Our coconut chicken recipe will add a gorgeous new item to your list of easy and tasty chicken dishes.
The main attraction of this dish is the sauce. With coconut milk, this comforting sauce elevates the chicken nicely and has a scent and richness that you can’t find from other ingredients.
Is This Coconut Chicken Healthy?
The answer is yes, our coconut chicken is healthy.
This dish has only 499 calories and 7.8 g of saturated fat per serving, despite containing heavy ingredients such as coconut milk and milk. Furthermore, the sodium level is kept within the limits of our nutrition guidelines, standing at 515 mg.
Chicken breast provides 36.3 g of lean protein in each serving, making this dish a good choice for anyone on a weight loss diet.
Main Ingredients
- Chicken: For a dish with quite a few ingredients on the heavy side, chicken breast is a suitable choice. We butterfly the chicken breasts to create a consistent thickness, which helps the chicken cook evenly. Pounding the chicken will also do. We season the chicken breast with paprika, salt, and garlic powder. These spices are savory and give the chicken some color to stand out from the sauce.
- Sauce: The velvety sauce for this recipe contains coconut milk and milk. Coconut milk is special because of its fragrant scent and creamy taste, which makes it one of the most popular ingredients in Asian comfort food. We use flour to help the sauce thicken. However, the longer coconut milk cooks, the thicker it gets. So we add some water to the sauce to thin it out. It may seem contradictory, but both steps are needed to ensure that the sauce has the right consistency. Coconut milk is not the only ingredient that brings flavor to the sauce. Paprika, salt, pepper, fresh garlic, and olive oil also play important roles in the sauce.
- Vegetables: Mushrooms and asparagus are the chosen vegetables for this dish. Their flavors are mild, so they will greatly benefit from the coconut milk sauce. To finish up the dish, we also sprinkle some coriander and red pepper flakes, adding freshness and a little kick while creating contrasting flavors to the sauce.
Variation and Add-Ins
- Substitute for chicken breast
This recipe is good for any cut of chicken. You can choose thighs, wings, legs, or even a whole chicken.
- Add more veggies
Lots of vegetables can benefit from the richness of coconut milk sauce. You can add broccoli, carrot, potatoes, bell peppers, etc. to this dish.
- Adjust the taste
You can customize the flavor of the coconut milk sauce with a handful of seasonings.
- Sweet: Brown sugar or honey
- Sour: Lemon or lime juice
- Spicy: Hot sauce or chilies
- Salty: Soy sauce or fish sauce
How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers
Coconut chicken should last for 3 to 5 days in the fridge and 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Store the leftovers in airtight containers or freezer bags.
Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute, then stir and continue reheating in 30-second intervals if needed. You can also use a skillet and cook over medium heat until warm.
Remember to stir often and add a couple of tbsp of water to prevent the sauce from clumping.
What to Serve With
These refreshing salads will go well served alongside this rich coconut chicken:
Chicken Skillets With Amazing Sauces
In this honey mustard chicken recipe, the juicy chicken breasts and potato mash are drizzle with this sweet, savory, flavorful cream sauce. We pan-sear the meat to create a golden-brown outer coat before smothering them in sauce, and we really mean it—it definitely doesn’t fall short on flavor.
This paprika chicken was made to impress with its robust flavor and generous amount of sauce. We serve it with some quick and easy homemade potato mash, and the meal speaks for itself.
How to Make Coconut Chicken
Today's coconut chicken recipe gives you a simple and convenient chicken dish with a flavorful coconut milk sauce and fresh vegetables.
- cook TIME 25 mins
- prep TIME 15 mins
- total TIME 40 mins
- COURSE Main Course
- CUISINE Global
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 499 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 18 oz skinless boneless chicken breasts (butterflied)
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 6 oz asparagus (cut into segments)
- 6 oz white mushroom (sliced)
- 2 tsp paprika (divided)
- 3/4 tsp salt (divided)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup coriander (finely chopped)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 cups cooked medium-grain rice (from 1 1/2 cups uncooked)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep:
Butterfly the chicken: Cut 18 oz skinless boneless chicken breasts in half—on the long side—with your knife, but leave the last 1/4 inch so the chicken is intact.
Cut the asparagus: Peel the woody ends of each shoot and cut them in half.
Slice the mushrooms: Slice off the stem of the mushrooms. Place them cut-side down on the cutting board and cut them into 1/4-inch slices.
Mince the garlic: Slice off the root of the cloves. Bash them with your knife and peel off the skin. Mince the garlic with a mincer or a knife.
Chop the coriander: Bunch the coriander together into a small mound, then finely chop them with your knife.
Cook the rice: Use a pot, rice cooker, Instant Pot, or microwave to cook rice.
Cook:
Season the chicken: Place the chicken on a plate, then add 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Rub the seasoning thoroughly on the chicken breasts.
Sear the chicken: Place a pan over medium heat until hot, then add 1 tbsp olive oil and the seasoned chicken. Sear both sides for a total of 7 minutes and remove the chicken from the pan.
Caramelize the garlic: Add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp garlic to the same pan. Stir for 30 seconds to caramelize.
Stir-fry the vegetables: Turn down to low heat. Add 6 oz asparagus and 6 oz mushrooms. Stir-fry for 5 minutes.
Add the seasoning: Add 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, and 1 tsp paprika. Mix for 30 seconds to combine.
Add the liquid: Pour in 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of milk.
Add the chicken: Add the chicken back to the pan with 1/4 cup water. Bring it to a boil, then continue cooking over low heat for 7 minutes.
Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with 1/4 cup coriander and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes. Serve the coconut chicken with 3 cups of cooked medium-grain rice. Divide the ingredients into 4 portions.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
Natalie Butler, RD, LD
Nutrition Reviewer