Hairy Bikers Thai pot roast chicken cooks a whole bird in a red curry coconut sauce, so it stays juicy and full of flavour. It comes from their Our Family Favourites cookbook, serves 4 to 6, and takes about 90 minutes at roughly 500 calories a portion.
The recipe started as a family invention, and in the book they call it a new family favourite worth sharing. Unlike a dry roast, the whole chicken braises in coconut and red curry paste, so the meat turns meltingly tender.
The step that makes it is frying the curry paste until it darkens and smells strong, before any liquid goes in. That wakes up the spices, so the sauce tastes deep and rounded rather than raw and harsh.
Hairy Bikers Thai Pot Roast Chicken
Description
A whole chicken is stuffed with Thai aromatics, seared in red curry paste, then pot-roasted in coconut milk and stock until tender. Banana shallots soften alongside, and the dish is finished with lime, chilli, spring onion, and torn herbs.
Ingredients
For the chicken
For the pot
To serve
Instructions
- Stuff the chicken: Heat the oven to 200°C, Fan 180°C, Gas 6, then salt the chicken inside and out. Stuff the cavity with the Thai basil, coriander, lemongrass, lime leaves, lime zest, and garlic.
- Sear the shallots: Heat half the oil in a large flameproof casserole, then sear the shallots until lightly browned, and set them aside.
- Bloom the paste: Add the rest of the oil and the curry paste, then stir for a few minutes until it darkens and smells strong. Add the chicken breast-side down and sear it for a couple of minutes.
- Build the sauce: Lift the chicken out, then pour in the coconut milk, stock, 1 tbsp fish sauce, shredded lime leaves, and lime juice. Stir to deglaze the base, then return the chicken to the pot breast-side up.
- Pot roast: Cover and roast for 40 minutes until almost cooked, then remove the lid. Add the shallots and roast uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the thigh reaches 72°C and the sauce reduces.
- Rest and serve: Taste the sauce and add more fish sauce if needed, then rest the chicken for 10 minutes. Scatter over the herbs, spring onions, and chillies, then serve with lime wedges and rice.
FAQs
What is Thai pot roast chicken?
It is a whole chicken pot-roasted in a Thai red curry and coconut sauce, rather than roasted dry in the oven. The cavity is stuffed with lemongrass, lime leaves, and Thai basil, so the flavour runs right through the meat.
The timing suits a standard chicken of about 1.5kg, so a larger bird needs longer, and the 72°C check tells you when it is ready.
How is it different from a classic roast chicken?
A classic roast chicken is cooked dry in the oven for crisp skin and served with gravy. This one braises in a covered pot, so the skin stays soft but the meat turns tender in a spiced coconut sauce.
For the traditional Sunday version, try their classic roast chicken with sage and onion stuffing.
Which curry paste and coconut milk should I use?
A shop-bought Thai red curry paste is fine, though frying it until it darkens is what builds the flavour. Use full-fat coconut milk, because low-fat versions can split and taste thin in a long braise.
What should I serve with Thai pot roast chicken?
Plain rice or noodles with fresh ginger stirred through both soak up the coconut sauce nicely. A scatter of chilli, spring onion, coriander, and lime keeps it fresh, so serve those on the side for everyone to add.
Can I use the leftovers?
Leftover Thai chicken is brilliant shredded back into the sauce with extra stock for a quick curry soup. It keeps for two days in the fridge, and their chinese chicken curry or chicken korma make good follow-ups.
