escape.Bake covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes (start checking the rice at 1 hour).
- Remove from the oven and check the rice. It should be tender. If it's still a bit hard, re-cover and bake for another 5-10 minutes. There will likely still be liquid in the dish-this is normal.
- Once the rice is tender, uncover the dish and bake for another 5-10 minutes to cook off excess liquid and thicken everything up. The time will vary depending on your pan-wider, shallower pans will take less time; deeper pans will take longer.
- Remove from the oven. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces, or just chop it up. Stir in the ½ cup full-fat coconut milk until everything is creamy and combined.
- Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a handful of chopped cilantro. Serve with extra lime wedges on the side!
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
Trying this tonight and I'm so excited! Just curious on how many servings this makes - I did the math and it seems like about five based on the nutrition info, but for some reason my ingredients totaled up to more calories.
Would you be able to tell me which brands of red curry paste and coconut milk you used? Thanks!
Hope you love it!! Thanks so much for flagging this - it's 6 servings (I've updated the recipe card to reflect that now). I use Thai Kitchen red curry paste and Thai Kitchen coconut milk. Just make sure when calculating that the rice is calced as dry rice 🙂