If you love bold flavors and juicy, fall-off-the-bone chicken, this Thai Green Roast Chicken is going to be a new favorite! It’s a full roast chicken, marinated in creamy coconut milk, green curry paste, and spices, then roasted on top of baby potatoes until everything is golden and full of flavor. The whole dish roasts in the same pan, so it’s easy to make and super satisfying. I love how the curry soaks into the potatoes, and the chicken stays tender and juicy. It smells amazing and tastes even better!
Method
1. Prepare and Marinate the Chicken
To begin, you’ll need to spatchcock your chicken. This means removing the backbone (you can do this with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife) and flattening the bird so it cooks evenly in the oven. Once it’s spatchcocked, use a knife to score the breast and leg meat with a few shallow cuts. This helps the flavorful marinade sink deeper into the meat. Place the prepared chicken, skin side up, into a large oven-safe roasting dish.
In a mixing bowl, combine the Thai green curry paste, coconut milk, chicken stock powder, melted butter, fish sauce, brown sugar, and ¼ cup of water. Whisk everything together until smooth and creamy. Pour this marinade over the chicken, making sure to coat the skin well and work it into the cuts. Don’t waste a drop, this sauce is the heart of the dish!
Next, arrange the baby potato slices, quartered red onion, whole garlic cloves, ginger piece, bruised lemongrass stalk, and half of a lime around the chicken in the marinade. These vegetables and aromatics roast together with the chicken, soaking up the flavor. Cover the dish and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or longer if you have time (overnight is great for maximum flavor).
2. Roast the Chicken
Preheat your oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / gas mark 7. Once the chicken has marinated, place the dish on the middle rack of your oven. Roast it for 55 to 60 minutes, turning the dish and basting the chicken every 20 minutes to keep the top juicy and help it brown evenly. You’ll notice the curry sauce bubbling and thickening while the potatoes soften and soak up all that goodness.
After the first hour, sprinkle in the trimmed green beans around the chicken. Return the dish to the oven and cook for an additional 10 minutes until the beans are tender and vibrant green.
3. Check and Rest the Chicken
When the chicken looks golden and the veggies are tender, it’s time to check if it’s fully cooked. Use a meat thermometer to test the thickest part of the chicken it should read 74°C (165°F). Once done, carefully remove the dish from the oven. Tent the chicken with foil and let it rest for 15 minutes in the pan. This step helps lock in the juices so every bite stays moist and flavorful.
4. Carve and Serve
After resting, carve the chicken into pieces breasts, legs, and thighs and plate it up with the roasted potatoes and green beans. Spoon over some of the coconut curry sauce from the pan, making sure every serving is rich and saucy. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh or dried Thai basil for a final pop of flavor and color. Now it’s ready to serve and enjoy!
Necessary Tools
- Sharp knife and kitchen scissors
- Roasting pan or large ovenproof dish
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon or whisk (for marinade)
- Basting brush or spoon
- Meat thermometer
- Aluminum foil (for resting)
Thai Green Roast Chicken (Coconut Curry Style!)
Cuisine: ThaiDifficulty: Easy6
servings25
minutes1
hour10
minutes1
hour35
minutesIngredients
Chicken & Marinade:
1.5kg whole chicken, skin on, spatchcocked
45g Thai green curry paste (adjust to taste)
400ml coconut milk (Aroy-D or similar)
1 tbsp chicken stock powder
40g butter, melted
½ tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
¼ cup water
Vegetables & Aromatics:
600g baby potatoes, thick sliced
1 red onion, cut into quarters
4 garlic cloves
2cm piece ginger
1 lemongrass stalk, bruised
1 lime, halved
220g green beans, trimmed
Garnish:
Fresh or dried Thai basil leaves
Directions
- Prepare and Marinate the Chicken
First, you’ll need to spatchcock the chicken. That means cutting out the backbone and flattening it so it roasts evenly. Once the chicken is flattened, score the breast and leg meat with a few shallow cuts this helps the flavors soak in. Place the chicken in a large oven-safe dish.
In a bowl, mix together the Thai green curry paste, coconut milk, chicken stock powder, melted butter, fish sauce, brown sugar, and ¼ cup of water. Stir until it’s well combined and creamy. Pour this marinade over the chicken, making sure it coats all the skin and gets into the cuts.
Add the sliced baby potatoes, red onion, garlic cloves, ginger, lemongrass, and half a lime around the chicken in the dish. Cover and let it marinate for at least 1 hour (you can even prep it ahead and marinate overnight in the fridge). - Roast the Chicken
Preheat your oven to 220°C / 200°C fan / gas mark 7. Place the dish in the middle rack of the oven and roast for 55–60 minutes, basting the chicken and rotating the dish every 20 minutes so it browns evenly and stays juicy.
After 60 minutes, scatter the green beans into the dish and roast for another 10 minutes until the beans are tender and bright green. - Check and Rest the Chicken
Use a meat thermometer to check that the thickest part of the chicken has reached 74°C (165°F). Once done, remove it from the oven and tent it with foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes so the juices settle before carving. - Carve and Serve
Carve the chicken into pieces and serve with the tender curry-soaked potatoes and green beans. Spoon over some of that delicious sauce from the pan and garnish with Thai basil. Time to dig in!
Notes
- Score the chicken deeply enough for flavor but not too deep to dry it out.
- Don’t skip basting the butter and coconut milk caramelize beautifully on top.
- Make sure your pan is deep enough to hold the curry sauce as it bubbles.
- Resting the chicken after roasting makes it juicier and easier to carve.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice or coconut rice to soak up the extra curry sauce.
- Add a crisp cucumber salad with lime juice for something cool and fresh.
- For extra flavor, serve with lime wedges and a sprinkle of chili flakes.
- It also pairs well with flatbread or roti for scooping up the sauce!
Fun Fact
Spatchcocking isn’t just a fun word it helps roast the chicken faster and more evenly! Plus, Thai green curry gets its green color from green chilies and herbs like coriander and kaffir lime. It’s lighter and fresher than red curry but still packs a punch.
Conclusion
This Thai Green Roast Chicken is what I make when I want something a little fancy but still easy and full of flavor. The coconut curry sauce is creamy and rich, the potatoes soak it up like little sponges, and the chicken turns out juicy and golden every time. It’s a dinner that smells amazing, looks impressive, and tastes even better. Save this one you’ll be making it again for sure!
