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Thai

Coconut Lime Chicken

Chicken simmered in coconut milk with lime, garlic, and a little chili. The sauce is rich but bright, and it belongs over rice.

Prep
10 min
Cook
22 min
Total
32 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
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Chicken in a pale coconut-lime sauce with cilantro and lime wedges.

Why you’ll love it

  • Coconut milk and lime do the heavy lifting. The spice list is short.
  • Thighs stay tender in a simmer.
  • You can dial the heat with the chili, or leave it out.
  • The sauce is loose enough for rice without being soup.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Season the chicken with salt. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high and brown the chicken, about 3 minutes per side. It does not need to be cooked through yet.

  2. 2

    Add garlic and ginger around the chicken and stir 30 seconds.

  3. 3

    Pour in the coconut milk, lime zest, fish sauce, brown sugar, and pepper flakes. Scrape the pan.

  4. 4

    Simmer gently 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is 165°F and the sauce has thickened slightly.

  5. 5

    Stir in the lime juice. Taste. It should be salty, rich, and bright. Add a pinch of salt or another squeeze of lime if it is dull.

  6. 6

    Scatter cilantro over the top and serve with rice.

Pro tips

  • Full-fat coconut milk is what makes the sauce coat the spoon. Light coconut milk will taste thin.
  • Add lime juice off the boil so it stays fragrant.
  • Do not let the coconut milk boil hard or it can separate. A low simmer is enough.

Easy substitutions

Fish sauce
Soy sauce, for a slightly different salt. It will not taste the same, and it will no longer be the original seasoning.
Red pepper flakes
A sliced fresh chili.
Thighs
Breasts, simmered only until 165°F so they do not dry.

Storage and reheating

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days. The sauce may firm up as the coconut fat cools.

Reheating

Warm over low heat, stirring, until hot and smooth. A splash of water helps if it looks thick.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
615
Protein
37 g
Carbs
40 g
Fat
34 g
Fiber
1 g

Moderate · Stovetop · High Protein

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients