Grilled Lime Coconut Chicken with Coconut Rice
A coconut lime curry marinade lends intense flavor for this grilled lime coconut chicken. Serve over rice for the perfect meal!
You know a recipe is a keeper when it has been a tried-and-true favorite for over a decade. This chicken is just that! It is one of the most delicious recipes on my website. Scroll down to see why!
Ultra-Flavorful Chicken Marinade
The marinade for this chicken packs a serious punch of flavor. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
- coconut milk
- fresh lime juice and lime zest
- curry powder
- ground cumin and coriander
- soy sauce
- pinch of cayenne pepper
The key is to reserve half of the marinade for later. It is going to make the most delicious, drizzling sauce you’ve ever tasted. 😍
The other half of the marinade goes over the chicken. Let it hang out in the fridge for at least two hours or up to 12 hours.
Of course I don’t need to say this out loud, but: the longer the chicken marinates, the better the flavor will be.
Grill the chicken on an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan. If you don’t have a grill, you can cook in a skillet or under the broiler in the oven.
The Most Wonderful Combo
While the chicken cooks, get the coconut rice going on the stovetop, and warm the reserved sauce.
Despite the various components, this meal comes together really quickly. It is basically a super elevated take on chicken and rice. Once that chicken marinades, it is easy and fast!
The combination of the juicy grilled chicken, creamy coconut rice, and intensely flavorful sauce is out of this world. To get the full effect of a rockstar-level meal, you have to experience every element! It is so, so, so good.
A Few Additional Notes
This is one of my favorite meals to serve to company. It has such a high WOW factor with very low effort.
Because the recipe relies heavily on the curry powder to flavor the marinade and sauce, be sure to use a curry powder that you like the flavor of. Almost all brands of curry powder vary in flavor and heat.
My all-time favorite curry powder is the sweet curry powder from Penzey’s spices. But there are many other delicious brands out there!
For a delicious serving idea, lots of people have made this recipe into rice bowls. Coconut rice + grilled chicken + sauce + roasted vegetables. Incredible. 😍
So Many 5-Star Reviews
Here are just a few of them! Scroll through the comments to see lots of other reviews and comments.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This has been a staple in our house since 2016/2017. It’s a super delicious and forgiving recipe. I think the coconut rice might be my husband’s favorite thing in the world (I also think it’s ridiculously good), make sure not to skip out on it! -Tish
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We have made this a dozen times or more and keep coming back to it. Always a crowd favorite! -Jenna
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This recipe is INCREDIBLE! I have made it for years and it’s truly amazing! Easy to make and so full of flavor. I only make recipes that I feel I would want to order at a restaurant and this is definitely one of them!! -Lauren
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is such a delicious recipe! The family goes crazy over this. It’s definitely better if it’s grilled, but some days I make it in the pan and it’s still great. And you MUST make coconut rice with this. If you don’t, you don’t get the whole effect. -Nicole
What to Serve With This
- Coconut rice (see the recipe below) or garlic rice
- Fresh fruit (pineapple would be delicious with this meal)
- Perfect Corn on the Cob or roasted vegetables
Grilled Lime Coconut Chicken with Coconut Rice
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade/Sauce:
- 1 cup canned coconut milk, light or regular
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Zest and juice of 2 limes
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
Coconut Rice:
- 1 ½ cups long grain white or jasmine rice
- 1 ½ cups canned coconut milk
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Garnish:
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Fresh limes, cut into wedges
Instructions
- For the marinade, in a large liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the oil, lime zest, lime juice, cumin, coriander, soy sauce, salt, sugar, curry powder, coconut milk, and cayenne pepper.
- Pour half the marinade into a bowl or container. Cover and refrigerate for later.
- Place the chicken in a large ziploc bag or shallow dish, and pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag or cover the dish, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
- For the rice, bring the rice, coconut milk, water and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 16 minutes until the liquid is mostly evaporated (don't lift the lid!). Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff lightly before serving.
- For the chicken, preheat a grill to medium-high heat. I use a pellet grill and set the temperature to 375 degrees F.
- Grill the chicken for 6-7 minutes per side (actual time will depend on the thickness of the chicken) until an instant-read thermometer inserted at the thickest part registers 165 degrees F.
- While the chicken cooks, heat the reserved marinade on the stovetop or in the microwave until warm (don't cook at too high a temperature or it can separate).
- Drizzle warm sauce over the grilled chicken, serving extra sauce on the side. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the chicken. Serve chicken and sauce over cooked rice with fresh lime wedges on the side.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (adapted from a recipe originally found on a website that is no longer in operation)
Recipe originally published June 2013; updated September 2024 with new photos, recipe notes, etc
Mel,
The new updated recipe has the curry powder from 2 teaspoons to 4 teaspoons..is that correct? I just made the marinade and I was just thinking that this was a lot more than it used to be.
In the updated recipe, I doubled the marinade ingredients (not just the curry, all the marinade) – you can absolutely use the 2 teaspoons curry powder in the original recipe, but you’ll want to cut all the other marinade ingredients in half as well.
Yes! Like Bri, I’d missed out on this one and we finally gave it a try tonight. Phenomenal! Thanks for including it in your Recipes the World Forgot. Easy and delicious. The marinade did separate when I boiled it, so we didn’t get to have that, but it was great regardless. Adding it to our favorites!
Lawzy, this is DELICIOUS!!! And easy! And everyone in my family absolutely loved it! Thank you, Mel!
Wow, this was out of this world good! How have I been missing out on this for so long?! Thank goodness for those “Recipes the World Forgot About” posts! Could not stop eating this.
I make this recipe all of the time, for family and friends, and everyone loves it!
I’ve made this. It’s delicious and one of our favorites!
Hey Mel, I’ve made this several times and we enjoy it, but I have a problem keeping the marinade from separating if I boil the sauce for the full ten minutes. It seems to start to separate around 8 minutes in, any tips?
Hey Lindsay, I think it should be fine pulling it off the heat after 7 to 8 minutes.
Always a crowd pleaser! To make the chicken more tender I always cut the chicken breasts in half and tenderize it before marinading. We love this meal!
Love this recipe!!! So does my family!
I make this recipe all the time and my family loves it!
My family loves this meal. I use chicken thighs (the frozen ones from Costco). Even though I generally prefer breasts, we all agree that this particular meal tastes better with thighs. I often cook it on “convection roast” on 450 and think it tastes as good as when it’s grilled, but it’s easier.
I serve with roasted broccoli and pineapple. This is a great meal to serve to guests or to bring to someone.
This has been a staple in our house since 2016/2017. It’s a super delicious and forgiving recipe. I think the coconut rice might be my husband’s favorite thing in the world (I also think it’s ridiculously good), make sure not to skip out on it!
I’ve actually only grilled it once; I use drumsticks since I like dark meat and bake it, fat side down for 15 mins, then 30ish mins on the other side at 400*.
Thank you for this recipe!
Both kids gave it a thumbs up The first time I made it. Tonight I made it in the instant pot. I dumped all the marinade and chicken into the instant pot and cooked it on high pressure for 10 minutes. I used chicken thighs. The sauce was not creamy after cooking, which I expected, so I added the rest of the can of coconut milk. Amazing!
This recipe is truly delicious! We wish we had doubled the recipe because we all wanted seconds. Definitely making again!
This recipe is INCREDIBLE! I have made it for years and it’s truly amazing! Easy to make and so full of flavor. I only make recipes that I feel I would want to order at a restaurant and this is definitely one of them!! I was wondering if I can be made in an instant pot and if so, what are the directions?:)
I have been making these as rice bowls with boneless/skinless chicken thighs and roasted veggies and it’s absolutely amazing.
I know this is 7 years old, but thought I’d let you know in the “What to serve with this” the sweet potato skewers links to your 1-hour bread sticks. Thanks for all your hard work organizing this blog!! <3
Thanks, Kris – I’ll get that fixed!
I always struggle with the salt Is it supposed to be 1.5 tsp or 0.5 tsp or 1 tsp?
Whoa. This was absolutely delicious!! There is so much flavor packed in the sauce. This is definitely a staple as a new favorite dish.
Same!! EVERY time I make it I have to double think it
This is my favorite recipe! Every birthday or mother’s day, it is my request. I usually double it, and last time I got lazy and dumped the whole can of coconut milk in the marinade (instead of measuring 1 cup for a double recipe). Still amazing (and I had extra sauce).
We had salad tonight and I cut up the leftover chicken to put on top, added peanuts and cilantro, and poured the remaining sauce (chilled) over it as a dressing. So good!
Is there a way to do this without the sugar?
This was soooooo good. So potently flavorful. I couldn’t believe how delicious it was. The rice was terrific too, and I agree completely with you, Mel, about using up the coconut milk can. A new (to me) favorite!! This AM, I wanted to marinate chicken to grill tonight, but every recipe I looked at called for lemon, which I didn’t have. When I found this receipt (I did have a lime), I thought “perfect.” I was right! Thanks, Mel!
soooooooooooooooooooooo good thanks Mel for the respie
So yummy! I quadrupled the recipe to feed a crowd, and did a chicken thigh & breast mix. The rice is amazing. Paired with a Thai peanutty cabbage salad it was delicious!
I used this recipe to make a variation on Hawaiian Haystacks and it turned out great! I made the rice and mixed in fresh chopped cilantro. Instead of grilling the chicken, I simmered it in the sauce on the stovetop until it was soft enough to shred. Topped the rice and chicken with chopped mango, bell peppers, toasted slivered almonds and raisins. Sprinkle Tajin seasoning on top!
That sounds amazing!
Mel, I made this with boneless chicken thighs and it was AMAZING!!! My son asked if I would make it for his birthday dinner. That is when I know it is a winner! Thank you for another great recipe!!
So happy to hear that, Laurel!
This was so so good. Like really really yummy. I had a bit of trouble getting my rice cooked properly in my rice cooker so I think I’d just use the stove next time. But there will be a next time. Thanks!
The sauce tastes absolutely amazing! A must-try recipe with unique yet exquisite flavor!
Can we use almond milk by itself or do we add some acidity to that as well?
Do you mean using almond milk in place of the coconut milk?
This is such a delicious recipe! The family goes crazy over this. It’s definitely better if it’s grilled, but some days I make it in the pan and it’s still great. And you MUST make coconut rice with this. If you don’t, you don’t get the whole effect.
Holy moly this is delicious! Just ate this with your recent recipe of thick and creamy lentil soup with lemon. The soup spooned over this rice with some chicken. . . No words. Will make many times again!
Oh yum! What a combo!
I have made this recipe countless times. The whole family loves this meal. Always in our meal rotation.
My kids love this and so do the adults! Amazing!!
Love this one, have made it probably once a week this summer. Even my husband loves it, and he usually hates anything with coconut, lime or curry. Don’t skip on making the coconut rice!
We LOVE this chicken. A crowd-pleaser for sure. When I’m mixing up the marinade, it makes me so excited to eat it later!! The combo of the coconut, lime, curry & cilantro is heavenly.
I’ve made this recipe several times for special occasions. It never fails to impress. Incredibly tasty. It takes some prep (leaving the chicken to marinade) but aside from that it’s such an easy recipe to make, and so impressive to serve. YUM! Thanks, Mel!!
We have made this a dozen times or more and keep coming back to it. Always a crowd favorite!
This is one of my favorite recipes from your site. I have made it for people who don’t like coconut milk as well as people who don’t like curry and this recipe has won them all over!
It’s one of my favorite recipes, too!
Can you cook the rice in a rice cooker?
Could definitely try – I don’t have a rice cooker so I haven’t tried it that way.
Very late in replying, but for future people that are curious, I always make the rice in my rice cooker and have only had a problem when the coconut milk is very thick. Make sure to thin it a bit if using the really creamy kind and you’ll be just fine.
This is one of my favorite recipes of yours. I did it last night in the instant pot and it worked great. I did it like your coconut curry chicken recipe. Cut it up in small pieces and still marinated it. Cooked for 6 minutes although would only do 4 next time. I scooped the chicken out and then did sauté mode and added a corn starch slurry to thicken sauce. It was awesome!! And perfect for weather when grilling isn’t an option. Eating leftovers now! So yummy!!
Yum!
Hi Renee! Would you mind sharing the steps to cooking it in the instant pot? I also like how you cut it in pieces, great idea!
Where do you buy your curry powder? I usually use McCormick or Thai paste but I am looking for a good curry powder. This recipe sounds amazing. I can’t wait to try it. It reminds me of a good Thai dish. Thanks for your awesome blog.
I love the Sweet curry powder from penzey’s spices.