One Pan Thai Coconut Lime Chicken

With the bright tropical flavors of lime, coconut and cilantro, Thai Coconut Lime Chicken is a perfect quick and tasty weeknight dinner.

Thai Coconut Lime Chicken is a dish I used to make almost weekly.  It was part of what I lovingly dubbed, my “corporate madness” collection— recipes I could get done after work, even on days I arrived home too frazzled to think.   

And it was surprisingly kid-friendly.  The first time I made it, my youngest looked at the ingredients and wrinkled up her nose.  Declaring that coconut was a nut and that I ought to know she hated all nuts, she asked for a cheese sandwich instead.

When the chicken was done, she appeared back in the kitchen announcing that perhaps it did smell good.  And someone ate two dinners that night!

At this point, it’s been a few years but I’m excited to add this back to my menu.  ‘Cause even though my kids are grown, I’m sometimes still frazzled when it’s time to make dinner! 

Why You’ll Love This!

Unique – This isn’t your average quick and easy chicken recipe! It’s jam packed full of interesting flavors that bring a flair of a little something different to your dinner table.

Fast – Coming in at just under 30 minutes for prep and cook time this is the perfect weeknight dinner for the whole family.

Tasty – This savory dish will have the whole family reaching for seconds!  ‘Cause what’s yummier than a nice Thai chicken in coconut milk!

What You’ll Need

Ingredient

• Chicken Breasts. This is the main element of the dish and a great source of protein.
• Coconut Milk. Creamy and delicious, this is the base of the sauce for the chicken.
• Scallions. These provide a zesty onion flavor to the dish and a beautiful pop of color.
• Lime. This adds a refreshing citrus taste.
• Cayenne Pepper. This gives the dish just the right amount of a spicy kick.
• Cilantro. This adds a light, fresh taste to the finished dish and enhances it visually.
• Cooking Spray. This is used to sauté the chicken breasts. 
• Salt. This brings all the other flavors of the dish together.

Special Tools

• No special tools required but an instant read thermometer is helpful to ensure the chicken is cooked through.

Step by Step Directions

Cut up cilantro and green onion as needed.

In a medium skillet, sautee the chicken breasts in oil or cooking spray.  Cook until lightly browned and cooked through (you can use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness). Cover and hold in 170 degree oven while preparing sauce.

Deglaze the chicken pan with coconut milk, then add cayenne, lime zest, half of the lime juice, pinch of cayenne and salt to taste. Heat until warmed.

Remove breasts from oven and drizzle with remaining lime juice.  Spoon sauce over them, then top with the scallions and cilantro.

How to Serve

This is delicious with rice–and the sauce stretches some as a rice topping.  if you’re making a very large amount of rice though, you might consider doubling the sauce. 

A salad is a lovely accompaniment.  If you’d like to continue with an Asian theme consider my   Easy Thai Carrot Salad,  Asian-Inspired Broccoli Slaw or even a green salad with an Asian dressing.

Of course, if you’re completely frazzled, just add a loaf of bakery bread and a bagged salad.  Yes, I still have some expertise on those days!

Leftovers

While having enough leftovers of this dish was rare in my house, now that my kids are grown up it’s a more common occurrence. Fortunately, this keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days. The leftovers can be quickly heated up in the microwave or oven for dinner the next day or even eaten cold as a great on-the-go packed lunch! 

Of course if you happen to have leftover chicken breast, you might try this other weeknight chicken recipe, Alice Springs Chicken Recipe (Outback Copycat).

Tips & FAQs

One thing that always made these easy was having individually wrapped, evenly sized, frozen chicken breasts that I got from my kids Market Day fundraiser.  If you have access to something like this, it’s a real timesaver.  

Otherwise I find it helpful to cut my (frequently large) chicken breasts in half crosswise to make two thin cutlets.  They’re really a better size then, plus they cook more quickly and evenly, and I think cook up to be more tender.  

30 Minute Meals

• 20 Minute Sticky Mongolian Beef from Jen Around the World
• Lemon Herb Chicken and Squash from That Recipe
• Pork Piccata Stir-Fry from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Sheet Pan Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken and Vegetables (Paleo) from Blogghetti
• Singapore-Style Chili Garlic Shrimp and Rice from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Thai Coconut Lime Chicken from Art of Natural Living

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Thai Coconut Lime Chicken

With the bright tropical flavors of lime, coconut and cilantro, Thai Coconut Lime Chicken is a perfect quick and tasty weeknight dinner.

Author: Inger

5 from 5 votes

Print

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4

Calories 194 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken breast cutlets
• Nonstick spray or oil for sauteeing
• salt
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 large lime or 2 small, zested and juiced
• pinch ground cayenne pepper
• 4 scallions sliced
• 1/4 cup cilantro minced

Instructions

 

• Prep the cilantro and green onions as needed.
• In a medium skillet, sautee the chicken breasts in oil or cooking spray. Cook until lightly browned and cooked through (you can use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness).
• Remove chicken, cover and hold in 170 degree oven while preparing sauce.
• Deglaze the chicken pan with coconut milk, then add cayenne, lime zest, half of the lime juice, pinch of cayenne and salt to taste. Heat until warmed.
• Remove breasts from oven and drizzle with remaining lime juice. Spoon sauce over them, then top with the scallions and cilantro.
• Enjoy

Nutrition

Calories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 25gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 137mgPotassium: 536mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 229IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 2mg

I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Updated from original, published on April 29, 2012

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