Ground Chicken Green Thai Curry

The pregnancy is real. The second test confirmed it. Jessica made an appointment with her OB for next week, but we both already know — the tiredness, the slight nausea, the way she pushed away her coffee this morning with a face that said "this beverage has betrayed me." All the signs. Baby number two is cooking, no pun intended, and we haven't told anyone yet because Jessica wants to wait until the first ultrasound, which is the responsible, correct thing to do, and which is killing me because I am a man who cannot keep good news to myself.

I almost told my dad on Sunday. We were standing at his grill, as always, and he asked me why I was smiling, and I said "it's a nice day" and he looked at me like I was crazy because it was 70 degrees and partly cloudy, which is a normal day, not a smiling day. I changed the subject to brisket. He let me. Roberto Rivera knows when to push and when to wait. He waited.

Sofia is unaware that her world is about to change. She's two and a half, solidly in the toddler years, and her current obsession is dinosaurs, which she discovered via a book from the library. She calls all dinosaurs "dino" regardless of species, and she roars at inappropriate times — at church, at the grocery store, at my mom's house when Elena was on the phone. The roaring is endearing and also very loud. I imagine her roaring at a baby sibling and the baby crying and I think: this is going to be chaos. Beautiful, necessary chaos.

Made something for Jessica this week that she's been craving: chicken pozole verde. The green version — tomatillos, green chiles, jalapeños, cilantro, hominy, chicken — that's lighter and brighter than the red version I made in December. Cravings have started already, which Jessica says is psychosomatic and I say is biological and the truth is probably somewhere in between. She ate two bowls, and then a third that she called "just a taste" even though it was a full bowl. I didn't point this out because I am a smart man and smart men don't comment on pregnant women's portion sizes.

The BBQ competition season starts next month. I need to balance prep with pregnancy support with firefighting with coaching CYO with being a present father to Sofia. The math doesn't work on paper. But it didn't work on paper last year either, and I still finished seventh in the state. You don't solve everything at once. You just show up to the next thing. Dad's advice. The only advice that has ever actually worked.

The pozole verde was the inspiration, but on a Tuesday night with a tired, first-trimester wife and a toddler who had already roared at the dog twice before dinner, I needed something that could deliver that same bright, green, deeply savory comfort without a two-hour simmer. This ground chicken green Thai curry is what I landed on — fast enough for a weeknight, rich enough to feel like you made an effort, and green in exactly the way Jessica needed it to be. She didn’t ask questions. She just finished her bowl and said “again sometime.” That’s the highest compliment in this house.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb ground chicken
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp green curry paste
1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced into half-moons
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup snap peas, trimmed
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fresh Thai basil or regular basil leaves
Cooked jasmine rice, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

Brown the chicken. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 5–6 minutes. Drain excess liquid if needed.
Bloom the curry paste. Push the chicken to one side of the pan. Add the green curry paste to the empty side and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute until fragrant. Stir the paste into the chicken.
Build the sauce. Pour in the coconut milk and chicken broth, stirring to combine everything. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Add the vegetables. Add the zucchini, red bell pepper, and snap peas. Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Season and finish. Stir in the fish sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more fish sauce for salt, lime for brightness, or a pinch of sugar if needed.
Serve. Ladle over jasmine rice. Top with fresh basil and serve with lime wedges on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ground Chicken Green Thai Curry — The Green Bowl That Started a Secret