This Sweet Potato Chicken recipe is full of rich, deep curry flavors, and it's cooked and served in one skillet. A comforting and hearty dinner, it's sweet and savory with a kick of heat.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken for family dinner, comfort food recipes for fall and winter
Prepare the sweet potatoes. You can either bake the sweet potato in the oven, or more quickly in the microwave. For the oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the potatoes in half and place them flat side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes. For the microwave: Pierce the potato with a fork a few times and place in on a double layer of paper towels in the microwave. Cook on high for about 4 minutes per side.Cut the baked sweet potato in half and use a spoon to gently scrape out the potato. Add it to a small mixing bowl and then use a fork to mash it. Set aside.
Sear the chicken. Coat the bottom of a large skillet (at least 12-inches) with olive oil and place it over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Once the pan is very hot, place them, presentation side down, in the pan. Use kitchen tongs to flip the pieces over once they’ve browned, after about 2 minutes. Cook for another minute. (This gives the chicken a nice caramelization, and will speed up the overall cooking time.) Remove the chicken pieces form the pan and place them on a plate. Set aside. The chicken will finish cooking with the sauce later in the recipe.
Sauté the onions, garlic and mushrooms. Over medium-high heat, add the onions and garlic and sauté, stirring often, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add a bit more oil to the pan and add the mushrooms. Sauté until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
Deglaze and add spices. Turn the heat to low to add the vermouth, and then turn it up to medium. Use a flat-edged wooden spatula, to scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits of food that are stuck. Once the vermouth has almost completely cooked off, turn the heat to low again and add cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric. Stir and cook just until it's aromatic, about 30 seconds.
Add sweet potato, coconut milk and honey. Then add the mashed sweet potato, coconut milk and honey. Mix until it's as smooth as possible.
Season and return chicken to pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here’s How to Season to Taste.) Return the chicken to the pan, presentation side up, and spoon some of the sauce over each piece.
Add basil and braise. Add the basil leaves between the pieces of chicken and cover. Braise just until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Add peas and serve. Mix the peas into the sauce. Let them warm and serve.