Sticky Coconut Chicken
This easy sticky coconut chicken is one of our favorite meals ever! Coconut milk marinated chicken is brushed with a sweet and spicy sticky glaze. It’s amazing!
You know a recipe is good when it stands the test of time for over a decade.
This sticky coconut chicken has been a family favorite for over ten years! My kids request it for birthday dinners, it’s a go-to meal for company (or for take-in meals), and it’s perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
The flavors are absolutely out of this world delicious. I can’t see us ever getting tired of this glazed chicken. Ever.
The flavor for this sticky coconut chicken is built in two ways:
- the coconut milk marinade
- the sticky sweet and just very lightly spicy glaze
For the marinade, we’re using ginger. Fresh ginger. It’s amazing in this dish. And I don’t want you to leave it out!
Lately, the availability of ginger paste has become much more common (I find it in the produce section of my grocery store or at Trader Joe’s). It’s a great alternative to fresh ginger, and I highly recommend it, especially in something like a marinade.
How to deal with fresh ginger
Fresh ginger can seem a little intimidating. It’s an incredible ingredient. But it’s also a little weird-looking and knobby and “out there” to some people.
Here’s a tip to make fresh ginger totally doable.
Buy a knob of ginger and cut it into 1-inch pieces (I don’t peel it). Put the chunks of ginger in a resealable bag and toss in the freezer.
When it’s time to use fresh ginger, take a piece of ginger from the freezer and grate it (frozen) on the small holes of a box grater or on a rasp grater/zester. Again, no need to peel!
It’s super easy to use fresh ginger this way, and it works great! I always have little nubbins of fresh ginger hanging out in the freezer for recipes that call for it.
Coconut Ginger Marinade
The coconut marinade for this sticky coconut chicken is super simple:
- canned coconut milk, light or regular
- fresh ginger
- salt and pepper
- red pepper flakes (use up to a teaspoon for a bit of heat, dial it down a bit for a more family-friendly vibe, but don’t leave it out!)
You can whisk all the ingredients together, especially if the ginger is finely grated, OR you can give everything a whirl in a blender. If I do that, I leave the ginger in larger chunks since it all gets blended up anyway.
Marinate the chicken for at least an hour or up to eight hours. Any longer, and I’ve found, especially with chicken breasts and tenders, that the texture of the meat gets a little bit soft and mushy.
I’ve mentioned before that I don’t have a super great love for chicken thighs.
But they are amazing in this recipe, and my preference is to use them. However, chicken breasts or chicken tenders also work really well. If the chicken breasts are overly thick, I’d suggest slicing them into thinner pieces to maximize flavor.
Toward the end of cooking time, mix the glaze ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Sidenote: I almost always double or 1 1/2 the glaze so we have extra for drizzling over the chicken and rice.
Cook the glaze until it reduces by about half. It may not look super thick on the stove, but it will thicken as it cools. And you don’t want to cook it too long or you’ll end up with vinegar taffy.
And that’s a little bit sketch.
When the bubbles intensify and get super close together (like in the picture below on the right), it’s probably about time to pull it off the heat.
Grill or bake the chicken
This recipe is wonderful with grilled chicken – that’s my ultimate preference. But it also works great to cook the chicken in a hot skillet or bake in the oven.
Either way, toward the end of cooking time, brush that tasty glaze over the chicken!
Since the syrupy glaze is coming into contact with heat, it will thin out and drip off a bit, so repeat often over the last few minutes for a thicker coating of glaze, if desired.
Any leftover glaze can be drizzled over the chicken and rice (if serving with rice).
Quick Coconut Rice
I almost always use the other half of the coconut milk for a modified coconut rice recipe.
I add the leftover coconut milk to the liquid needed for the rice. It’s amazing! (More thorough details are in the recipe notes below.)
If you haven’t made this sticky coconut chicken yet, don’t wait!
So many people have fallen in love with it over the years:
Keri: My go-to grilled chicken dish. I’ve made it so many times over the years and we all still love it. We love to have it with grilled veggies!
Erica: We had this for dinner tonight and it may just be the best thing that I’ve ever eaten! Yum!
Rebecca: Thank you so much for posting! My husband said it is the best chicken he has ever had, my 3yo like any other 3yo usually picks at her plate but she licked the plate clean and asked for more, defiantly going to be a usual in our house!
I hope you love it, too! It’s seriously one of my favorite meals in the history of ever.
What To Serve With This:
Rice (or better yet, Coconut Rice)
Grilled Pineapple or fresh pineapple/fruit
5-Minute Skillet Broccoli
One Year Ago: Mel’s Buddha Bowls {With Super Tasty Peanut Sauce}
Two Years Ago: Mandarin Spinach Bowtie Pasta Salad with Teriyaki Dressing
Three Years Ago: The Best Ground Beef or Turkey Tacos {20-Minute Meal}
Four Years Ago: {Pressure Cooker or Stovetop} Chicken Coconut Curry
Five Years Ago: Grilled Honey Mustard Rosemary Chicken
Six Years Ago: Grilled Asian Chicken with Peanut Noodles and Cucumber Sambal
Seven Years Ago: Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole
Eight Years Ago: Brown Sugar Crackle Cookies
Sticky Coconut Chicken
Ingredients
- 6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, breasts or tenders, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
Marinade:
- 1 cup canned coconut milk, light or regular
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or ginger paste (see note)
- ½ teaspoon salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, I use coarsely ground
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (see note)
Glaze (see note about doubling):
- ¾ cup rice vinegar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients (or blend until smooth).
- Pour the marinade over the chicken, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or up to eight hours (any longer and the texture of the chicken can soften and get a little mushy).
- Toward the end of marinading time, bring the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes to a boil over medium heat. Simmer vigorously until the mixture is reduced by about half and is slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat. If it doesn’t seem to be thickening, just keep an eye on the reduction level, and keep in mind that it may still look a bit thin on the stove but will thicken as it cools.
- Grill the chicken over medium heat (or bake in the oven at 375 degrees on a greased, foil-lined pan), 4-5 minutes per side. The exact time will depend on type of chicken and thickness of the pieces – chicken thighs will take longer to cook than chicken breasts.
- The last few minutes of grilling or baking, brush the chicken with the glaze (repeat if you want a thicker coating). Serve with leftover glaze and rice, if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Leigh Anne with my slight adaptations
Originally published June 2008; updated April 2020 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
I just found your recipe blog today! This recipe looks wonderful and I’m also looking at making your Basic Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce. I love adding coconut to my cooking.
I made last night and used chicken legs (because it’s what I had) My family went crazy over this! My kids ate two legs a piece they never eat more than a few bites of their food! My husband was pouring the glaze over his rice and chicken he LOVED the glaze! I really loved this recipe! Thanks so much!
I made this last night and my husband was going crazy over it, it really was the perfect grilled chicken! I also used the leftover coconut milk and made your fluffy couscous recipe, subbing the coconut milk for the chicken broth. That was delicious! I got lots of hugs and thank you’s for such a good meal 🙂 I’m excited to eat the leftovers for lunch!
I made this last night and we all really loved the flavors. They were definitely subtle, so I might look to make it a little bolder next time–but that may also be because I served it alongside pad thai which may have just been overpowering as a combo. I can’t wait to make this on the grill this summer. It screams backyard BBQ!
I made this tonight and it was a big hit! I left out the red pepper flakes because I have small kids, but it was excellent. I also used the extra coconut milk in the rice, and next time I will double the glaze to use for sauce because the glaze was my favorite part!!
Cassidy – so glad you liked this!
Ok, well I made it and I must say it came out really well. I am sure its 100% better on the grill (cant beat that grilled chicken taste!) but I was happy with the skillet version. Sadly, I had to use boneless, skinless breasts….my husband wont eat anything but those, I may sneak in some thighs for me and the kids next time tho! I took your advice as well and put the milk in the rice (I used brown) but I think white rice would have tasted better with the coconut milk, just because the brown rice has a nutty flavor and it kind of overpowered the coconut I think. Anyhow, I am attaching the picture I uploaded onto tinypic.com – it isnt the best since it was taken with my Iphone, but you will get the idea! 😉
http://tinypic.com/r/wb703d/4
I really enjoyed it though, plus the kids loved it, even my picky 2 year old ate every piece I gave him and half of mine! Thanks so much!
Thanks for checking back in, Amber! I’m glad it turned out well – thanks for including your feedback and link to the picture!
Yum! Will do. Putting it into my rotation next week! Will comment back after I try it. Thanks so much. 🙂
Could you cook this on the stove top? I don’t have a grill, and using the broiler never seems to work out for me. Any ideas? Thanks! It looks wonderful, and I will be trying it sooner or later, just depends on if the stove top works and/or when I get a grill!
Amber – You could probably saute this chicken in a hot skillet with good results. Let me know if you try it this way!
looks yummy!!!
I tried it with chicken breasts and when I did the coconut rice I put extra glaze on it, and it was AWESOME!! I love this!!
Adrienne – glad this worked out with chicken breasts subbed for the thighs…and that the result was fantastic. Thanks for letting me know!
So I didn’t read chicken thighs, and are marinating chicken breasts, thats ok, right?
Just tried this for dinner and it was fantastic. A recommendation though, the glaze was great, we just wish we had some left over to put on top of the chicken and rice, as it was needing sauce. Next time, I will make more glaze to drizzle over the meal, since that’s probably all it needs—a drizzle. The chicken was so tender and flavorful. Definitely making this again. I also took Mel’s suggestion and added the coconut milk to the rice to cook. Great flavors going on.
Chavah – thanks for the recommendation! I love when people add those things to their comments. Glad you liked this recipe!
Sticky Coconut Chicken looks/sounds so yummy I couldn’t wait to try it- so I’m making it today. My question is about the coconut milk. The kind I bought is almost like cream- in flavor and calories:( I think I was expecting it to be sweeter. Did I get the right kind? My chicken is still marinating so I haven’t tasted the finished product yet- sounds soooo good! Also, thanks for such an incredible web site!! I look at it daily and I’ve made many of your recipes– we’ve never eaten so well:)
Hi Julie – usually in the Asian foods aisle there is coconut milk and cream of coconut. If your can said coconut milk, you are using the right stuff. It is fairly thick (but not as sweet as cream of coconut). And yes, it does pack a punch with calories. Occasionally I’ve been able to find the light coconut milk and I buy a lot when I find it. Let me know how this turns out!
I made last week. It was soooo yummy! I did it with chicken breasts cause I am scared of thighs. I also toasted some shredded coconut and rolled a few pieces of chicken in it while it was still sticky (just to try). It was AMAZING! My husband always wants more sauce so I think I might make more glaze next time to set aside for him.
Thank you!
Emily – don’t worry, I get a little nervous around chicken thighs, too. This is the only recipe I use them for! Anyway, I’m glad you liked it – thanks for letting me know (your rolled coconut idea sounds delicious!).
Hi Sheena – thanks for your comment. I don’t mind if you post my recipes to your sister’s blog, especially if credit is given. Thanks! Let me know if you try any of the recipes.
Hey Stephanie – I’m glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe since finding it! Thanks for letting me know.
This recipe is now one of my families favorites–thanks!!!! I changed the recipe a little and it was delicious! Instead of adding the coconut milk to the rice, I added it to the coconut sauce. It made it creamy and smooth. We ate it over the chicken and rice and it was SOOOO good! We also kabobbed peppers, pineapple and onions on the grill and ate with the chicken and it was great. Thanks again for the delicious recipes!>>P.S.–If you are a Utah resident, check out my blog 😉 http://www.myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com and http://www.myfoodstoragedeals.com.
Hello, tried this recipe and loved it, thanks for sharing->>jane
OMG! I am gonna try this recipe! I am in a recipe rut and came across your blog, I want to try so many of your recipes. Thank you for posting all your tried and true recipes! Can’t wait to get cooken again!
Julie – you probably did the right thing by cutting down the spice. I remember the 1 teaspoon added definite “kick” and we have a high tolerance to spice, so if your family doesn’t like the spice, 1/4 teaspoon will probably add the perfect amount of “kick” without being spicy. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Question: Do the red pepper flakes make it spicy? I have my chicken marinading as I type. I am making this for the first time for dinner tonight. For the marinade, I only put in 1/4t of crushed red pepper flakes. My family doesn’t tolerate spicy at all (they get it from my hubby :)- I love the spice) But to appease the masses, I just wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be too spicy for them if I used the red pepper flakes in the marinade and the glaze. What was your experience?
I am sooooo making this as soon as I can get my hands on some thighs…and not my own…
Made this last night for dinner. My husband and I really enjoyed it. I did the rice with the coconut milk and that was good too. >>Although, isn’t coconut milk supposed to be thiner like regular milk? For some reason my coconut milk was fluffy–like runny whipped cream. It wasn’t coconut cream, but my can said “FOR DESSERT” on it, and I think this might have effected the taste, because I was hoping for a more coconut-y taste and it didn’t have it. Next time, I will get regular coconut milk and try it again.
Made this last night~ LOVED IT! Looking forward to enjoying more recipes from your blog. Found you through the Swiffer contest. good luck!
This looks great. I am saving this recipe.
Now this is another GREAT chicken recipe I feel I could do. LOVE IT!
Coconut chicken sounds really good!
I gave you an award today on my blog. Just go to my blog and comment on the award post. relmomkitchen.blog spot.com
Nicole and Jane – I’m so glad you both tried this and enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know!!
This is FABULOUS! My all time favorite chicken recipe. It’s gonna be hard to top this one, but I’ll keep trying! Can’t wait to try the orange chicken and sweet/sour chicken.
Melanie, I have to say that out of all the blogs I read, you make the most food that is right up my alley. I could just cook everyday off of your blog and be a happy camper!!
Ok, Deborah and Grace – I just added you both to my paltry will for your comments. Talk about making my day!! The feeling is completely mutual with both of you. Thanks!
I haven’t tried any of your recipes yet, but oh my goodness they look so GOOD!! I am definitely adding quite a few to my menu for the week and I will for sure be making this chicken very soon. If it’s ok I am going to post a few of your recipes on my sister’s and my blog (http://3sisterssharingideas.blogspot.com ), I’ll also be adding a link to your blog. Thankyou so much for your wonderful recipes. I am a recipe-aholic! I could read cook books like novels. I’ll be commenting on your recipes as soon as I cook them. Thanks!
Jamy – that’s saying a lot if this is your favorite – I’m really, really glad you liked it. Let me know if you try the other two chicken recipes.
My husband is not a fan of coconut, but he may eat this. It looks so good!
This was great! I have been struggling with Scott at dinner time, and I didn’t even have to bribe him to eat…he ate ALL his chicken and wanted more! I didn’t have thighs, so I used drumsticks and chicken breasts. Yum!
Teri – I’ve actually thought I would probably like this with chicken breasts, too. I’m glad you liked it, though. Thanks for letting me know!
Melanie – thanks for this recipe! I made it tonight & loved it…hubby liked it, too, though he didn’t eat as much as I would have thought he might…I suspect it’s due to the fact that he’s not a fan of chicken thighs, so next time we’ll try it with chicken breasts (I wish they sold boneless skin-on breasts! And the rice was awesome, too! Thanks! 🙂
Every time I visit your blog there’s something I want to try…what fun for me! I’m bookmarking this chicken recipe, it looks amazing, as usual. 😉
Jen – yes, coconut milk is fairly thin consistency. Could it have been “cream of coconut” that you bought? Most stores sell both coconut milk and cream of coconut. Cream of coconut is definitely thicker than coconut milk and is sometimes used in desserts (frostings/cakes). I’m glad you still liked the meal, although I bet you will get a stronger coconut flavor using coconut milk next time.
Cindy – thanks for commenting back and letting me know that you liked this. I was curious what the result would be when I read your first comment. Glad it was a hit!
Mayaveda – thanks for your comment, also. Glad that you made this and loved it!!
Thanks, everyone!>>And Leah, aren’t you sweet? Thank you! I hope you like the chicken…it is really amazing.
even before reading deborah’s comment, i was thinking the exact same thing! this sounds absolutely fantastic to me, as chicken is my go-to protein and i love <>anything<> coconut. keep ’em coming!
Jaesi – you make me laugh, as always, with your comments. Thanks for the chuckle!>>Cara – I’m glad you stopped by! I get in recipe ruts all the time so I know what you mean. I hope you like the ones you try from here!
I’m with Deborah! Your food looks so fantastic! I have to try this one soon!
Looks really incredible!
What a hit!!! My friends loved this dish, I am definitely going to do it again. I had some leftover glaze and mixed it with some bbq sauce and put it on my baby back ribs, delish!! Thank you Melanie. 🙂
Would this be good without the glaze? We are doing low sodium and can’t do soy sauce.
Sure, it would be a really delicious grilled chicken.
I have made this so many times since finding it!!! Thank you so much for posting it!
This was delicious! My kids and husband loved this juicy, flavorful chicken. I served it with coconut rice and a salad. It was super easy to prepare and will be on our regular rotation now. Thank you Mel!
I am in the process of marinating my chicken as I write this. I loved browsing through all the recipes! I hope my guests tonight enjoy this dish.
Melanie,>>It looks so good – if I hadn’t made it twice already in the last two weeks I’d make it again tonight! I love the idea of adding the extra coconut milk to the rice – I usually just throw it away and it’s such a waste! Thanks.