Coconut Milk Chicken with Cilantro Lime
Creamy coconut milk chicken with fresh lime juice, cilantro, and red pepper flakes. Your taste buds are in for a treat!
Serving Tip: Serve this coconut lime chicken over Pineapple Rice with a side of Roasted Garlic Green Beans for one incredibly delicious meal.
Coconut Lime Chicken
The best type of meals are sometimes the easiest type of meals that require minimal ingredients and little prep time.
This coconut milk chicken is made with chicken breast that is simmered in the most delicious creamy coconut milk sauce with fresh lime juice, cilantro, and red pepper flakes.
The sweetness of coconut milk combined with the freshness of lime juice and the spiciness of pepper flakes is seriously one of the best flavor combinations. The best way to serve it is over hot cooked rice.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is the star of this creamy cilantro lime chicken. It adds creamy richness, nutty, and slightly sweet flavor.
It also thickens naturally so you don’t need any additional thickening agents. Here are a few tips when buying coconut milk.
- Canned – there are many varieties of coconut milk, such as canned, boxed, refrigerated, and even powdered. Look for canned coconut milk, usually found in the Asian aisle of the grocery store.
- Unsweetened – be sure you’re buying unsweetened coconut milk. It’s naturally sweet, whereas sweetened condensed coconut milk and cream of coconut both contain added sugar and are often found near the coconut milk.
- Full-Fat – for best results, use full-fat coconut milk. Lite coconut milk has less fat than regular coconut milk and tends to be more watery looking in the can. Plus you want the richness of full-fat coconut milk.
- Shake the Can – when you crack open a can, there’s often a layer of the solid white stuff at the top, which is what’s known as “coconut cream.” Before opening the can, vigorously shake it to combine the cream and the liquid together.
- Favorite Brand – I love Thai Organic Unsweetened Coconut Milk, which is fairly available at most grocery stores. It only has three ingredients and tastes and looks the best.
I also love the brand Nature’s Promise, which is a Giant grocery store label. You can also make your own coconut milk with only 2-ingredients!
How to Make Coconut Chicken
- Step 1: First prep the chicken by slicing each breast in half lengthwise. Place each cutlet between plastic wrap and pound until no more than 1/4-inch thick. Season all over with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Step 2: Heat a large sauté pan, preferably a cast-iron or a stainless steel pan over medium/high heat. Add butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When butter is melted and hot, add chicken and sauté until lightly golden, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- You want the chicken lightly seared on the outside but still raw on the inside. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Step 3: To the same pan, add the remaining olive oil, white parts of the green onion and garlic. Cook just until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Make sure to keep an eye on it as the garlic burns easily.
- Stir in chicken stock, lime juice and zest, honey, and red pepper flakes. Simmer until the mixture is reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes while scraping to loosen brown bits from the bottom of the pan. You want the mixture at a simmer and not boil, so if needed, reduce the heat at this point.
- Step 4: Stir in coconut milk and season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until reduced and thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Step 5: Return the chicken to the pan and cook until completely cooked through. It should take no more than 4-5 minutes. Make sure not to overcook the chicken or it will be tough.
- Step 6: Lastly, stir in the green parts of the green onion and cilantro. Serve over hot cooked rice.
How to Cook Chicken with Coconut Oil
You can easily make this coconut milk chicken recipe completely dairy-free by simply swapping out the butter for the coconut oil. Use unrefined or virgin coconut oil. It’s going to be the least processed.
In step 2, where the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of butter, simply use 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Heat it over medium/high heat with olive oil and proceed with the recipe as directed.
Coconut Milk Recipes
- Coconut Milk Shrimp – try this version but with shrimp instead.
- Coconut Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Mango Salsa – must for summer grill out!
- Cilantro Lime Coconut Rice – pairs so well with grilled chicken or seafood
- Easy Chicken Vegetable Curry – easy and quick one-pan meal
Video: How to Make Coconut Milk Chicken with Cilantro Lime
Coconut Milk Chicken with Cilantro Lime
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Thai
Description
Creamy cilantro lime chicken with coconut milk, fresh lime juice, cilantro, and red pepper flakes. Your taste buds are in for a treat!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. butter*
- 2 green onions, green and whites sliced + separated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- Zest of 1 lime
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 (14 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk, full fat
- 2–3 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise and pound each cutlet between plastic wrap until no more than 1/4″ thick. Season each cutlet all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large heavy-duty sauté pan over medium-high heat, preferably a cast-iron or a stainless steel pan. Melt butter with 1 Tablespoon of oil. When hot, add chicken cutlets and sauté until lightly golden, about 1-2 minutes per side. You want the chicken just lightly seared on the outside and not cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- To the same pan, add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and cook the white parts of the green onions and garlic until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Make sure not to burn the garlic.
- Stir in chicken stock, lime juice, lime zest, honey, and red pepper flakes. Simmer until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes, while stirring and scraping to loosen browned bits from the bottom of the pan. If needed, reduce the heat so the mixture is at a simmer and not a boil.
- Stir in coconut milk and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer until reduced and thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Return the chicken to pan and cook until the chicken is cooked through, approximately 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in green parts of green onions and cilantro.
Notes
- To make it dairy-free, use coconut oil in place of butter.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cutlet with sauce
- Calories: 428
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 93.5 mg
- Fat: 30.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.2 g
- Protein: 28.1 g
- Cholesterol: 93.5 mg
Keywords: dairy free, quick, easy, chicken breast, summer
Delicious. I actually used shredded chicken and just mixed the sauce with it and served it over cauliflower rice. My big football player sons woofed it down before they even had a chance to realize they were eating healthy.
★★★★★
I see that you don’t grate the lime. Delia says to do that in her book, but then, she doesn’t say how the zest should be used, which is strange. So, one ends up grating the thing for ages and adding it to the sauce as an experiment, and making it bitter if the lime isn’t Brazilian and not too sour.
easy & delicious! will make again!
★★★★★
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed it.
I made this recipe, and it was really delicious, I added some ginger to it and wow! it was amazing, I also pured the chicken and sauce over a jacket potato!
This meal is going to be my go to from now on 😁
★★★★★
*poured
I made the Coconut Milk Chicken with Cilantro Lime and it was a triumph. Have shared the recipe with my children who will enjoy it as much as we did tonight. Great recipe thanks
★★★★★
is chicken stock necessary?
Yes
I made it without the chicken stock and it was good
I made this tonight with the Pineapple rice; both were delicious! Thank you for the wonderful recipes!
★★★★★
Finally made the dish, per recipe instructions, and I still don’t know if it will go into the regular rotation. The instructions to adjust to taste after simmering with coconut milk were kind of strange since I didn’t know what flavor I was after. I did add more lime juice. When I did that taste test I noticed a coating on my tongue that I attribute to the coconut cream. Definitely a different sensation/taste a thoroughly pleasant one. I also made the pineapple basmati rice, a first for me. The recipe in my opinion would have only rated three stars but over the pineapple rice definitely kicked it up to four. At times I felt like the chicken got in the way- the pineapple rice and “gravy” were so GOOD.
I cannot wait to have the leftovers- to see how the flavors meld.
Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★
I simply adore this recipe! I was a bit shy of trying the pineapple rice, but gee, was I in for a surprise! Delicious is too mild a word for these recipes. Can’t wait to make it again and again!
★★★★★
I didn’t make enough rice and I am absolutely shamelessly spooning up the rest of the sauce like a soup. Made this with drumsticks (because $ and toddlers) and it worked out really well to sear them, transfer them to a tray in a 425 oven while making the sauce, and proceeding from there as written. Family loved it, will be using this site more often!
★★★★★
Super easy and really tasty.
Little broken has got to be the best cookery site I have found. All the recipes are fabulous and easy to follow.
★★★★★
Thank you Carol! I appreciate your feedback.
I have made this dish many times. It is a huge family favorite!! My family likes a bit more spice so I add extra chili flakes, green onions and cilantro. For my one vegetarian, I substitute tofu and sweet potatoes for chicken. It’s definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
Delicious and easy to make. It is a favorite for my hard-to-feed teen boys, and I love it, too. Serve with brown rice and broccoli for a quick, scrumptious, and healthy dinner.
I am currently on a detox and had to leave out the butter and honey. Instead I used 2 T of raw tahini butter. Also, I’m not a lime or cilantro fan, so I used lemon and parsley, fantastic! I will definitely make this again.
★★★★★
So like, you just made a totally different recipe. Love that journey for you
Hahaha. Made my day.
This was very easy and SO tasty. Thank you! My husband LOVED it–as did I. It’s definitely going on the regular rotation, and I may need to double the recipe for extra leftovers. I love how the sauce is easily adjustable for any taste preferences (i.e., Prefer things spicy? Add more pepper flakes. Want more tang? Add more lime.) It really is a recipe to please the masses. Also, I used basmati, which seems a pretty natural choice, but the sauce would be so tasty on quinoa and other heartier grains. You really can’t go wrong since it’s so good! Next time, I’m going to throw in broccoli to the sauce in those last 4-5 min just to get some veggies and soak up more of that delicious sauce.
★★★★★
Pretty good recipe. Simple and straightforward and really yummy. It was a bit too runny for me and I summered for almost 20 minutes and used less chicken broth than asked. Eeek.
★★★★
What a winner! Thank you for your lovely recipe.
★★★★★
Does this reheat well? It’s one of my favourite recipes so I’m thinking of making a double batch to have leftovers the next night.
Easy to prep and delicious. Kids enjoyed it too
★★★★★