Why you’ll love this coconut milk chicken
5 ingredients – coconut milk, lime juice, garlic, ginger, and chicken. That’s all you need for this recipe, and if you want to make it even easier you can use minced garlic and grated ginger from jars, so it’s literally just about dumping everything into a zip-top bag.
This might just be the easiest dinner I’ve ever made. Since I prepped my marinade early in the morning, dinner felt like it only took a few minutes, but the chicken turns out tender and juicy with perfectly crispy, golden skin.
If you like this recipe, you have to try these peanut chicken wraps, and these ground chicken tacos and this tequila lime chicken.
More chicken recipes: Thai basil chicken / Chinese chicken and broccoli / lemon garlic roasted chicken / cilantro lime chicken
Ingredient notes:
- Chicken – This recipe uses a whole cut up chicken. If you don’t have one or can’t find one at the store, that’s okay. You can swap any combination of bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. If you’re doing that, I’d recommend a combination of dark and white meat. Make sure your chicken breasts aren’t super large, or they’ll take longer than the rest of your chicken to cook (this applies when you’re choosing your package of whole cut up chicken, too).
- Coconut milk – Make sure to get unsweetened coconut milk, this is used to marinate the chicken.
- Lime juice – Normally, I recommend freshly squeezed lime juice, but since this is just for a marinade, bottled is perfectly fine. You can also substitute lemon juice or a light vinegar, such as rice or white wine if you don’t have citrus juice.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Melissa’s tips & tricks
- Pat the chicken dry. Don’t rinse – just use paper towels to remove the extra marinade. This is the secret to chicken that actually crisps up in the oven. Typically we add a bit of oil to the skin but since the coconut milk contains fat, this isn’t necessary.
- Use a meat thermometer. Chicken should be cooked to 165˚F, or 74˚C. I always recommend using a reliable kitchen thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked to a food safe temperature.
- Let it rest. Don’t cut into your chicken pieces right after they come out of the oven. Give them time to rest and reabsorb any juices that were lost during the cooking process.
Frequently asked questions
Ideally, you want your chicken to marinate for at least a few hours. I try to get at least 4 hours, but when I can, I like to start the marinating process the night before I plan to cook my chicken. I don’t recommend going much longer than 24 hours, or you run the risk of tough, rubbery chicken.
Absolutely! This coconut chicken recipe is great on the grill! Sear the chicken over medium-high direct heat for about 5 minutes per side, then move to indirect heat and continue to cook for about 30 more minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F. Bone-in pieces will take 35–50 minutes depending on their size.
You can, but the results will be different. Bone-in, skin-on chicken stays much juicier in the oven and the skin helps protect the meat. Boneless, skinless pieces will cook faster — check for doneness around 30–35 minutes — and the exterior won’t have the same golden color.
More great chicken recipes: garlic braised chicken legs / beer brined chicken drumsticks / grilled herb mustard chicken
Coconut Milk Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 pounds whole cut-up chicken
- 1 15- ounce can coconut milk
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Fresh chopped cilantro, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk, lime juice, garlic, ginger, salt & pepper. In a large zip top bag, combine chicken and marinade. Allow chicken to sit in marinade for at least 1 hour, but ideally overnight.
- Roast the chicken. Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Pat the chicken dry and lightly season with salt & pepper, to taste. Then transfer the chicken pieces to a large baking dish and bake for 45 – 55 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F.
- Garnish and serve. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for about 5 – 10 minutes. Top with cilantro before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Thank you for this easy recipe! The coconut milk and lime juice combo sounds delicious, and I love how simple it is to make. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal!