This easy coconut lime chicken is about to be on rotation on your dinner table. Simple flavourful coconut chicken dinner the whole family would love. It is bursting with flavours and very delicious.
Serve with boiled basmati rice, garlic butter rice or coconut rice because there can’t be enough coconut on your plate.
I make coconut lime chicken when I am craving coconut chicken curry without the curry flavour, I used boneless skinless chicken thighs for today’s recipe, but it can be made with bone-in chicken thighs or chicken breast.
You can also add Thai paste to the coconut sauce if desired. I have left it out in this recipe to keep it simple. That said, I have added a little bit of cumin to the sauce in the past and it worked a treat.
What makes this recipe stand out
It is a one-pot recipe that is simple, easy and quick. That said, simple doesn’t mean bland for this great recipe. With minimal prep and a handful of pantry staple ingredients, you can have this recipe from the kitchen to the dinner table in 20 minutes. This homemade coconut lime chicken thigh promises a big flavour. You’ve got to love that right?
Related recipes: cilantro lime cucumber salad and air fryer cilantro lime chicken.
What you need to make this simple coconut chicken thighs
Boneless skinless chicken thighs: you can substitute chicken thighs for chicken breast or chicken tenders.
Coconut oil: substitute for other cooking oil of choice. Avocado oil or vegetable oil are great options here.
Unsweetened full fat coconut milk or coconut cream
Fresh lime juice
Scotch bonnet chili: substitute for cayenne pepper, jalapeno or red pepper flaked known as red chilli flakes in the UK
Chicken stock: You only need a little to deglaze the pan.
Ginger paste: I prefer the smooth ginger paste to grated ginger for this recipe. You can use grated ginger if you prefer
Garlic: I don’t recommend garlic powder or granules for this recipe, fresh garlic all the way.
Onion
Salt and pepper
Spring greens and Parsley to garnish
How to make coconut lime chicken
Start by seasoning the boneless chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper
heat up coconut oil on medium heat until melted, carefully add the chicken to the hot coconut oil and sear on both sides for 3 to 4 minutes. remove the chicken and place it on a kitchen towel or a plate then set it aside.
If the residual oil from cooking the chicken is much, reduce it at this point. Sauté the finely chopped onions until soft and fragrant. Add chopped garlic and ginger paste then stir to combine. Cook until the garlic is soft but not burnt.
Add chicken stock, lime juice, scotch bonnet chilli, coconut milk, salt and pepper then stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer for about 3 minutes.
Return the cooked chicken thighs to the simmering coconut milk. Add chopped green onions and parsley, check for salt and pepper and adjust to taste. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until the coconut milk sauce reduces in size.
Take it off the heat and serve over some boiled rice. Garnish with chopped green onions or parsley.
How to store
While I love to serve this dish on the day it’s made, sometimes life happens and you have leftovers. This recipe does keep well for up to 3 days in the fridge. Make sure to let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container.
Tips
If you would like a thicker sauce, make a slurry with ½ tablespoon of cornflour/cornstarch. Add to the sauce and cook until it thickens to your desired consistency.
It can be tricky opening a can of coconut milk as the fat settles in the top and the liquid at the bottom. The best way to open a can of coconut milk without the mess is by opening it from the bottom of the can. Simply turn the can upside down and open it with a can opener. Empty the liquid to a bowl or straight to the dish you are using it for then scoop the creamy fat bit with a spoon and mix to combine.
More chicken thighs recipe
can you tell we love chicken around here?
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Coconut Lime Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoon Coconut oil substitute for other cooking oil of choice. Avocado oil or vegetable oil are great options here.
- 400 g Unsweetened full fat coconut milk or 200g coconut cream
- Fresh lime juice
- 1 Scotch bonnet chilli
- ⅓ cup Chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste
- 5 Garlic cloves
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 1 Spring greens
- 2 tablespoon Parsley finely chopped and more to serve
Instructions
- Start by seasoning the boneless chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat up coconut oil on medium heat until melted, carefully add the chicken to the hot coconut oil and sear on both sides for 3 to 4 minutes. remove the chicken and place it on a kitchen towel or a plate then set it aside.
- If the residual oil from cooking the chicken is much, reduce it at this point. Sauté the finely chopped onions until soft and fragrant. Add chopped garlic and ginger paste then stir to combine. Cook until the garlic is soft but not burnt.
- Add chicken stock, lime juice, scotch bonnet chilli, coconut milk, salt and pepper then stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer for about 3 minutes.
- Return the cooked chicken thighs to the simmering coconut milk. Add chopped green onions and parsley, check for salt and pepper and adjust to taste. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until the coconut milk sauce reduces in size.
- Take it off the heat and serve over some boiled rice. Garnish with chopped green onions or parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
Noot says
Approved by the husband! I used 5 Thai chili peppers and fish salt as my salt and it came out wonderfully! Definitely a recipe to do again.
Ajoke says
Yay! thank you, Noot! I am glad this was a hit at yours, thank you for the feedback.
Kathy says
Super good! I added chunks of sweet potato which did a wonderful job of soaking up the sauce. Used a jalapeño with seeds, and this had the perfect amount of heat. My husband was in heaven - declared it restaurant worthy. Big thumbs up! Small thing - some places you say lemon instead of lime. I just used lime, but you may want to correct that to avoid confusion..
Lesley says
Was a little confusing because the recipe says "1 Spring greens" . How much spring greens is that? Also it said "lime juice", but didn't clarify how much? Some clarification on these items would be helpful.. Otherwise delicious! 🙂