Crock Pot Coconut Lime Chicken and Vegetables features a rich, creamy zesty sauce, ideal for those who love big bold flavors. Mix it up with your favorite veggies and serve it with your choice of rice.
Welcome to my latest chicken obsession!
This very basic yet ultra delicious Coconut Lime Chicken recipe includes tender chicken in a rich, citrusy, sweet and savory creamy sauce with fresh vegetables for an easy dinner recipe.
Serve it over rice or cauliflower rice for a complete balanced meal.
Bonus points: It is so simple to prepare in the slow cooker and involves basic ingredients that can be found at any grocery store.
In general, there are three common ingredients in coconut lime chicken recipes: chicken, coconut milk, and fresh lime juice. We then build up more flavors by adding fresh ingredients like onions, garlic, and some form of sweetener to make it even more palatable.
For those who enjoy coconut milk based curry recipes found in Thai food, you’re bound to enjoy this easy recipe as well. It isn’t technically a curry, but it carries a similar vibe with creamy tangy flavors.
Keep in mind, any recipe you see on this site is my own personal rendition of the recipe. Unless otherwise specified, you can assume my versions come with specific adaptations and are not meant to be taken as the authentic version.
For instance, other recipes for coconut lime chicken you find on the internet won’t include added vegetables and typically have cilantro and/or fresh ginger on the ingredients list.
I have included potential customizations in my Recipe Adaptations section below for you to make it your own!
If you love saucy adventures like this, also try my Crock Pot Thai Red Curry Chicken.
Let’s chat about the simple ingredients for coconut lime chicken so that we can get to the cooking!
Coconut Lime Chicken Ingredients:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Pick up boneless breasts or boneless thighs to prepare this easy chicken recipe. I like using boneless chicken breasts because we’re already getting a decent amount of fat from the coconut milk.
Because we’re slow cooking the chicken, it becomes nice and tender, so for me there isn’t a need to use thighs.
Nevertheless, boneless chicken thighs are delicious and will become so fall-apart tender you won’t know what to do with yourself.
Avocado Oil: Used to sear the chicken before adding it to the crock pot, we need some high temperature cooking oil.
I like using avocado oil because it has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, which is ideal for cooking at high temperatures. You can also use coconut oil instead.
Yellow Onion & Garlic: The combination of onion and garlic makes everything taste better. Facts are facts. In this recipe, they provide a bold backbone with which the rest of the flavors mingle.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: The sauce portion of the recipe, we need a couple of cans of coconut milk. Be sure to use a brand you’ve used in the past and trust. Not all brands of coconut milk are created equally.
My two favorites are the Native Forest brand and Whole Foods 365 brand of coconut milk.
If you have access to coconut cream, use two cans of coconut cream for the thickest, dreamiest sauce.
Fish Sauce: Now, this may seem like a peculiar ingredient to just throw in there, but my purpose for it is to add a big dose of savory umami flavor.
Fish sauce also adds a great deal of salt in addition to savory flavor and what it brings to a dish is difficult to mimic in any other way. A little fish sauce goes a long way so careful to not be too heavy handed with it.
Fresh Lime Juice and Lime Zest: The combination of fresh lime zest and lime juice is what bring the lime to our coconut. I recommend sticking with fresh limes rather than using
Pure Maple Syrup: Are you surprised to learn that many coconut milk sauces have sugar added to them? It’s one of the reasons why they taste so great!
I like using pure maple syrup instead of white sugar or brown sugar, but any work. You can also omit the sweetener if you don’t cook with refined sugar.
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (optional): In order to thicken the coconut lime sauce, I add a little gluten-free all-purpose flour.
The coconut milk I use doesn’t contain gums or emulsifiers, which means it doesn’t thicken the same way as the brands that do.
If you use a brand of coconut milk that contains gums, you may not need to add flour for thickening. Nevertheless, add if if you love thick sauces.
Vegetables: Carrots, Zucchini, Baby Spinach: Here’s where I like to go off script and add vegetation to my chicken dinner. You can omit them or swap them out.
Fresh Basil: While many recipes for coconut lime chicken call for cilantro, I prefer fresh basil. The basil gets added in just before serving.
If you have access to Thai basil, be sure to use it! The stores in my area rarely have Thai basil, so I typically use regular basil and still love it.
Sea Salt: Add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.
Looking for ways of customizing this meal? Here are some options.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh grated ginger to the sauce if you’d like.
- Swap the basil for fresh chopped cilantro, or add cilantro in addition to the basil leaves.
- Use one large shallot instead of an onion and garlic.
- If you aren’t concerned about getting vegetables with your main dish, omit the veggies. If you do so, cook the chicken on high heat for 3-4 hours or low heat for 6-8 hours.
- Replace the fish sauce with soy sauce if you don’t typically have fish sauce on hand.
- Use your favorite vegetables instead of the ones I chose. Broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, green beans, bell pepper, snow peas, potatoes, and bok choy are all great options. Just be sure to add them in at the appropriate time so that they aren’t overcooked or undercooked.
- To reduce the fat, use one can of coconut milk and 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Light coconut milk also works with the same caveat. Note that the sauce won’t taste as rich, but it will still be delicious.
- For a spicy kick, add red pepper flakes, a Thai chili pepper, jalapeno, or serrano.
- Sprinkle fresh chopped green onions over everything before serving if you’d like.
- Use coconut aminos instead of pure maple syrup if you’d like.
- If you use a full fat coconut milk that contains a gum or emulsifier, you can omit the gluten-free flour. You can also replace it with arrowroot starch or tapioca flour.
- Use any kind of chicken, including bone-in chicken thighs or full breasts. All kinds of chicken pieces work here. Just be sure to sear them to golden brown perfection before adding the chicken to the slow cooker for the best results.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients for coconut lime chicken, let’s make it!
How to Make Crock Pot Coconut Lime and Vegetables:
Remove the chicken from its packaging and place it on a plate. Pat both sides of each breast with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Sprinkle both sides of the breasts with sea salt.
Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Allow the skillet to heat up for a few minutes, as we need it sizzling hot.
Carefully place the chicken breasts on the hot surface of the large skillet in a single layer (you’ll likely need to do this in 2 batches).
Sear for 2 minutes per side, or until both sides have a golden-brown crust. Move the browned chicken to your slow cooker and repeat for the rest of the chicken breast filets.
Turn the heat down to medium heat or medium-high heat and add the chopped onions to the skillet. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to soften.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Move the onions and garlic to the crock pot with the browned chicken breasts.
Chop the carrots and add them to the crock pot.
In a bowl or measuring cup, combine the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, pure maple syrup, gluten-free all-purpose flour, and sea salt. Whisk well until combined.
Pour the coconut lime sauce into the crock pot and give everything a stir.
Secure the lid of the crock pot and cook on high heat for 2 hours. Remove the lid and add the chopped zucchini and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 hours, or until the sauce is boiling, the chicken is fork tender, and the vegetables have reached your desired level of doneness. I do 3 hours total.
Do note that the chicken will be fully cooked after 2 hours, as its internal temperature will be over 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the lid of the crock pot, add in the baby spinach, then replace the lid. Allow the coconut lime chicken to sit for a few minutes, until the spinach has wilted.
Add in the chopped basil and give everything a good stir. Serve slow cooker coconut lime chicken with steamed brown rice, white rice, coconut rice or cauliflower rice for a low carb option and an extra side of vegetables. I also recommend serving with lime wedges. Enjoy!
Store leftover Thai coconut lime chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Perfect for meal prepping, this simple recipe makes a lot of food, which is ideal for big families or for batch cooking.
The next time you’re craving a restaurant quality meal, this creamy coconut lime chicken is a wonderful alternative to eating out. Plus, the entire family is guaranteed to love it provided they enjoy Thai-inspired cuisine.
This easy weeknight dinner is a great way of enjoying one of your favorite dishes in the comfort of your own home.
If you enjoy easy crock pot meals like this one, also try out these reader favorites.
More Crock Pot Recipes:
- Crock Pot Birria Tacos
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Crock Pot Beef Stew
- 5-Ingredient Crock Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pork Roast
Put the lime in the coconut for your new adventure.
Crock Pot Coconut Lime Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1.5 to 4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 large yellow onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 (14-oz) cans full fat coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp gluten-free all-purpose flour optional*
- 2 medium-sized zucchini squash chopped, optional
- 3 large carrots chopped, optional
- 4 to 6 cups baby spinach optional
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from its packaging and place it on a plate. Pat both sides of each breast with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Sprinkle both sides of the breasts with sea salt.
- Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Allow the skillet to heat up for a few minutes, as we need it sizzling hot. Carefully place the chicken breasts on the hot surface of the large skillet in a single layer (you’ll likely need to do this in 2 batches). Sear for 2 minutes per side, or until both sides have a golden-brown crust. Move the browned chicken to your slow cooker and repeat for the rest of the chicken breast filets.
- Turn the heat down to medium heat or medium-high heat and add the chopped onions to the skillet. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Move the onions and garlic to the crock pot with the browned chicken breasts.
- Chop the carrots and add them to the crock pot.
- In a bowl or measuring cup, combine the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, pure maple syrup, gluten-free all-purpose flour, and sea salt. Whisk well until combined.
- Pour the coconut lime sauce into the crock pot and give everything a stir.
- Secure the lid of the crock pot and cook on high heat for 2 hours. Remove the lid and add the chopped zucchini and continue cooking for another 1 to 2 hours, or until the sauce is boiling, the chicken is fork tender, and the vegetables have reached your desired level of doneness. I do 3 hours total. Do note that the chicken will be fully cooked after 2 hours, as its internal temperature will be over 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the lid of the crock pot, add in the baby spinach, then replace the lid. Allow the coconut lime chicken to sit for a few minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Add in the chopped basil and give everything a good stir. Serve slow cooker coconut lime chicken with steamed brown rice, white rice or cauliflower rice for a low carb option and an extra side of vegetables. I also recommend serving with lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
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