Coconut-Lime Chicken
Thai and Indian inspired recipe for a super easy weeknight dinner. This creamy coconut milk chicken recipe is made with fresh lime juice, creamy coconut cream, and chicken breasts.
It’s made with simple pantry ingredients like coconut milk, chicken broth, and soy sauce, plus a few fresh ones like tender chicken breasts, zesty lime juice, garlic, and ginger. The creamy coconut milk combined with the tangy freshness of lime juice and saltiness of soy sauce is a great flavor combination. Best served over steaming hot white rice.
Ingredients
- 4 large, skinless chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon oil (olive or veg)
- 2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 8 cloves garlic (minced)
- 4 teaspoons ginger (fresh or more if powdered)
- 1 or 2 serrano peppers (seeded)
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup of lime juice (fresh is best)
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 cans coconut cream (15 oz each)
- fresh cilantro
- red pepper flakes
Directions
- Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to make four thinner chicken breast cutlets. Season both sides with salt, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and sear for approximately 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden and nearly cooked through. Remove chicken and transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add one more tablespoon of coconut oil. Add the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the onions have softened, add the garlic, ginger, and diced chili pepper (if using). Mix well and continue to cook for one minute more, stirring continuously.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in the fresh lime juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce. Mix well to combine.
- Allow the mixture to simmer and reduce for approximately 5 minutes, then add the coconut cream.
- Optional – to thicken your sauce, whisk together 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp water and add directly to the simmering coconut broth. Repeat, as needed, until the desired thickness is reached.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet. Cover and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and heated through.
- Serve garnished with chopped cilantro, red chili flakes, and fresh limes
Pro Tips
- For best results, use full-fat unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened coconut cream. Using lite coconut milk is not recommended.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can thicken it up by allowing it to simmer, for longer, over medium-low heat, or by adding a little cornstarch slurry. Note, however, that the sauce for this recipe is not meant to be super thick (which is also why it’s so delicious served with warm rice).
- Add additional veggies like bell pepper, zucchini, or tomatoes.
- To make gluten-free: swap out the soy sauce for coconut aminos or tamari (available at most grocery stores).
- To make keto-friendly: leave out the brown sugar.
- Make it even more flavorful and add a couple of tablespoons of fish sauce.
- Make it even spicier by adding a generous pinch of cayenne powder to the sauce.
