This Coconut Lime Chicken recipe is my new weeknight favourite! It’s obscenely quick to make, uses a handful of simple ingredients and somehow tastes like something you’d order at your favourite Thai restaurant. The combination of creamy coconut milk, fresh lime and savoury chicken creates the most glorious sauce. In fact, if I caught you drinking it straight from the pan, I wouldn’t bat an eyelid.
This is exactly the kind of recipe that reminds you that a really good dinner doesn’t have to be complicated!
Now, I will say that this recipe is a little more adventurous than your average family dinner. The flavours are wonderfully fresh, fragrant and Thai-inspired, so if you have very young children or particularly fussy eaters, you may want to approach with caution. Mine definitely eye-balled it before tasting and they enjoyed it but a smash burger or bologanise is still higher ranked in their books!!
My husband on the other hand falls in the category of wanting to pull up a chair to the stove and ladle down the sauce before its even plated. I love the enthusiasm of that category.
The meal comes together incredibly quickly. You’ll start by browning the chicken – a quick little sear, then set it aside while you make the sauce. Once you’ve built the sauce, simply add the chicken (and its juices) back to the pan, finish with the lime juice and fish sauce (secret sensational ingredient – there is no substitute for this!), and then scatter over plenty of fresh coriander before serving over a bed of rice. Yummy!
It is 100% the sort of dish I would happily serve to friends for dinner, take along to a book club dinner or have on a date night. It’s impressive enough to feel special but easy enough to make on a busy weeknight.
The recipe does contain a little chilli, so if you’re serving it to the whole family, simply reduce the amount to suit everyone’s taste. You can always add extra chilli at the table for those who like a bit more vooma!
If you love Thai-inspired food, then you will absolutely LOVE my Tom Kha Gai soup as well!
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Coconut Lime Chicken (Easy Recipe)
Prep Time: 10 minutes- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
This easy Coconut Lime Chicken is a quick and flavour-packed weeknight dinner made with tender chicken, creamy coconut milk and fresh lime. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s a simple Thai-inspired recipe with a rich, silky sauce that’s perfect served over rice.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 4 medium sized chicken breasts
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 small red chilli, thinly sliced
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 can (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk (or coconut cream!)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Juice of 1 lime (approx. 2 tablespoons)
- ¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Slice the chicken across the middle (to make thinner cutlets) and then cut each cutlet in half.
- Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes per side until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden.
- Stir in the chilli, lime zest and coconut milk. Bring to a gentle boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and return the chicken (and its juices )to the pan. Cook for 8–10 minutes.
- Stir the fish sauce and lime juice into the sauce. Season with salt to taste.
- Sprinkle over the fresh coriander and serve over a bed of steamed basmati rice. Add extra lime wedges and sliced chilli if desired.
Notes
- Leftovers keep well and are delicious served over rice or noodles the next day.
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