Coconut Lime Chicken Recipe
This Coconut Lime Chicken is a quick and flavorful dish that combines the richness of coconut milk with zesty lime. It's an easy one-pan meal perfect for busy weeknights!
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Servings: 4
Notes
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 2 large, sliced in half)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or coconut oil)
- ½ cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 fresh long red chili, finely chopped (seeds removed)
- ¼ teaspoon dried chili flakes (red pepper flakes)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
For the Sauce
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (unsweetened)
- ½ cup vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch)
- 4 small bunches bok choy, washed and quartered
- Fresh lime wedges and chopped coriander (cilantro) for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken:
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Cook the Chicken:
- Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and cook for about 5–8 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until fully cooked (internal temperature should reach 74°C/165°F).
- Remove the chicken from the pan, cover with foil, and set aside.
- Prepare the Sauce:
- Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining oil.
- Sauté the red onion for 2–3 minutes until softened. Stir to pick up any browned bits from the pan.
- Add fresh chili, chili flakes, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the coconut milk, stock, and fish sauce.
- In a small bowl, mix lime juice and cornflour until smooth. Stir into the sauce.
- Simmer and Finish:
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it thicken for about 5 minutes.
- Add bok choy and return the chicken to the pan, including any juices from the plate.
- Cook for another 1–2 minutes until the bok choy is tender but still slightly crunchy.
- Serve:
- Serve over rice, garnished with fresh coriander and lime wedges.
- Chicken Thickness: If the chicken breasts are unevenly thick, pound them slightly for even cooking.
- Heat Level: Adjust spice by adding or reducing chili flakes. Removing chili seeds makes it milder.
- Sauce Consistency: For a thinner sauce, omit the cornflour.
- Serving Suggestion: Best enjoyed with jasmine rice or noodles.