Lean chicken breast cutlets become the opposite of boring when you simmer them in a omg-this-is-so-good creamy coconut-lime sauce flavored with garlic and cilantro! Just like our Cilantro Lime Chicken Rice Skillet, Cilantro Lime Rice, and our Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs, this easy one-skillet creamy coconut lime chicken recipe takes the bright, zippy wonder of lime + cilantro and uses it to transform a healthy, one-skillet, 30-minute chicken dinner into a company-worthy banger of a recipe. Serve it over White Rice, and prepare for rave reviews!
Creamy Coconut Milk Chicken Ingredients
Chicken: We use chicken breasts and slice them into cutlets (they cook faster this way). You can also often find pre-cut chicken breast cutlets at the grocery store to save you a little time.
Coconut milk: We would only recommend using full fat coconut milk for this coconut milk chicken recipe. It’s just soooo much better than the “lite” stuff, and your dinner will still be pretty low-carb as well as totally dairy-free!
Fresh cilantro: If you hate cilantro, you could substitute parsley or leave it out. You’d still have a really creamy, delicious one-skillet chicken dinner.
Limes: You’ll need both lime zest and juice to make your coconut lime chicken zingy and delicious!
Brown sugar: Just a hint of sweetness to bring out the creamy coconut flavor.
Vegetable oil: Any neutral oil is OK here — canola, avocado, or even olive oil would work fine.
Sweet onion: We love the way sweet onions meld into the other flavors of this dish.
Fresh garlic and granulated garlic: Twice the garlic power for depth of flavor and umami!
Cornstarch: This just helps to thicken your creamy coconut sauce and make it really rich.
How To Make Coconut Lime Chicken
Brown the chicken cutlets. Season the chicken with a little salt, brown sugar and granulated garlic and brown it in the skillet. Set it aside.
Make the creamy coconut sauce. Sauté the onion and garlic, then add coconut milk, cilantro, lime zest and juice, green onions, plus a little more salt and brown sugar.
Simmer the sauce as you add the chicken back to the skillet.
Stir in a little cornstarch slurry to thicken the coconut sauce even more thick, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve!
Serving Suggestions
Serve over White Rice to soak up all the creamy coconut sauce!
To keep this recipe low-carb, you could serve it over cauliflower rice (either store bought, or homemade)
Double down on the cilantro-lime factor and serve this creamy coconut chicken with Cilantro-Lime Rice.
Tips + How To Store Leftovers
Add more veggies to the recipe if you want to! Thinly sliced zucchini or blanched green beans could be added during that last 15-minute simmer.
Store any leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days.
You can also make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs! It just may need a slightly longer cooking time.
More Southeast Asia-Inspired Recipes
More One-Skillet Dinner Ideas? You Got It.
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