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This Thai Coconut Chicken features tender chunks of chicken engulfed in a rich and creamy coconut milk sauce infused with basil, fresh lime, and garlic. Serve it up with steamed rice or cauliflower rice for a complete meal!
Welcome to my own personal rendition of Thai Coconut Chicken! It’s a riff off of my Crock Pot Coconut Lime Chicken.
If you’re into coconut milk based sauces and Thai inspired flavors, this healthy dinner recipe is for you!
Before we get started, it is important to note that this is not an authentic Thai recipe, and it is also not a curry recipe.
Traditional Thai recipes often call for galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and/or curry leaves, none of which are easily accessible in my area.
For that reason, I use ingredients that are readily available at any grocery store so that anyone can prepare the recipe, regardless of their location.
A traditional Thai curry uses a blend of spices, often known as curry powder or curry paste. You will notice this recipe calls for neither, as it is
This Thai style coconut chicken involves tender chicken in a rich coconut sauce that is filled with classic Thai flavors, similar to Thai Tom Kha Gai.
This recipe is AIP friendly if you eat it with cauliflower rice or over zucchini noodles.
Let’s discuss the ingredients for Thai coconut chicken, as each one plays an important role in the outcome of the recipe.
Thai Coconut Chicken Ingredients:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: The main ingredient here, we’re forming this whole recipe around our lean protein of choice. I like using boneless breasts, but boneless skinless chicken thighs work great too.
Avocado Oil: Used to sauté the onion, chicken, ginger, and garlic, we need a good high-temperature cooking oil. I use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point. Coconut oil or olive oil works too.
Onion, Garlic, Fresh Ginger: The aromatics that bring so much flavor to the coconut sauce.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: The rich and creamy sauce is brought to us by canned full-fat coconut milk! Be sure to use full-fat for the best results.
While light coconut milk does work, it doesn’t yield the same depth of flavor and the sauce doesn’t turn out as thick. I like using Native Forest Simple Coconut Milk, which doesn’t contain guar gum or xanthan gum. It is just pure coconut milk.
Fresh Lime: Use both the zest and juice from 1 to 2 limes. This brings a tangy flavor to the sauce for some refreshing citrus flair.
Pure Maple Syrup (Optional): I like complementing the creaminess and tanginess of the sauce with a little sweetness. If you prefer cooking without sugar, skip it. Otherwise, a little pure maple syrup or honey goes a long way in balancing out the palate. Brown sugar works here too.
Fish Sauce: Adding umami flavor to the coconut sauce, we need some fish sauce. Fish sauce can be found in the same aisle as coconut milk and soy sauce at the grocery store.
It may sound like a strange ingredient if you aren’t used to using it, but trust me, it brings so much flavor to a dish! This is a key ingredient, so I don’t recommend skipping it unless you have an allergy.
Baby Spinach: I like tossing in some baby spinach to bring an infusion of vitamins to the dish.
Fresh Basil: A little Thai basil helps brighten up the flavor for some added deliciousness! If you can’t find Thai basil, regular basil works too.
Sea Salt: Season the coconut chicken with salt to your personal taste.
Looking for ways you can customize this recipe? Here are some great options:
Recipe Adaptations:
- For extra sauce, use 2 cans of coconut milk instead of one.
- Make it low-FODMAP by omitting the onion and garlic and add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
- You can add your favorite fresh vegetables like carrots, broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers, or bok choy if you’d like. Simply sauté any extra veggies with the onion until softened but still al dente.
- If your local grocery store carries coconut cream, I recommend using it instead of coconut milk! Coconut cream makes extra thick and rich sauce.
- Looking for some heat? Add Thai chilis, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes to add some spice.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s learn how to make coconut chicken!
How to Make Thai Coconut Chicken:
Heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat in a large thick-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven or a large skillet.
Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
Transfer the garlic, ginger, and chopped chicken to the pot and give everything a big stir. Allow the chicken to brown, stirring occasionally, until it is mostly cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Pour in the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime zest, lime juice, and pure maple syrup. Bring the coconut chicken to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in the baby spinach and continue cooking until it has wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Taste the recipe for flavor and add sea salt to your personal taste.
The fish sauce adds a decent amount of saltiness to the meal, but I still add a pinch of sea salt at the end for my own personal taste. Stir in the fresh basil just before serving.
Serve coconut chicken with your choice of steamed brown rice, white rice such as jasmine rice, coconut rice, cauliflower rice, or zucchini noodles or rice noodles. Garnish with green onions if you’d like.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze Thai coconut chicken curry in a freezer-safe container.
This yummy dinner recipe tastes even better the next day and the 2-3 days following preparation! For this reason, feel free to make it in advance.
And that’s it! The next time you’re craving some Thai flair, whip up this quick and easy recipe!
I love that it takes less than 40 minutes to prepare from start to finish and can be made in bulk for meal prep.
If you love Thai cuisine, also try out these gems.
More Thai Food Recipes:
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- Easy Steak Curry
- Crock Pot Thai Red Curry Chicken with Vegetables
- Thai Stir Fry Noodles (Pad See Ew)
- 30-Minute Healthy Thai Basil Beef
- Red Curry Salmon and Vegetables
- 30-Minute Thai Basil Chicken Pad Krapow Gai
Enjoy different variations of this coconut lime chicken over a bed of rice for a cozy meal!
Thai Coconut Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped (or boneless chicken thighs)
- 1 (14-oz) can full fat coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 lime, zested
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey
- Sea salt to taste
- 4 to 6 cups baby spinach, about 5 ounces
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat in a large thick-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven or a large skillet.
- Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the garlic, ginger, and chopped chicken to the pot and give everything a big stir. Allow the chicken to brown, stirring occasionally, until it is mostly cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime zest, lime juice, and pure maple syrup. Bring the coconut chicken to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the baby spinach and continue cooking until it has wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Taste the recipe for flavor and add sea salt to your personal taste. The fish sauce adds a decent amount of saltiness to the meal, but I still add a pinch of sea salt at the end for my own personal taste. Stir in the fresh basil just before serving. Serve coconut chicken with your choice of steamed brown rice, white rice, cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles or rice noodles. Garnish with green onions if you’d like.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
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So good! Followed recipe exactly other than us8ng 2 pounds chicken instead of 1.5… It’s what I had. Even with the extra chicken, I found there was plenty of sauce. Which I’m glad about because it was amazing! I served it over brown rice. If I had any complaint, it would be that the sauce was a little bit thin… More like soup than sauce. I think that’s easily solved with a little bit of cornstarch or flour, but even as is, this is a keeper for sure.
Aww I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Leila! Thanks so much for swinging back around to share. For the sauce, you hit the nail on the head with thickening it with cornstarch – this is a great option, as is tapioca flour if you happen to have it on hand! In addition, you could cook the sauce longer to condense it before adding the chicken. Thanks again for the sweet note, and happy cooking!
Yup, just about the best chicken recipe I’ve made all year! Thanks for the tasty meal!
Awww, I’m blushing! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Sandy!