This Coconut Basil Chicken is one of my favorite recipes. It’s light, bright, and packed with fresh flavors.

I wish I could say it was my own brain child, but it’s not. In scouring Pinterest for healthy slow cooker chicken meals, I discovered it on this site. It’s 100% worth sharing here, with my own tips and tricks.

The ingredient list is a little longer than usual–here’s what you’ll need:

The original recipe also calls for curry powder, but the first time I made it, I told myself I was not buying two new spices for one recipe, and turmeric won. And that’s just how I roll now.

Tip #1: To keep things easier on myself and cut down on waste (hey, I’m just cooking for one, here), I keep a jar of already minced garlic on hand in the fridge.

Tip #2: If you have a neighborhood Trader Joe’s, they sell packages of frozen crushed ginger cubes, and the day I discovered this was one of the best days of my life. It saves me from wasting a giant fresh piece of ginger, or those refrigerated tubes that don’t last long.

Once the jalapeños are chopped, the fresh lime juice squeezed, and the basil chiffonaded (yes, I watch Food Network), all the ingredients go together in a bowl and get blended with an immersion blender (unless you have a real blender, then use that).

Tip #3: If you do use an immersion blender, I suggest pulsing it, rather than going full speed ahead, unless you have a desperate desire to clean your counters.

It smells amazing, and you might just want to slurp it up right then, but you gotta pour that mess over the chicken in your slow cooker.

For some reason, I always feel the need to pour a little on the bottom first, then put the chicken in, and pour the rest on top. Probably unnecessary, but it makes me feel better.

I’d tell you to set it and forget it, but please–don’t forget about it.

If you’ve checked out my Italian Chicken Bowl recipe, you already know my Crock-Pot is special. It typically likes to cook 2-3 lbs of mostly defrosted chicken breasts in 3ish hours on the 8hr low setting, but you gotta know your slow cooker!

Once the chicken is cooked, you can leave the pieces whole, but I prefer to shred mine into large pieces. Since I make it in advance for the week, it makes it easier to portion it into containers. I’ll also add in some of the sauce, to help give it more flavor.

Since this has a southeastern Asian flair to it, I’ll usually pair with some frozen stir fry veggies (microwaved), broccoli, and roasted sweet potatoes.

The sauce is so thin and runny, I won’t usually spoon any over the chicken, but it’s still loaded with flavor. I’m sure there’s a way to thicken it, if you prefer. You do you!

Anyway you slice it, this chicken is big on flavor, low in calories, and very versatile. Eat it for dinner with veggies, or save it for lunch and add it to a wrap or salad.

Hopefully it becomes a regular staple for you, like it has for me!

Coconut Basil Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
• 14 oz. lite canned coconut milk
• 2 cups basil
• 1 tbsp ginger, chopped (or more to taste)
• 1 jalapeño, chopped (or more to taste) (I also de-seed mine)
• 3 garlic cloves (or 1 1/2 tsp already minced garlic)
• 2 limes
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp curry powder (optional, in my opinion)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

• Add the coconut milk, basil, ginger, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, turmeric, cumin, curry powder, salt, pepper, and cinnamon to a blender (or a bowl, and use an immersion blender). Blend until it’s all combined.
• Add the chicken to the slow cooker (pour a little sauce on the bottom first, if you prefer). Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cook until chicken is cooked through and tender (mine takes about 3 hours or so).
• You can leave the pieces whole if you prefer, but I like to shred mine up into big pieces, so it’s easier to portion out and save for later. I