Coconut Milk Chicken Recipe
Creamy coconut milk chicken recipe with fresh lime juice, cilantro, and red pepper flakes. Your taste buds are in for a treat!
Jump to:
- Coconut Lime Chicken
- What You’ll Need for Making Chicken in Coconut Milk
- How to Make One Pan Coconut Lime Chicken
- Tips for Making Coconut Milk Chicken
- Variations of Chicken and Coconut Milk
- What to Serve with One Pan Coconut Lime Chicken
- Storing Leftover Coconut Lime Chicken
- Video: How to Make Coconut Milk Chicken with Cilantro Lime
- Chicken and Coconut Milk with Cilantro and Lime
- You May Also Like…
Featured Comment: “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.” ~Emmy
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.
Serving Tip: Serve this coconut lime chicken over Pineapple Rice with a side of Roasted Garlic Green Beans for one incredibly delicious meal.
What You’ll Need for Making Chicken in Coconut Milk
All the ingredients for coconut milk chicken can be easily found at your nearby grocery store. For complete details on ingredients and quantities, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Chicken breast: I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and slice them into ¼-inch thick strips. If preferred, chicken tenders or boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used.
- Olive oil and butter: These combine to sear the chicken and infuse it with rich flavor. Then, we add more oil to sauté the green onions and garlic.
- Green onions: Use both the green and white parts.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Chicken stock: Use store-bought or homemade chicken stock to form the base of the sauce.
- Lime: Both lime juice and lime zest are used to add a vibrant, refreshing taste.
- Honey: Adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the spice. Do not omit.
- Red pepper flakes: Use as little or as much as you like to add a bit of spice.
- Unsweetened coconut milk: Unsweetened canned milk is what you want. For best results, use full-fat coconut milk.
- Cilantro: Adds a bright, herbaceous taste.
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 One Pan Coconut Lime 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.
Tips for Making Coconut Milk Chicken
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.
Variations of Chicken and Coconut Milk
This coconut milk chicken recipe can be adjusted to suit your preferences. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Veggies: Add extra nutrients and bulk by sautéeing zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, or tomatoes with the garlic.
- Spice: Enhance the spice by including a pinch of cayenne pepper or diced chili peppers.
- Fish Sauce: Add a slightly salty taste and extra depth with a tablespoon of fish sauce.
- Tomato Paste: Add a richer flavor by stirring tomato paste into the coconut sauce.
- Coconut Oil: Make this recipe dairy-free by replacing the butter with coconut oil.
What to Serve with One Pan Coconut Lime Chicken
This recipe pairs well with a variety of side dishes. However, if you’re looking for inspiration, some of our favorite side ideas include:
- Steamed White Rice or Coconut Lime Rice
- Rice Noodles
- Roasted Vegetables
- Roasted Broccoli
Storing Leftover Coconut Lime Chicken
This recipe is best enjoyed right away while it’s still warm and fresh. However, if you have leftovers, you can transfer them to an airtight container. They will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days.
How to Reheat Coconut Milk Chicken
Reheat the coconut chicken in a skillet over medium heat. Add an extra splash of stock as needed to freshen the sauce back up.
More Like This Coconut Milk Chicken Recipe
- 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
If you try Coconut Milk Chicken, please leave a star rating and let me know how you like the recipe in the comments below.
PrintChicken and Coconut Milk with Cilantro and 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
My husband is not a picky eater but at times he is with special foods like my coconut crushed chicken tenders and anything curry based. But I wanted to try something healthy! This recipe was a hit! My husband absolutely loved this! My husband bought me 2 coconut milk cans the following day and requested I make it again! It was a hit and there were NO leftovers! (Yay for my Tupperware) The sides I found that compliment the chicken is mashed potatoes and vegetables! Will be using this website more often now!
That’s so great! So happy to hear it was a hit.
I’m thinking of making this with leftover white-meat turkey… do you think it will work?
With cooked turkey meat or raw? It could possibly work.
Can i use lemon juice and basil (instead of lime juice and cilantro)
I think it should be okay! I haven’t tried it with lemon juice but it’s most similar to the flavor and acidity of lime.
Loved this! I’m always looking for coconut recipes without curry in it. Even my picky 7 year old eat it.
That’s so great! Thank you Aileen.
We make this dish all of the time. We love it. What a fun, innovative recipe!!
Thank you! So happy you’re enjoying it.
I made this chicken and paired it with the pineapple rice as suggested. It was the perfect meal for a celebration of me finishing my second year of grad school, and my husband accepting an offer for his new dream job. It’s a new favorite of mine, but since we have several people in the house, I double the recipe, and it worked out just fine.
Thank you Lacey! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it. And congratulations!
wondering where all the carbs are coming from in the nutritional information? Honey and onions would add some and maybe the lime juice but wouldn’t expect it to add 12.2 per serving when is serves 6. Just curious. It looks keto friendly when just looking at ingredients
We use an online nutrition calculator to figure out the nutrition info and it’s only a rough estimate. So I can’t answer with certainty. I would recommend that you calculate the nutrition information yourself for more accurate numbers.
I love anything coconut milk with chicken and prefer without curry as I make a lot of curry food. I wanted to give this a try and read most of the comments. After browning the chicken in Butter and 1 T oil putting the chicken on the side as directed, I removed the cooked juices from the pan and set aside. I added 1/2 chopped white onion, 1 chopped white potato blanched and saute it with the green onions and garlic. The juices saved from the chicken made about 1/2 cup so I added 1/2 of chicken stock and mixed in 1 T corn starch for thickening before adding into saute mix in the pan. This helped thicken the coconut and added much more flavor to this recipe!
Really good, family enjoyed it… Added fresh ginger to the recipe… Thank you for the recipe
Thanks for feedback Mike!
Perfect as is!! I really enjoyed making AND eating this! I followed your recipe exactly and it was delicious! Served with Jasmine Rice… yum! Thank you!
It was really good, thanks for sharing! Pretty easy, but I did embellish a bit – I added a little corn starch to thicken the sauce and I didn’t do cutlets, I pounded the chicken but left if a bit thicker and cut up into big chunks and sauteed a bit longer, also cooked the sauce a bit longer after adding the milk and added some green chilies, yum!
Made this today for the first time. I have to say it is very good, love to try different things in food. Love how easy it was to make very flavorful husband liked it that is a win win. I will be making this again.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you Linda.
I have made this so many times and it is always a hit for dinner with the family. I tend to omit the red pepper flakes for the kids but it is always delicious and i love how simple and easy it is to put together.
Thank you Amy!
Omg this was delicious! I rarely comment but this was so good I had to!
Thank you so much for your comment Christina! So appreciate it.
Unreal! I also wilted baby spinach in at the end, and stirred in some well cooked broccoli for some extra greens. The flavours were incredible!
Love that! Thank you.
Simple and tasty. I added a tablespoon of sofrito which has cilantro and it was quite savory.
So delicious! The whole family loved it! Thank you for this amazing recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave me feedback.
Made this recipe a 2 times and it was delicious. I also made some cilantro lime rice to go with it and it’s really good.
mine didn’t thicken – any idea? I was simmering for double the time and it would not thicken.
Did you use full fat coconut milk in a can?
I’m having the same problem. Definitely using full fat but it’s super runny even after simmering for ages. Still great flavour though. Any suggestions?
It shouldn’t be watery. Are you using canned coconut milk? Also keep in mind after you let the chicken rest in the pan, the juices will settle and the sauce will thicken a little more.
Thanks for getting back to me!
Yeah I’m using canned coconut milk.
I’ll try leaving the chicken in for a bit longer!
Everyone loved this!
I’ll change some things next time, though. I felt that there was just soooo much oil. I left out 1 Tbsp entirely & thought there was still too much. I think the chicken will sear enough with just the butter!
I think I’d like it better with just a bit less of the red pepper flakes.
I’ll definitely have pineapple on the side next time, too!
Thank you; it was great!