Grilled Lime Coconut Chicken with Coconut Rice
The lightly sweet, uncomplicated rice is the perfect bed for the tender, high-intensity-flavor chicken in this grilled lime coconut chicken with coconut rice dish.
Clearly lime and coconut are on my brain lately. And for good reason.
The fabulous thing about these flavors is that they can combine in a completely different way with each given recipe. The pie? Sweet and creamy. The shrimp? Light and fresh. This grilled chicken?
Warm and rich and crazy delicious.
I spied this dish on Pinterest after my cousin Merianne commented that it was one of the best things she’s made from The Big P.
Given my love/hate relationship with Pinterest recipe recommendations, it takes a great plug from someone I trust for me to want to take the plunge on a recipe, and I have to agree with Mer, this is most definitely one of the most delicious Pinterest recipe finds yet.
The chicken marinade is an easy-peasy concoction of extreme flavor blasts: lime, curry, coconut milk, cumin, soy sauce and a few other goodies.
After the chicken marinades (and seriously, what could be easier than throwing chicken in a bag to marinate with tons of flavor?), you grill it, drizzle it with the amazing sauce and sprinkle with cilantro.
The real kicker in this whole mix.
The ethereal coconut rice that is not only extremely tasty but it does you a big favor by using up the extra coconut milk leftover after measuring it for the marinade.
The lightly sweet, uncomplicated rice is the perfect bed for the tender, high-intensity-flavor chicken. I’m really not sure I’ve had a more delicious grilled chicken dish, not to mention the fact that I was nearly licking my plate to savor each delicious drip of the succulent sauce.
Really, the whole combination is amazing.
What To Serve With This:
Grilled Sweet Potato Skewers
Grilled pineapple
Perfect Corn on the Cob
One Year Ago: Honeydew, Blueberry and Mango Salad with Lime-Ginger Reduction
Two Years Ago: Smothered Pork Chops {Slow Cooker}
Three Years Ago: Asian Chicken Wraps
Grilled Lime Coconut Chicken with Coconut Rice
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade/Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons oil
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ cup canned coconut milk, light or regular
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (see note)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Fresh limes, cut into wedges
Coconut Rice:
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 cup canned coconut milk, light or regular
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 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. Place the chicken in a large ziploc bag and pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
- For the coconut rice, bring the rice, coconut milk, water and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15-16 minutes until the liquid is mostly evaporated. remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork and serving.
- Preheat a charcoal or gas grill (see note above if not grilling) to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken for 6-7 minutes per side (actual time will depend on the thickness of the chicken). While the chicken is cooking, pour the marinade into a small or medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Place the grilled chicken on a serving platter or plate. Drizzle with sauce (reserve the remaining sauce to serve separately) and sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top. Serve with lime wedges and additional sauce.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: found via Pinterest, adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen (added lime juice, omitted hot chili, didn’t mess with pounding the chicken, included coconut rice which is insanely delicious with the combination of flavors and helps use up the rest of the coconut milk in the can)
153 Comments on “Grilled Lime Coconut Chicken with Coconut Rice”
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!
Whoa. This was absolutely delicious!! There is so much flavor packed in the sauce. This is definitely a staple as a new favorite dish.
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.
Made this and it was so great! Did not grill, but baked at 350 for about 4o minutes. It was so delicious!! The rice was excellent too! I added fresh lime zest and fresh chopped cilantro to the rice also after it was cooked. So good.
Delish! Thanks for sharing!
This was terrific! My two year olds and my four year old ate it all up. Thanks for another tried and true recipe.
Hi Mel,
I realize this would be a huge project and I’m mostly suggesting this because I’m lazy but it would be awesome if one day you could somehow include the main ingredients (at least the semi-strange ones) like fruits, vegetables, coconut milk, that kind of thing. This is coming from when I have some random thing in my fridge that I would like to use up and I try searching for that ingredient with your search tool but things only come up if they are in the title. Just a suggestion and I will not be upset if you can’t do it. Thanks!
I made this tonight and it was a. ma. zing. So delicious! I made it with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, and I’m actually glad that we were short 2 people for dinner, because now I have lots of yummy leftovers. The rice was fabulous. I wish I had more left over; I’ll bet it would make fabulous rice pudding.
This was absolutely delicious! I loved the coconut-lime-curry combination. And you were right to add the coconut rice instead of plain rice. That was spot on! I am so glad I made extra…..I’m already looking forward to tomorrow’s dinner! Thank you, Mel, for sharing this recipe. I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Do you think I could use this rice recipe for your baked brown rice?
Are you wondering if you can bake the coconut rice like the brown rice? Or, if brown rice can be used in the coconut rice recipe?
Mel, I have the same question and I am not seeing the reply! Sorry! Either way do you think the coconut rice would work with brown rice? Or could you bake the recipe for the coconut rice if you used brown rice for the 70 minutes? My husband will only eat brown rice and this sounds so good!!
Hi Sara – I think brown rice could work but you’ll have to kind of tweak the liquid amount and cooking time since brown rice requires more of both. Good luck experimenting!
So… I burned the sauce (I’m super talented that way) by letting it summer indefinitely while by newborn screamed for an hour, BUT it was still really great! And our of sheer laziness I put our fruit in the same bowl as the rice and chicken, and it was an awesome flavor combo (nectarines).
This recipe is amazing! I’ve made it several times now and each time I get rave reviews from my guests. The only change I have made is omitting the fresh cilantro because I rarely have it on-hand and I keep forgetting to buy it. The ratios of everything else are just perfect, though. Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Love the recipe but always have read you’re not supposed to use the marinate because of the raw chicken?
Hi Julia – some people may be uncomfortable with that, which I understand, but as long as the marinade is boiled for several minutes, it should be fine. An alternative would be to just make an extra batch of the marinade and keep it separate until serving.
This is a fantastic recipe!! I used coconut oil along with the milk but the coconut on the chicken was very subtle, as was the curry powder. The tip about cutting the chicken was great as the organic chicken breast we order from a local farm are HUGE!! Cutting the chicken allowed for a smaller portion and probably helped seal in the marinade. It was extremely flavorful, even though I only marinated the chicken for 2 hours. I did have a problem boiling off the excess marinade, however. Even after stirring it frequently, the sauce broke into spices and oil. The extra sauce wasn’t necessary anyway so no big deal. I added an extra pinch of salt and cayenne to bring some more heat to the dish. Also, I added some lime and the cilantro to the coconut rice as it was cooling to give it more flavor. Next time, I’ll make a coconut beurre blanc with serrano & tomato to accompany the chicken to really bring out the coconut flavor if I don’t feel like doing the rice!
This was dinner tonight. Oh wow!! Amazingly good!!! Kids and hubby gobbled it up and said it was delicious. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I made this last night and it was all I could do to not to lick the pot clean! We don’t have a BBQ grill right now and I was contemplating how best to make the recipe. I ended up doubling the sauce since I had extra chicken. I cut the chicken into cubes (after halving the chicken breast) and after marinating it four hours, just boiling it in the sauce. We served it in a bowl with the rice and now I can’t imagine it any other way. (I guess we are gravy people!) The spices were right on; my husband also is not a big curry person, but it really was perfect. Thanks sharing!
I found this recipe when doing a general search for chicken marinade. I wasn’t looking for anything specific, just something I had all of the ingredients for so I could make that day. I love lime and coconut, so this caught my eye. I had just about everything to make this… All of thd important stuff anyway 🙂 I marinated the chicken for 2-3 hours. The hubs BBQ ‘d it. Ahmaaazing! It was tender and tasty… Just perfect in every way! 3 of my 4 children liked it, too and 4th kid doesn’t really count because she doesn’t even try anything that is brown unless it’s chocolate. Anyway, that was last ween and all week long I have been drooling just thinking about the chicken and rice… Ohmyword, that rice! So we are making it again today and you can bet I will be doubling the recipe just so I can eat this delicious dish every day this week. Thank you do much for sharing!
Since I cook almost exclusively from your site, I had to let you know this was amazing! Like licking the plate, hoard the leftovers good. For those who’ve asked, I made the rice in a cooker, just dumping it in & cooking. I think I need to double it though… Just cuz it was gone so fast! I made it with regular white rice I had, and I used silk coconut milk, and added coconut extract to up the flavor. Amazing!!
Tried this tonight and it was fantastic! The whole family (including 4 kids) gobbled it all up. We loved the chicken sliced up, with a little rice, some broccoli, a drizzle of the sauce, and a sprinkle of cilantro – perfect combination! It is very similar to Thai chicken satay, but saucier. Definitely going into the rotation! Thanks, Mel!
I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure I was going to like this from the smell of the marinade. It wasn’t a bad smell but a weird smell. I blame McCormick’s yellow curry powder. (I’d rather have a homemade curry mix-but I used what I had). Surprisingly, it doesn’t taste like it smells. The lime really comes through. I didn’t use the sauce this time, as I was afraid it would be too much, but will probably try it next time. All in all, this was quite tasy and will be made again.
I know I have said this before, but I have to say it again- Mel, you rock, girlfriend! I was looking for an easy chicken recipe on your website in which I had all the ingredients for (including the Penzy’s Sweet Curry). I am due to give birth in 1 week so I am trying to conserve my energy. This was so easy to make. My hubby doesn’t like rice but loved this one and the chicken especially with the sauce. I grew up eating coconut rice so this was a blast to the past for me. I heated up the leftover rice with a wee bit of sugar and added milk just like a kid. Thank you once again for sharing your love of cooking with us. Your website is my one stop shop for anything yummy!
Just had to say that this is a very tasty dish. I did some of my own variations with it:
-Used 1 cup of coconut milk
-Made it into a traditional curry where I cooked the cut up chicken with veggies. Then poured the sauce over it.
-I used coconut milk/cartoon fridge one for the coconut rice so it was a bit sweeter.
Such a great recipe!!! Yum
This turned out great! I used Penzeys hot curry, as that is what I had on hand. (Thus Omittimg the cayenne). The rice was outstanding, I too cooked it up in my rice cooker.
Another winning recipe from Mel, thanks!
Made this last night. SO good, and so different from the typical chicken recipes I make. Adding this to the rotation!
This was so delicious! And such an easy meal to prepare. Loved the rice– perfect with the tasty lime coconut chicken. I, too, am thankful you told us about Pensky’s Spices. And not to use red curry. I had no idea there was a sweet, yellow curry.
Made this tonight and loved it!!
Wow, this recipe really did make me feel like a rcokstar in the kitchen! We loved it! Probably our family’s new favorite recipe. Thanks!!
I just made this today, but replaced chicken with fish (seabass fillet) instead and baked it in the oven, overall it was good but i think the flavours go better with chicken.. the sauce though was amazing – couldn’t believe how easy it was to make it!
Also I should add, i found your blog about a week ago on a google search and since then i have made your french rolls as well as the lion house rolls. So far everything has turned out perfect which says a lot about your recipes and instructions since im a first time baker! Thank you xx
Im cooking this right now!
Just tried this recipe tonight. OH, MY FREAKING GOSH! I love anything curry and andything coconut. It was amazing! My husband, my 1 1/2 year old, and I inhaled it! I will say this though: The rice wasn’t as sweet and coconutty as I would’ve liked, but it was still tasty and delicious. I added a tablespoon of sugar to the rice, but I would make it 2 Tbs. next time. I do wish you said in the recipe what heat to have the sauce on the stove, as mine burnt on the side of the pan and got so thick that it didn’t really “drizzle” well. Still tasted yummy though, and will definityley make again! Thanks!
This was absolutely amazing, I made the coconut rice for the family and made minor adjustments to the marinade to make it Paleo so I could enjoy the chicken too. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I am considering turning this into a crock pot meal. Do you think it would fare OK just dumping the chicken and marinade ingredients into a crock pot and cooking it that way? If so, would you still marinade the chicken beforehand? I know chicken tastes way better grilled, but I’m pregnant and the faster/easier my meals are, the more likely I am to make dinner 🙂
Katie – hmmm, I think it’s definitely worth at try. I’d probably still marinade the chicken first just to help with flavor but I’m sure it could be done either way. Let me know how it turns out!
Made this dish tonight, definitely ate far more than I needed too. Substituted the jasmine with brown jasmine and followed this recipe (http://thaifood.about.com/od/vegetarianthairecipes/r/browncoconutrice.htm). I will absolutely make this again, thanks for sharing!
Made this tonight and it was a HUGE hit. My family of picky eaters loved it! I also marinadeted some fresh shrimp, which I thought was even better than the chicken. So good.
Absolutely loved this! We will make it again and again. I used chicken tenderloin instead of breasts, because the breast I have seem too big. To equal 2 pounds I ended up using at least 12 tenderloins, and the marinade was more than sufficient with that many! They turned out fabulous. I also used my rice cooker for the rice, because lets be honest, I adore that thing, and it is mindless. It made it perfect fluffy rice! SO SO YUMMY!
We had this tonight and it was so good! I am going to try with fish next. My husband poured the marinade over the chicken on the grill, and I made extra for the side to go over the rice. My little ones ages 7,6,4,and 2 years old, asked me to add this to the rotation.
I made this last night, but substituted halibut for the chicken breast because I am chickened out right now:) It was delicious, I am still thinking about it! I marinated it for only an hour and only used 1 tsp of the curry. So so yummy!!! Thank you, thank you!
Thanks for another great recipe! This was a family favorite for sure! We love anything with curry and coconut in it. Because we loved it so much, I couldn’t resist sharing on my blog today (www.mimisfitfoods.com). I barely made any changes, but I did include the calorie and nutritional information. Thanks for the yummy eats I always find on your site!
I have made this twice now. The first time my husband was sad that he didn’t get any leftovers to take to work for lunch, so the next time I doubled the recipe. He is happily at work now with some of this great dish tucked away in his lunch bag. Thank you for sharing this recipe! My husband gave it 5 of 5 stars, and that’s very rare with him.
The first time I made it I did not have any coriander on hand so I made it without and it tasted great. I added the coriander this time, and while it was still awesome, we actually like it better without. I also diced the chicken before marinating it, and I cooked the sauce right with the chicken. We served it in bowls over the rice and ate it with chopsticks.
We loved this! I also made it for my freezer club and it is getting rave reviews! Coconut rice freezes great too!
Mel, Thanks for another great recipe! Even being a little congested this was a tasty dish!
ahem…we have a curry convert with this fabulous marinade, just sayin! Note, I did take it down to 1 tsp for a smooth transition into curry hood, and hubby still gave 2 thumbs up.
really want to try this recipe ,what vege would you suggest to accompany this dish.regards alice
Alice – anything from broccoli to asparagus to a green salad – the side dishes could be very versatile!
My family loved this! We felt like we were eating something from a fancy restaurant. I was a little leery of using so much cumin and curry, so I cut back on those a little ~ It was a great combination of flavors. I hadn’t ever used coriander before, & certainly enjoyed discovering its wonderful lemony aroma. The only down side to this meal was we wanted more! 😉 I will definitely double the whole recipe next time.
Mel you have officially put the fun back into cooking for me. Made this for dinner Sarurday night and It was fantastic. Thank you so much for the time you spend sharing your recipes with us. You make it so easy to come up with ideas for dinner and we don’t even have to do the legwork. I don’t know how you do it with your big family. You are simply amazing. i hope your family knows how lucky they are. Thank you again.
Wow! This was great. The neighbor kid who was here for dinner asked me to give the recipe for the chicken to her mom. My husband and I really loved the chicken and rice with the sauce, and the chicken and rice were tasty enough for my kids to eat them plain. Definitely a keeper!
This was delicious! We had this with fresh mangoes and grilled pineapple. My husband LOVED it, and so did I. Thanks!
Have made this twice now and wow, amazing flavour!! The only change I make is adding finely sliced spring onions (I think you guys call them scallions..?) to the rice just before serving. I doubled the recipe the second time, so there would be leftovers for lunch the next day! Thanks Mel for another sensational recipe.
Just made this. LOVED IT!! The flavor is fantastic. Mild coconut and lime flavor with all those spices just made the best bbq for a summer afternoon. The rice was a great compliment to the chicken too. Had some grilled asparagus on the side and fell in love.
Made this tonight for dinner. Family LOVED IT! Will definately make again, per family request. Will double the sauce next time. The coconut rice was delicious!!
This recipe was a big hit with my family! Definitely a keeper recipe. A perfect accompaniment is mango cucumber salad. Dice mango and seedless cucumber; drizzle with lime juice and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Delicious!
About baking, which would you recommend – 375 for 25-30 min (depending on thickness) or 425 for 20 min?
Thanks
Jo – I’d probably go with the 375 temp and just keep an eye on it (or use a thermometer until the chicken registers 165 degrees).
This sounds amazing! I’ve tried coconut rice before, and I like the flavor, but mine always comes out mushy. Any pointers? I am supposed to shake the can right? Not just use the separated liquid, right? I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but the few recipes I’ve followed have always come out mushy. I really want to try this though, mushy rice or not.
Hi Cicily – not sure on the mushy factor. Sounds like you might be adding too much liquid overall…that will usually result in mushy, soft rice.
A new favorite for sure! Dang…. So good!
Hi, Mel! I’m planning on making this for the family, but I was wondering how it would bake as opposed to grilling/frying/broiling. Is there anything I would need to change or could I just throw it in the oven?
Alexa – I think you could bake this…just watch the temp closely and don’t overcook (dry chicken – bad!). Good luck!
This was so good. I will definitely make it again. It wasn’t sweet like I thought it would be either.
Mel this was amazing! Quite recently I declared your cocnut curry shrimp my favorite dish on your blog but this dish may have changed my mind. The sauce! Oh the sauce! I’d be lying if I said I didn’t stand at the stove and eat three (maybe four, yikes) spoonfuls of sauce before pouring it over the chicken. Kindly convert this sauce into a soup for me! Haha, just kidding….sort of.
I’m thinking of switching up the lemon in the coconut curry shrimp to lime since the lime in this dish was so good. I may even try other ways to mesh these two dishes together. Thanks for this amazing recipe!
Just had to tell you I made this last night and LOVED it! It was a hit with my husband and 4 little ones too. Is it bad that after I tried it I was kinda hoping my kids wouldn’t like it, so I could eat their servings? No such luck! 🙂 Love your blog, I’ve probably made about 40 of your recipes so far- I’m hooked!
I think I like this chicken even better than your Grilled Island Chicken which has been my favorite go-to chicken for a few years now! The flavors are so alive and delicious and the chicken was so tender. Loved this!
Tried this the day I saw it and it was AMAZING. We FOUGHT over the chicken breasts and I’m officially NEVER making rice another way again. Keep it up, Mel! You’re making the rest of us look like pros!
I don’t usually comment but this meal was soooooo good! My husband and I fought over the last price of chicken! Thank you! This one is a keeper!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was SO good! Wow- will definitely make it again! Thanks!
Made this tonight using pork loin chops and “drinking” coconut milk. It was amazing! Not sure how much flavor we sacrificed by not using canned coconut milk, but I wouldn’t hesitate to make it again the same way. And the sauce…so divine! Loved it over the rice!
I tried this recipe last night and I didn’t have enough chicken so I used it on salmon and put it on the grill and it was so delicious! My family could not stop saying how good it was. this recipe is a keeper and love this website. Thank you so much for all the delicious recipes. 🙂
I have a question about the coconut milk. What is the difference between canned and silk coconut milk in a container. Always have that one in fridge so was wondering if there was a difference. Thanks. Looks awesome and need to make it. 🙂
Hi Gina – they are completely different products. The coconut milk in a can is much thicker than the coconut milk made for drinking and adds more coconut flavor and richness to dishes so I don’t use them interchangeably. If it’s all you have, though, you could try using it and see how it works out – I just can’t vouch for the results!
Made this tonight. It was great but my sauce got all pasty after boiling for 10 minutes. Any suggestions?
Hi Mel, made this tonight for dinner and we thought it was awesome. Love your website and all your yummy recipes.
Just took this off the grill. I love coconut and curry. Your coconut curry shrimp is one of my favorites. Thanks for another great recipe. My husband loves that this one involves no indoor cooking (we cooked the sauce and rice on the burners on our grill), especially since its already 110 out down here in Phoenix!
Thanks again!
My family loved this – the flavors were so good! I marinated the chicken about 4 hours and found that the flavor was just right without the extra sauce, so we will skip that next time (though I might marinate longer, if I can plan ahead!) The coconut rice was heavenly, and I was so glad to be able to use up the can of coconut milk. Thanks for another keeper recipe!
i just bought 4 cans of coconut milk to use in something…this is that something!!!
This was one delish dish and so easy! I usually don’t make recipes with lots of coriander and curry, but man, the spices blended wonderfully well in this recipe. Luckily I had the sweet curry from Penzey’s on hand and it was not overpowering at all. I will be making this one again for sure.
I made this a couple nights ago and loved it. I didn’t plan ahead (shocker) so it didn’t get but 10 minutes to marinate. This worked out fine because my kids like plainish chicken and my husband and i had the sauce for extra flavor on the plate. 🙂 I made the rice in the rice cooker and it came out perfectly–not sure I’m ever going to want to use plain water again. (Can you imagine how lovely rice pudding would be with this added coconut flavor? That’s next on our dessert menu!) I doubled the chicken so I had enough to make chicken salad sandwiches last night and it was lovely. Thanks, Mel, for giving us the tried and true. Pinterest, sminterest…you are my one-and-only recipe site!
Made this last night. All 5 kids and husband raved about how good it was. We really enjoyed the extra sauce mixed w/the rice after all the chicken was inhaled! Thanks!
Made this for my in-laws over the weekend and everyone loved it! Thanks for another keeper Mel!
Can you cook the rice in a rice cooker?
I made this recipe last night, and it was delicious. First time my husband had tasted curry and he really liked it.
I made this tonight for my family and my 11 year old daughter got up from the table twice to give me hugs and kisses, saying I am the best cook ever. My husband loved it especially when I added more cayenne to his and mine to give it more heat. My 4 year old loved the chicken only and my 6 and 14 year old liked the rice only. I will have to get my kids used to eating curry because most of us loved it. Oh and it was so easy to make!
First off I will definitely be making this again! And second, coconut water and coconut milk are not the same thing. LOL! I learned this today. I just wasn’t thinking. I used coconut water for this recipe. It was lovely and the chicken very moist. My family loved it. I only used 1 teaspoon curry as this is a new spice for us. The rice was not very coconutty. I am sure coconut milk will be even better. I figured out my mistake before we grilled. I didn’t bother cooking the marinade for a sauce. I also grilled pineapple and it was a wonderful addition. Thanks Mel.
I wanted to try this out but my husband said it wasn’t ‘barbeque-ish’ enough to have while having a barbeque. So we bought tortillas and made some salsa. It was like some sort of strange-amazing fusion that worked really well! I put the rice in mine with the chicken/cheese/salsa. It was crazy good, I highly recommend trying it this way but in the end its really good chicken that would work any way!!!
I do have a question, could I use chicken drum sticks in stead of chicken breasts?
Jenn – sure, that’s worth a try!
I’d love to know more about your love/hate relationship with pinterest! Have you had bad luck? What should we be careful of?
Hi Ava – I think I’ve just had bad luck with a few recipes. I love Pinterest overall but I’m wary of recipes that say things like “BEST recipe ever” or “Pinner said you have to try this!”. I always follow the link first before I pin.
I made this dish tonight. I marinated it for about 4 hours. The flavors are beautiful! I didn’t grill the meat but cooked it in the frying pan and itt browned off beautifully. I did pound the chicken breasts lightly and slice them in half as you mentioned and the chicken was super tender. The only change that I would make next time is about 1/3 of the salt all the way around. My husband’s comment….Oh my God! Thanks for sharing!
Coconut rice sounds dreamy. Love the whole recipe.
This meal is perfection! I am making this Monday night and I will be dreaming about it until then. It’s my daughter’s 18th birthday and her main request was Lemon Blueberry Muffins from Mel’s. Best muffins EVER!!
Well, I can’t imagine that these could come close to beating those INCREDIBLE Chipotle Chicken Skewers, but I can’t wait to try them! Really, can you go wrong with coconut milk, curry, and lime?
i’m just not into curry, but everything else about this appeals greatly! i love coconut so much, i’m always even tempted to order coconut shrimp, even though shrimp repulses me no end. 🙂
Mel — I so appreciate the “extra” insturction you give when you post recipes so your recipe will turn out well for us too. Without your comments concerning the curry powder in this recipe, I would have used the red curry powder I use in your Curried Cauliflower Popcorn recipe (our new favorite night time snack). Penzey’s Spices (which I had never heard of) received a $50 order from me today thanks to you. Can’t wait for the order to come in so I can try this recipe. So thankful you share such goodness with others!
I know what you mean about Pinterest, I tried a chicken dish that people raved about and it was just so-so. I guess we are just used to the best on this here blog. And I’m not just saying that. 🙂 I can’t wait to try this chicken, I’m sure it really is awesome.
I am with you on the love/hate with Pinterest recipes. Photos don’t tell the whole story. Unless something comes from a blogger I trust or a “real live” person recommends it, I am hesitant to try the recipe. This one I am definitely trying. The flavors sound wonderful and it makes weeknight chicken into something special. 🙂
Just put this in the fridge and can’t wait to taste it after grilling it tonight for dinner! I was so excited to see this recipe this morning–it saved me from having to worry about what to make for dinner!
Mel, does the chicken end up with a strong curry flavor? I am not a curry fan, weird, I know. Could I omit it, or does it end up being a mild curry flavor? like super mild 🙂
Brittany – try knocking the curry down to 1 teaspoon. I think then it would be mild enough. With 2 teaspoons it definitely has a curry flavor – it isn’t overpowering to me but I love the taste of curry.
This is a must try marinade! I have to try this! I love this flavor profile!
I’ve made this and loved it too, which confirms that we have similar flavor palettes! Thanks for reminding me about this. I’m making it tonight:)
What are the chances?! I (quite insanely I might add) decided to make my own coconut milk 2 days ago. I have been scouring the internet looking for some way to use it. After 2 hours, 1 broken knife, and a few hurt fingers and pride (from my husband shaking his head at me and people poking their head over the fence) I am not going to let this stuff go bad! Tonight it’ll be all worth it!
It’s sounds delicious! We LOVE grilled chicken at our house! I am assuming the rice would work the same if it wasn’t jasmine rice?? I have long grain rice and medium grain calrose rice. I would prefer to use what I already have. 🙂
I CANNOT wait to try this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This looks FABULOUS!
Oh gosh! I’m so glad you agreed with me. It always makes me nervous when you try recipes that I like, for fear you’ll think they’re nasty! Great minds think alike I guess! Xo
My favorite flavors all in one place 🙂
I would SO love this! How coconutty is this? I love the flavor of coconut, but I’m not sure my pickies would. I might not even mention the coconut and see if they even notice 🙂
Oh, I’ve been doing the whole “count your colors” when we eat supper and one of my daughters had strawberries, a hamburger, and sunchips. She said she had like 27 colors or something ridiculous like that. It turns out she was counting every shade of color on the strawberry. A little bit more attention to detail than I was going for 😉 I think I’ll have to explain it better!
Hi Becky – the coconut flavor is very subtle. It’s actually more of a warm, curry-type flavor with bright hints of lime. Yum, it’s so good!
Oh my gosh, Melanie. This chicken looks amazing! I have everything I need to make this for dinner tonight. My family will love this!
Yum Mel! This looks amazing. Looks like I better add coconut milk to my grocery shopping list today. Thanks again!
This looks delicious. I bet my kids would eat it too since its just coconut flavor and not grated coconut. I don’t understand how people don’t like coconut because I could live on it but there are a lot of people that do. Can’t wait to try this! Thanks Mel!
oh my gosh! I bet I would feel like Im in the Caribbean eating this meal! IT sounds wonderful! Can’t wait to try it out!