This coconut chicken with a hint of lime is creamy and delicious! With just one skillet and a few simple ingredients, you’ll have a tasty, yet healthy dinner. This coconut chicken is packed with flavor and takes less than 30 minutes to make!
What Makes This Creamy Coconut Chicken with Lime Recipe So Good
- It’s foolproof and surprisingly easy to make! Sear the chicken, make the sauce, then nestle everything back into the skillet to finish cooking. This is the perfect simple dinner recipe to make when entertaining friends and/or family. Impress everyone with your culinary skills – no one needs to know how easy it was to make!
- It’s jam-packed with flavor! Creamy coconut milk, tangy lime juice, fresh lime zest, and a sprinkling of cilantro give this dish tremendous flavor. When left to simmer in the sauce, the chicken soaks up all of that deliciousness!
- Serve this creamy coconut chicken over cauliflower rice or with a side of veggies for a naturally low-carb meal. That’s right, this drool-worthy dish is naturally low-carb, gluten-free, and easily made dairy-free! This recipe suits a variety of diets and needs.
Key Ingredients for Creamy Coconut Chicken with Lime
Chicken Cutlets – Either purchase chicken cutlets from the store or slice chicken breasts into cutlets yourself. If starting with chicken breasts, slice them in half horizontally, creating two thin breasts. If you desire a thinner cutlet, use a meat mallet to pound the chicken until about 1/4-inch thick.
Coconut Milk – Be sure to use unsweetened full-fat coconut milk in this creamy coconut chicken recipe. Full-fat milk will give you a deliciously thick and creamy sauce! You should be able to find canned unsweetened full-fat coconut milk in either the baking or ethnic food aisle.
Red Pepper Flakes – Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes in this recipe to your preferred spice level. I love spice so I use a full teaspoon of red pepper flakes in this recipe. However, just half a teaspoon packs in quite a bit of heat and is better for those with a mild to medium spice preference. And if you’re spice-averse, you can leave the red pepper flakes out of this recipe altogether!
Chef’s Tips
- Stir the sauce every minute or two while it simmers on the stove. Stirring will distribute the flavors and ensure that the sauce thickens evenly. You can even give the sauce a taste during this step and adjust any seasoning as desired!
- Store leftover creamy coconut chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. When ready to eat, reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until warm throughout.
- Serve this healthy and delicious dinner however you’d like! I love throwing this chicken over a bed of rice – the rice soaks up the sauce and is just incredible. Though if you’re looking to keep things low-carb and keto-friendly, try cauliflower rice or your favorite sautéed veggies instead.
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
- Marry Me Chicken
- Best Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
- Szechuan Chicken
- Chicken Pesto Sandwich
- Beer-Battered Coconut Chicken with Orange-Horseradish Sauce
- Slow Cooker Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Baked Chicken Meatballs
- Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken
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Creamy Coconut Chicken with Lime
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken cutlets about 1/4-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons butter see Notes
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 15-ounce can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- ½-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season both side of chicken cutlets with salt and pepper.
- Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat, add chicken cutlets and cook until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Add in garlic, cooking for just a few seconds or until fragrant. Add in coconut milk, chicken stock, lime juice, lime zest, and red pepper flakes. Bring everything to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until sauce has reduced by about half.
- Return chicken cutlets to skillet, cover with lid, and cook for about 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make it Dairy-Free: Use coconut oil in place of the butter.
Nutrition
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Hi! I’m Sam, a travel, food and fitness enthusiast from the New York metro area. I love creating new and inventive recipes, and my favorite part is sharing them with others. My love of food goes all the way back to my early childhood, I grew up cooking alongside my mom and Nonna – the two best cooks I know! When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m either planning my next vacation, spending time outdoors (preferably on a beach), or bingeing Netflix’s latest docu-series. My passion for eating and living well led me to create the blog and Instagram account, Sam Does Her Best, where I health-ify my favorite comfort foods. I’m a big believer that good-for-you food can still be exploding with flavor and (most importantly) easy to make. I’m thrilled to be here at 40 Aprons doing what I do best – creating, photographing, and sharing delicious recipes with you all!
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