This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This creamy coconut milk chicken recipe is made with fresh lime juice, creamy coconut cream, and tender, juicy chicken breasts. Easy and delicious, have this one-pan, dairy-free, and low-carb chicken dinner on the table in just about 30 minutes!
This creamy coconut milk chicken is one of my all-time favorite, super easy weeknight dinners! It’s yummy any time of year, rain or shine, and so easy to whip together.
I first shared this Thai and Indian inspired recipe with you guys over three years ago – and it remains, even today, one of my go-to simple recipes.
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 one of the most amazing flavor combinations.
Best served over steaming hot rice, it’s also delicious with zucchini noodles, steamed vegetables, or cauliflower rice.
Kids love it, too! Just ask my 7-year-old (and his friends) who practically polished off what you see in these photos before I had a chance to get any myself!
How to Make Coconut Milk Chicken
(Full ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below)
1. Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to make four thinner chicken breast cutlets. If preferred, pound your chicken breasts using a meat tenderizer to equal thickness, however, I find that to be more work and significantly messier.
2. Season generously with salt, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
3. Melt some coconut oil in a large skillet then sear the chicken for about 3-5 minutes on each side. The chicken should be golden and nearly cooked through. Remove chicken to a clean plate leaving behind any juices and seasoning in the skillet.
4. In the same skillet, cook the onions over medium heat until softened. Then add the garlic, ginger, and minced chili pepper (such as jalapeño or serrano pepper).
5. Stir in the chicken stock, fresh lime juice, brown sugar, and soy sauce, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
6. Stir in the coconut cream and return to a simmer.
7. Add the chicken back to the skillet, cover, and cook everything all together until the chicken is fully cooked and heated through.
What to Serve with Creamy Coconut Milk Chicken?
I recommend serving with a side of fragrant basmati rice or jasmine rice. I also love to serve it with a side of roasted sweet potatoes.
To keep this recipe low-carb, try serving with cauliflower rice, zoodles, or steamed veggies like green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower.
Recipe Notes & 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.
- This coconut milk chicken is also delicious with skinless chicken thighs. Simply adjust the cooking time as needed.
Try these other delicious chicken recipes,
Creamy Mushroom Chicken Recipe
Creamy Chicken Florentine Recipe
Skillet Chicken with Bacon, Caper and Olive Sauce
Did you try making this creamy coconut milk chicken recipe?
Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts.
Creamy Coconut Milk Chicken Recipe (One-Skillet)
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, (cut in half lengthwise (or 4 chicken breast cutlets))
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, or olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 serrano chili pepper, or jalapeño, diced (optional)
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, (see notes)
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce, (use tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free)
- 1 (15 ounce) can coconut cream, or full-fat coconut milk
- fresh cilantro, to garnish
- red pepper flakes, to garnish
Instructions
- 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 lime juice.
Notes
- For best results, use full-fat unsweetened coconut milk or unsweetened coconut cream.
- The sauce is not meant to be super thick like gravy. You can thicken it up by allowing it to simmer, for longer, over medium-low heat, or by adding a little cornstarch slurry.
- Add additional veggies like bell pepper, zucchini, or tomatoes.
- Use coconut aminos or tamari rather than soy sauce to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Omit the brown sugar to make this recipe keto-friendly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I searched for a recipe with chicken and coconut milk since that’s basically what we had in the pantry and I didn’t have anything planned for dinner. This was the first recipe I found so voilà! I adapted it only slightly based on the ingredients we had on-hand and it was quite tasty. It will go in our regular rotation, I think! Thank you so much for sharing it. We served it over jasmine rice with a side of steamed broccoli. It was also easy enough to make around the constant doorbell ringing of our neighborhood trick-or-treaters, not requiring constant babysitting.
I am glad this recipe worked out well on Halloween for you, Kathy 🙂
Delicious! I wouldn’t change anything!
Thank you
Thanks Jessica. Great recipe.
Mine turned out a little salty as the onion and garlic powders were salty, and also I did not use a low sodium broth.
I also added broccoli and red capsicum which compliment the coconut so nice.
Looking forward to making this again.
I also used Tajin (slime/pepper spice) so my pan was nice and spicy and had tons of flavor for when I added the chopped up zucchini and chopped up spinach. I also substituted the soy with coconut amino because I’m gluten-free, and it was fantastic! There was no need to thicken anything because it made an amazing sauce to go over my rice! this one is a keeper for sure, and I have the pickiest family on the planet! Thank you!
I love hearing that your “pickiest family” found this recipe to be a keeper 🙂
This looks fabulous! Can I use bone-in chicken thighs prepared the same way, or should I oven bake them first for a crispy skin, then finish with cooking quickly in the sauce to absorb flavor? Have you tried this variation? Thanks!
Thank you for your interest in the recipe! You can definitely use bone-in chicken thighs for this creamy coconut milk chicken recipe. Cooking them in the oven first to get a crispy skin is a fantastic idea, as it adds texture and flavor. I recommend baking the chicken thighs at 400°F (about 200°C) until the skin is crispy, which typically takes about 25-30 minutes depending on their size. After that, you can briefly simmer them in the coconut milk sauce to let them absorb the flavors. This method will ensure that your chicken is not only flavorful but also has a delightful texture with crispy skin complemented by the creamy sauce. I haven’t tried this exact variation myself, but it sounds like a delicious adjustment to the recipe!
Thank you that is brilliant! I will let you know how it turns out!
Jessica, just done with this amazing recipe and it was still so brilliant! I did bake the bone in thighs in the oven about 45 minutes (35 on 400F, dropped to 325F for another 10 minutes) and they were fall of the bone, held by the crispy skin. I missed some of the fat and drippings for that reason, but I don’t think I would have tasted the difference (and, less fat 🙂
I used 1/2 condensed milk and 1/2 light coconut milk (with a little rue in the end) and it was lower fat and still just as delicious! I was surprised how the soy with the lime and brown sugar really made the flavor and pulled it together, I wouldn’t have guessed!
I also chose cauliflower rice for less carbs (first try, not so bad!) This is a 5 star keeper, thank you!
I appreciate the follow up and notes on your modifications Andrea – I am so happy it turned out that well 🙂
Easy to follow recipe and didnt take long. Goes great with basmalti rice as lots of liquid on serving which my family prefers. Didnt have everything but we all loved it and want it again! Left out the chilli and sugar, used coconut cream and ground ginger (half tsp) with diced chicken breast. Fennel finely chopped and pre boiled instead of onion. Will try again with fresh ginger.
Thanks, Suzy 😀
If adding bell pepper and zucchini, when should these be added, and how should they be slices or chopped to cook thoroughly?
For the Creamy Coconut Milk Chicken recipe, adding bell pepper and zucchini is a great way to incorporate more vegetables. To ensure they cook thoroughly without becoming mushy, I recommend slicing the bell pepper into strips and cutting the zucchini into half-moons. Add them to the skillet about 5-7 minutes before the chicken is fully cooked. This timing allows the vegetables to soften and absorb some flavors without losing their texture.
Can this recipe be done in a crockpot / slow cooker? If so, how long should it cook?
I wouldnt Nick, as this recipe only takes 30 minutes to cook, as the coconut milk could curdle.
Very nice… Will definitely make this again!
Thanks Kylie 🙂
Does this freeze well?
This creamy coconut milk chicken recipe that includes ingredients like fresh lime juice, coconut cream, and chicken breasts can be frozen, but there are a few considerations to keep in mind for the best results upon reheating:
1. Texture Changes: Coconut milk and cream can sometimes separate or become grainy when frozen and then thawed. This won’t affect the safety or the fundamental taste but might alter the creamy texture of the sauce.
2. Acidic Ingredients: Recipes with acidic ingredients like lime juice can sometimes change in flavor when frozen. The acidity might become more pronounced, so you might want to adjust the seasoning after reheating.
3. Chicken: Chicken breasts freeze well, but to maintain the best texture, make sure they are not overcooked before freezing, as they can become dry when reheated.
To freeze this dish effectively, allow the chicken to cool completely before freezing it in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bags. It’s best to consume the frozen dish within 2-3 months for optimal quality. When ready to eat, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and gently reheat it on the stove, adding a bit more coconut cream or milk to adjust the consistency and refresh the flavors.
Thank you so much Jessica!