This coconut curry bowl is an easy, flavorful dinner made with savory ground meat, jasmine rice, and a creamy coconut red curry broth. Fresh lime, herbs, and crunchy cucumber bring everything together for a simple, yet special, meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It comes together with simple ingredients and doesn't require a long list of spices or complicated steps.
- The combination of savory ground meat, creamy coconut curry broth, fluffy jasmine rice, and fresh toppings gives every bite plenty of flavor and texture.
- It's an easy way to switch up your usual rice bowls while still using familiar ingredients.
- You can use your favorite type of ground meat, making it easy to customize based on what you have on hand.
- The fresh lime, cilantro, and cucumber balance the richness of the coconut curry and add a bright, refreshing finish.
Other Recipes With Curry Flavors
Ingredient Notes
- Ground meat - Use whatever lean ground meat you prefer, such as ground chicken, turkey, pork, or beef. The recipe works well with any of them, so it's a great way to use what you already have. Looking for other bowl recipes with ground meat? Try our street corn bowls, easy teriyaki beef bowls, or burger bowl with homemade special sauce.
- Jasmine rice - Jasmine rice has a soft, fluffy texture and subtle fragrance that pairs especially well with the curry broth. Basmati rice can also be used if that's what you have.
- Red curry paste - Red curry paste provides most of the flavor and heat in the curry broth. Curry pastes vary in spice level, so start with the amount listed and adjust to your preference.
- Coconut milk - Use full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest curry broth. Shake the can well before opening so the coconut cream and liquid are evenly combined.
- Soy sauce or tamari - Soy sauce adds salt and savory flavor to both the meat and curry broth. Use tamari if you need a gluten-free option.
- Arrowroot powder or cornstarch - Either works to thicken the sauce that coats the meat. Whisk it with the chicken broth and soy sauce while cold to prevent lumps.
- Toppings - Green onion, cilantro, and cucumber are optional, but the fresh herbs and crisp cucumber add a nice contrast to the warm, rich curry bowl. These toppings are highly recommended!
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements for this flavorful dish.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Choose your ground meat. Ground chicken or turkey keeps the bowl lighter, while ground beef or pork will give it a richer flavor.
- Adjust the spice level. If you're sensitive to heat, start with less red curry paste. For more heat, add extra curry paste or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Don't skip the lime. Stirring fresh lime juice into the curry broth at the end brightens the entire dish and balances the richness of the coconut milk.
- Add more vegetables. Bell peppers, green peas, spinach, or broccoli would all be easy additions. Sauté firmer vegetables with the meat or add them to the curry broth while it simmers.
- Switch up the rice. Jasmine rice works especially well here, but basmati rice is another good option.
- Make it vegetarian. Use vegetable broth and swap the ground meat for crispy tofu, chickpeas, or your favorite plant-based ground meat.
- Add your favorite toppings. Fresh cilantro, green onion, cucumber, lime wedges, chopped peanuts, or a drizzle of chili oil can all be delicious.
How to Make Coconut Curry Bowls
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Rinse the jasmine rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear. Add the rice and chicken broth (or water) to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Alternatively, you can also use a rice cooker.
Step 2: While the rice cooks, make the meat. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, and arrowroot powder until smooth. Set aside.
Step 3: Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground meat and cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through.
Step 4: Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Step 5: Pour the soy sauce mixture over the meat. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 6: In a medium pot, combine the coconut milk, chicken broth, red curry paste, soy sauce, and salt. Whisk until the curry paste is dissolved.
Bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust, adding more salt, soy sauce, or lime juice if needed.
Step 7: To assemble, divide the rice between bowls and top with the meat. Ladle the warm curry broth over the top and finish with green onion, cilantro, and cucumber if desired.
Red Curry Bowls FAQs
Store the cooked rice, meat, and curry broth in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days when possible. Keeping the components separate makes reheating easier and helps the rice maintain its texture.
To reheat, plate the rice, meat, and broth and warm together in the microwave. Add the fresh cucumber and herbs after reheating so they stay crisp and fresh.
Freezing: The cooked meat and curry broth can be frozen for up to 2–3 months in freezer-safe containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently. For the best texture, make fresh rice when you're ready to serve.
The spice level will depend largely on the red curry paste you use. If you're sensitive to spicy food, start with a smaller amount and add more as needed. You can also add extra coconut milk or broth to mellow the heat.
Bell peppers, green peas, spinach, broccoli, or snap peas would all work well. You can also keep it simple with the cucumber topping and add whatever vegetables you have on hand.
These curry bowls are dairy-free. They are gluten-free with the use of tamari instead of soy sauce.
Other Delicious Bowl Recipes
If you make this coconut curry bowl recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Coconut Curry Bowl With Rice
Ingredients
For the rice:
- 1 ½ cups uncooked jasmine rice, rinsed
- 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or water
For the meat:
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 pound lean ground meat of choice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ⅓ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
For the sauce:
- 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk (full fat or lite both work)
- 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 lime, juiced
Toppings:
- Diced cucumber, chopped cilantro, thinly sliced green onion
Instructions
- Rinse the jasmine rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs mostly clear. Add the rice and chicken broth (or water) to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Alternatively, you can also cook it in a rice cooker.
- While the rice cooks, make the meat. In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, and arrowroot powder until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground meat and cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Pour the soy sauce mixture over the meat. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the meat. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium pot, combine the coconut milk, chicken broth, red curry paste, soy sauce, and salt. Whisk until the curry paste is dissolved.
- Bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust, adding more salt, soy sauce, or lime juice if needed.
- To assemble, divide the rice between bowls and top with the meat. Ladle the warm curry broth over the top and finish with green onion, cilantro, and cucumber if desired.
Notes
- Save time/prep ahead:
- This curry bowl is a great meal prep option because each component can be prepared ahead of time.
- Cook the rice and meat and prepare the curry broth up to 4 days ahead, then store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. When you're ready to eat, simply reheat and assemble your bowl with fresh toppings.
- For an especially easy dinner, you can also prepare the meat and curry broth earlier in the day and make the rice just before serving. Or you could buy microwavable rice packets and a pre-made red curry sauce.
- The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Curry Bowl." The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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