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Home » Recipes » Dinner

Creamy Coconut Lime Chicken

By Erin · September 26, 2020 · Updated October 6, 2021 · 48 Comments

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chicken in a skillet with lime wedges
chicken in a skillet with text overlay

Baked Coconut Lime Chicken is a tasty weeknight meal that's made in one skillet and comes together in under 30 minutes. Chicken is pan-seared, then coated in a creamy coconut milk sauce and then baked to perfection.

chicken in a skillet with sauce and lime wedges

What can I say? I've been on a real chicken kick lately. Normally, I tend to gravitate more towards salmon (hellooooo honey soy salmon) or even tofu (like in my spicy tofu enchiladas), but lately I've been really into chicken, specifically this creamy coconut lime chicken.

See, this recipe is a super easy weeknight meal, and it tastes a little savory and a little sweet. Trust me, coconut, lime and chicken DO pair well together!

Recipe features 

  • A baked chicken recipe that's ready in under 30 minutes and can be served alongside rice or any type of roasted vegetable.
  • Uses easy-to-find ingredients like coconut milk, chicken broth and cilantro to create the most delicious, creamy sauce.
  • Is made in one skillet, which makes the prep work and clean up super simple.
ingredients on a table with text overlay

Ingredient notes

  • Chicken - Boneless, skinless chicken breasts; can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer (see notes below)
  • Coconut milk - Canned, preferably full fat coconut milk for optimal flavor
  • All purpose flour - Can sub arrowroot starch to keep this gluten free
  • Brown sugar - Can sub coconut sugar if you prefer

Method

Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 375°, then heat oil in a large, oven-safe skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. While the oil is warming, combine the flour and cilantro in a bowl, then dip each chicken breast into that mixture, placing it directly into the hot skillet.

Step 2: Next, pan-sear the chicken. You'll want to pan-sear it for 3-4 minutes per side, or until it's golden brown.

pan-seared chicken in a dutch oven

Step 3: While the chicken is searing, whisk the coconut milk, chicken broth, sugar, and juice from 1 lime together in a bowl.

coconut milk and chicken broth in a cup

Step 4: Add the garlic to the skillet and let it simmer for 30 seconds, then remove the skillet from the heat and pour in the coconut milk mixture. Place the entire skillet into the oven and bake the chicken until it's cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.

Step 5: Finally, drizzle the cooked chicken with the remaining lime juice, then sprinkle it with salt, pepper, extra cilantro, and a handful of chopped green onions.

Notes and FAQs

  • If your chicken breasts seem too large, or if you want to serve more people, simply slice each chicken breast in half length-ways to create thinner breasts. If you do this, you can cut the bake time in half (bake for 5-8 minutes instead of 10-15).
  • The combination of coconut oil and olive oil creates a savory-sweet flavor as you're pan-searing the chicken. If you don't have both, you can use one or the other.
  • Want to bulk this up? Feel free to add a few veggies to the skillet before baking (think: spinach, red onion and/or sliced shiitake mushrooms).
  • Always taste test the chicken once it's done and adjust seasonings as needed. Want it to have more lime flavor? Add some lime zest on top. Want to increase the coconut-y flavor? Add a little more coconut oil to the sauce.

Can I use chicken thighs instead?

Yup! I'd use boneless, skinless thighs, and you'll follow the same steps, but you'll bake the chicken for less time, probably closer to 5-8 minutes.

What should I serve this with?

This meal is delicious on top of rice, or with a side of vegetables, like Instant Pot broccoli or my easy fried brussels sprouts.

Can this be made gluten free/Paleo? What about Whole30?

Yes -- simply use arrowroot starch instead of all purpose flour to keep this recipe paleo-friendly. For a whole30 version, follow the above steps and omit the sugar.

cooked chicken in a skillet

More chicken recipes

  • Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
  • Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Skillet
  • Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

chicken in a skillet with lime wedges

Creamy Coconut Lime Chicken

Baked Coconut Lime Chicken is a tasty weeknight meal that's made in one skillet and comes together in under 30 minutes. Chicken is pan-seared, then coated in a creamy coconut milk sauce and then baked to perfection.
4.98 from 38 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts about 4 total chicken breasts
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped, plus more for topping
  • 2 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • ⅔ cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar or sub coconut sugar
  • 2 limes
  • 1 green onion chopped, for garnish
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Heat a large, oven-safe skillet or dutch oven over medium heat, then add the coconut oil and olive oil.
  • Combine the flour and cilantro in a bowl, then dip each chicken breast into the mixture until coated, placing it directly into the hot skillet. Pan-sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, or until slightly browned. Once the chicken is almost done, add the minced garlic and let it cook down for 30 seconds or so.
  • While the chicken is searing, mix the coconut milk, broth, sugar, and juice from 1 lime in a bowl.
  • Remove skillet from the heat, then pour the coconut milk mixture over top of the chicken. Place the skillet into the oven and bake the chicken for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°.
  • Remove skillet from the oven, and drizzle the remaining lime juice (juice from 1 lime) over the chicken. Sprinkle everything with salt, pepper, extra chopped cilantro and chopped green onions and enjoy!

Video

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation
*Cook times vary depending on thickness of chicken
*Want this to serve more people? Simply slice the chicken breasts in half length-ways so you have 8 total breasts. 
*To make this gluten free/Paleo, use arrowroot starch instead of all purpose flour. 
*To make this Whole30, use arrowroot starch and omit the sugar in the recipe. 

Nutrition

Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 416mg | Potassium: 1029mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 152IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in April 2016. It was updated with new text and photos in September 2020.

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About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jules says

    March 22, 2023 at 5:14 pm

    I must be blind because I see nowhere in this recipe for where the coconut oil is being used??

    Reply
    • Erin says

      March 23, 2023 at 7:56 am

      You're going to use a combination of coconut oil and olive oil to pan-sear the chicken before baking it!

      Reply
  2. T says

    November 30, 2022 at 11:13 am

    I had high hopes for this, as it looks delicious, but my husband, mom and I all agreed that it was "just chicken". With no marinating in advance, it really barely took on any of the flavors that it was cooked in. Would not make again unless I somehow used those flavors for a marinade.

    Reply
  3. Andra Crawford says

    October 15, 2022 at 10:53 am

    5 stars
    Easy, new to the fam, and turned out beautifully. This is my FAVORITE place to find recipes! HANDS DOWN! It also helps because I have a husband with a nut allergy and a daughter with a milk protein allergy. Thank you for the inspiration! ❤️

    Reply
    • Erin says

      October 16, 2022 at 9:03 am

      Thanks for your kind comment, Andra!

      Reply
  4. Kate dasilva says

    September 15, 2022 at 9:32 pm

    This meal was so delicious! I served it over jasmine rice that was cooked with olive oil and more minced garlic (I love garlic 😅)
    Definitely a keeper!! Thank you!!

    Reply
  5. LaVonne says

    August 02, 2022 at 8:00 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! I followed the recipe, cutting it by half which still leaves enough for leftovers. Served it over Latin rice. This is a keeper!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      August 03, 2022 at 9:02 am

      So glad you liked the chicken!

      Reply
  6. A says

    June 24, 2022 at 5:27 pm

    Okay saw this recipe after I made dinner. Cornish Hen (Purdue) with some Coconut Almond milk and two half leftover lemon and lime with a few sprigs of Swiss Chard. I stuffed the breast of the hen with the lime and lemon wedges and put the Swiss Chard in. I put it in a Corning white casserole dish, the one that gets really hot. I poured 1/4 cup coconut almond milk over the hen and baked it at 400 degrees for 1.5 hours. The result? A real smooth lemon lime chicken with a sweet coconut broth. Really good!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      June 27, 2022 at 8:23 pm

      I'm so happy you enjoyed it, and I love the addition of swiss chard!

      Reply
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