Truthfully any kind of cuisine that focuses on rice as a base has my heart. Rice is naturally gluten free and after going gluten free I needed to find the easiest way to make dinners that weren’t going to take 2 hours, and also were going to be affordable..and rice is SO affordable. This Thai Coconut curry rice is a 30 minute dinner made with minimal ingredients and has so many adjustments to help you save time! It is also gluten free, dairy free, nut free and vegan!
This gluten free curry is ready in under 20 minutes! If you love an easy weeknight dinner made with rice l like I do, you’ll also love this Mexican Chicken Casserole and this Chicken Rice Casserole.
why you’ll love this recipe
- This recipe is sooo great for meal prep. I love to cook a double batch of the gluten free curry and store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Then, when I’m ready to eat, I reheat the curry in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- If you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that is also gluten-free and packed with veggies, this coconut curry rice skillet is the perfect recipe. I love it. My husband loves it. My mom is vegan and even she loves it!
- You can make it with brown rice, white rice or cauliflower rice…or a combination!
- Sometimes I even add protein like chicken or sprimp to this thai coconut curry rice when I don’t need it to be vegan.
ingredients & substitutions
Peppers and Onion: Use any color of pepper for bell peppers. If I don’t have bell peppers I’ll use poblano peppers, or jalapeño peppers in this thai coconut curry rice skillet.
Zucchini: You can substitute any other type of summer squash for zucchini, such as yellow squash! To me yellow squash tastes pretty similar to zucchini so you won’t notice a huge difference.
Frozen brown rice: You can substitute any other type of cooked rice for frozen brown rice. Usewhite rice, basmati rice, or jasmine rice. Just make sure the rice is not uncooked when adding it to the skillet. Any kind of cooked rice works. I used frozen rice. But, leftover rice is perfect and honestly, its easiest if you ask me. You can use microwavable rice too! I like these time saving hacks the best because I want to get this meal on the table as fast as possible. Use brown rice, cauliflower rice, regular white rice, long grain, instant rice or standard uncooked rice.
If using standard uncooked rice, I like to make it on the stovetop. I use chicken broth or beef broth instead of water for extra flavor.
Coconut milk: You can substitute any other type of plant-based milk for coconut milk, such as almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk. Oat milk is always my go to option if I want a lighter milk to use. You can also use lite coconut milk as well for this thai coconut curry rice skillet.
Gluten-free soy sauce: You can substitute any other type of soy sauce for gluten-free less sodium soy sauce, such as tamari, or coconut aminos. If you are not gluten free you can use standard soy sauce. I like to use the less sodium version of gluten free soy sauce.
Sweet chili sauce: Sweet chili sauce has a sweet, spicy flavor. You can substitute any other type of sweet and spicy sauce for sweet chili sauce, such as sriracha, or gochujang… I LOVE gochujang!
Brown sugar: You can substitute any other type of sweetener. I use brown sugar, white sugar, honey, or maple syrup to sweeten this thai coconut curry rice skillet. I use honey as my go to when I don’t have brown sugar.
Red curry paste: Red curry paste has a spicy, flavorful taste. You can substitute any other type of curry paste for red curry paste, such as green curry paste, yellow curry paste, or massaman curry paste.
directions
Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and zucchini and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 2
Add the frozen brown rice to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook until the rice is heated through, about 2 minutes.
Step 3
In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, red curry paste, dried garlic, and dried basil.
Step 4
Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Next, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are tender.
Step 5
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the fresh basil. Serve immediately and enjoy!
expert tips & tricks
- For a spicier coconut curry rice, I always add more red curry paste to taste.
- I like to use a mixture of brown rice and cauliflower rice for different textures.
- I sometime’s add shrimp or chicken to this dish for some extra protein!
- You can also make this in the crock pot if you need to cook it low and slow or set it and forget it! I’d suggest a double batch in the crock pot!
how to serve, store and meal prep
To make the gluten free curry ahead of time, I cook the rice and vegetables first. Then stir in the sauce and simmer until thickened. I let the curry cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, I reheat the gluten free curry over medium heat until warmed through.
Label the containers with the date and contents so that you know what they are and when they were made.
If I am freezing the gluten free curry, I portion it out into individual containers. That way, I can easily grab a meal on the go.
To reheat the thai coconut curry rice, I thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. You can also thaw in the microwave it on high for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.
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20-minute Coconut Curry Rice (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 onion chopped into 1/2" pieces
- 1 1/2 bell peppers chopped into 1/2" pieces
- 1 zucchini chopped into 1/2" pieces
- 2 cups brown rice
For the sauce:
- 1 can organic coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free less sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon dried garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and zucchini and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the frozen brown rice to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook until the rice is heated through, about 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, red curry paste, dried garlic, and dried basil.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are tender.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the fresh basil.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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