This recipe for Coffee Braised Chicken Thighs with Coconut Milk, Yams and Chile crosses borders. It starts with chicken thighs rubbed with llyanna Maisonet’s Adobo spice blend from Burlap & Barrel. The chicken is braised with yams in a Mexican-Sonoran blend of coffee, coconut milk and ancho chile. Greek yogurt is stirred in at end adds creaminess. It’s garnished with cilantro and served over rice. Coffee as a braising liquid has deep roots in Southwestern and Mexican cooking where strong coffee adds depth to chiles and braises the same way wine does.
What Makes This Coffee Braised Chicken Recipe Special?
Coffee in a braise adds bitterness that balances the richness of the coconut milk and the fat of the chicken thighs. It also deepens the color of the sauce into a dark, glossy, beautiful finish. The key is using strongly brewed coffee. Use the same coffee you’d actually want to drink. The yams absorb the coffee-coconut braising liquid as they cook and break down into thick, sweet pieces that contrast beautifully with the savory sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 3 Tbsp Adobo seasoning divided
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 cup minced shallots
- 1 small yam sliced about 1 cup
- 2 cups brewed coffee
- 1 14.5-oz can coconut milk
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 4 cups prepared white or brown rice
- Cilantro for serving
- 1 teaspoon ancho or other red chile poweder
Instructions
- Rub chicken thighs generously all over with adobo powder. Heat the Coconut oil to medium-high in a large heavy bottomed lidded braiser or high-sided pan. Lay the chicken thighs skin-side-down until browned, about 4 minutes. Flip and brown the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Without cleaning the pan, add the shallots and garlic and sauté until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the brewed coffee, coconut milk and chile powder. Then add the yam slices. Nestle the chicken into the pan skin-side-up and sprinkle more adobo seasoning on top of each thigh. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the liquid has thickened and is reduced by about half.
- Remove from heat, let cool for a minute, then stir in the Greek yogurt. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if desired.
- Spoon a cup of rice onto each serving plate. Make a well in the middle of each one, then spoon a portion of sauce and yams on top. The yams will have broken down into smaller pieces. Lay a chicken thigh on top of the sauce and garnish generously with fresh cilantro leaves.
Notes
