Creamy Chicken with Mashed Potatoes
Coconut milk is doing a lot of work here. It replaces the butter and heavy cream you’d find in a classic pan sauce, keeping everything light without sacrificing that silky, coat-the-back-of-a-spoon texture. The chicken goes into a hot skillet, browns until golden, and the drippings left behind become the base of the sauce — no broth, no wine needed.
Roasted carrots alongside smooth mashed potatoes round this out into a full plate. It comes together in about 45 minutes, and every component can be prepped while something else is on the stove or in the oven. A genuinely satisfying weeknight dinner with a short ingredient list.
A plate of creamy chicken with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots, built around a light coconut pan sauce. The mashed potatoes stay smooth and rich without any dairy. One skillet handles both the chicken and the sauce — simple timing, minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt, then add black pepper, sweet paprika, and garlic powder if you are using them. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay the chicken in the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until golden on the outside and fully cooked through. Transfer to a plate and let it rest.2 chicken breasts, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, garlic powder, 5 medium potatoes, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the carrot sticks on a baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, and tuck in a few sprigs of thyme or rosemary if using. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the edges are starting to caramelize and the carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.1 lb carrots, fresh thyme or rosemary
- Place the peeled potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until completely tender. Drain well, then return the potatoes to the warm pot. Add the coconut milk and olive oil, and mash until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.3 tbsp full-fat coconut milk, 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- Pour off any excess fat from the skillet you used for the chicken, leaving the browned bits behind. Set the skillet over medium heat and pour in the coconut milk along with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the juices that collected on the resting plate from the chicken. If you prefer a thicker sauce, stir in the tapioca starch mixture now. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and slightly reduced.1 tsp tapioca starch
- Slice the rested chicken breasts crosswise into thick pieces. Spoon a generous mound of mashed potatoes onto each plate, arrange the roasted carrots alongside, and lay the sliced chicken on top. Finish with the warm coconut sauce poured over the chicken.
Nutrition
Notes
Use freshly cooked chicken rather than leftovers to keep this recipe low-histamine. Leftover mashed potatoes reheat well with a splash of coconut milk stirred in.
You might also like our Easy Creamy Red Lentil Coconut Curry.
made this tonight and my 7 year old actually asked for seconds. the paprika gives it such a nice color too. definitely making it again next week
Been looking for something quick on weeknights and this is it. threw it together in about 25 mins including the potatoes. my husband said it tasted like the chicken his mom used to make
Gone in ten minutes at the potluck