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Home Collections Australia Day!

Coconut Marinated Chicken (Grill, stove)

By:Nagi
Published:31 Aug '15Updated:2 Jul '20
120 Comments
Recipe v

Coconut milk makes a fantastic marinade, tenderising and infusing the chicken with rich flavour. The added bonus is that the marinade makes a fabulous sauce! Try grilling this Coconut Marinated Chicken – or cook it on the stove, your choice!

Grilled Coconut Marinated Chicken on a plate, drizzled with coconut sauce.

This is based on a recipe by Bobby Flay, one of my grilling idols. His shows started airing in Australia a few years ago and I was hooked.

Though I have to say…gosh, this could get me in trouble…Does anyone else think he really should consider wearing sunglasses? Because he always seems to be squinting!! 😉

I think he is incredibly talented at bringing together unique flavours with familiar ingredients. I have a killer of a 3 ingredient glazed pork chop recipe of his that I regularly use which I plan to share soon.

But as for this coconut marinated chicken – I am not actually sure whether he had it on his show. I got it from his book, Bobby Flay’s Barbecue Addiction. He makes this with pork tenderloin and has a relish to accompany it. I tried it with pork tenderloin but found that it was difficult to cook to make it moist and tender on the grill.

Coconut Marinated Grilled Chicken - the coconut marinade infuses the chicken with rich flavour and tenderises the meat. And the sauce is incredible!

But the flavour was so awesome that I decided to give it a go with chicken – and scored! It’s sensational!

Grilled Coconut Marinated Chicken with a side of lime rice on a white plate, ready to be eaten.

I like to make a coconut based sauce to serve with the chicken, just to really drive home the coconut flavour. It’s made using the excess marinade – but don’t worry, it’s simmered rapidly to make it safe for consumption.

The chicken is sensational as it is, but honestly, the sauce “makes” this. I do hope you consider giving this a go! – Nagi x


If you love coconut milk sauces, you’ll love these!

  • Easy Coconut Curry

  • An amazing easy Thai Coconut Noodle Soup

  • Salmon in Coconut Lime Sauce

  • Coconut Pot Roasted Chicken

  • Thai Coconut Chicken

  • Thai Green Curry and Red Curry

And more of my favourite Asian Chicken recipes

All these are ideal for grilling but can also be cooked on the stove

  • Thai Satay Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce

  • Yakitori Chicken – Japanese chicken skewers on my mother’s Japanese recipe website, RecipeTin Japan

  • Thai Grilled Chicken (Gai Yang) – marinated in a fragrant Thai marinade

  • Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken – infused with beautiful Vietnamese lemongrass flavours

  • Asian Chicken – marinated in a great Asian marinade that’s sweet sand savoury

Grilled Coconut Marinated Chicken on a plate, drizzled with coconut sauce.

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Coconut Marinated Grilled Chicken - the coconut marinade infuses the chicken with rich flavour and tenderises the meat. And the sauce is incredible!

Coconut Marinated Chicken (Grill or Stove)

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Dinner, Grilling
Tropical!
4.90 from 28 votes
Servings4
Tap or hover to scale
Print
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Coconut milk is a fantastic marinade which tenderises the chicken and infuses it with rich flavour. The added bonus is that the marinade doubles as a scrumptious sauce! Cook this on your BBQ or stovetop.

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 1 can coconut milk (preferably full fat, but light is ok) (14oz/400g)
  • 2 limes - all the zest + 3 tbsp of juice
  • 1 tbsp mild curry powder
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger , finely grated
  • 3 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 2 tbsp Frank's classic hot sauce , or other hot sauce of choice (adjust to taste) (Note 2)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • Black pepper

Chicken

  • 1.5 lb / 750g chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless
  • 1 tbsp oil (for cooking)
  • 3/4 cup water

Garnish (optional)

  • Fresh coriander leaves

Instructions

  • Combine the Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag. Add the chicken and set aside to marinate for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
  • Remove the chicken from the Marinade, shaking off the excess. Keep the Marinade for the Sauce (below).
  • Brush the BBQ with oil and heat to medium high, or heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
  • Cook the chicken for around 7 minutes on the first side and 5 minutes on the second side, or until cooked through.
  • Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes.
  • Serve with Sauce and garnished with fresh cilantro leaves, if using.

Sauce

  • Pour the marinade into a small saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cook for at least 10 minutes, or until thickened to desired consistency. (Note 1) Transfer to a sauce bowl.

Recipe Notes:

1. Because the Sauce is made from the Marinade that the chicken was marinated in, it must be simmered for 10 minutes to be extra sure that it is safe for consumption and also to allow the ingredients to meld.
2. Franks is a brand of hot sauce that is probably the most well known in America. It is available in Coles and Woolworths in Australia in the aisle with tabasco, tomato sauce etc. and costs around $2.50 - $3.00. But you can substitute with any hot sauce you prefer - even sriracha! The hot sauce adds spiciness and a very mild touch of sour to the coconut sauce.
3. Adapted from a recipe by Bobby Flay.
4. Nutrition per serving, assuming the marinade is made with full fat coconut milk and all the Sauce is used.
Coconut marinated grilled chicken nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 344gCalories: 465cal (23%)Carbohydrates: 9.7g (3%)Protein: 36.5g (73%)Fat: 34.5g (53%)Saturated Fat: 23.4g (146%)Cholesterol: 142mg (47%)Sodium: 875mg (38%)Potassium: 358mg (10%)Fiber: 3.5g (15%)Sugar: 3.6g (4%)Vitamin A: 550IU (11%)Vitamin C: 6.6mg (8%)Calcium: 30mg (3%)Iron: 3.2mg (18%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

 

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120 Comments

  1. Henry says

    December 7, 2022 at 9:44 pm

    How would I save this recipe?? So I pretty much doubled everything, however my Coconut milk from costco tasted very water down, but I tried to use it anyways. I made the marinade and all I really taste is tang/acid from the lime and franks hot sauce. I’m not sure what to do, I added some fish sauce and that made it better and less tangy tasting, but still tastes sort of like a vinaigrette.

    Reply
  2. Ali says

    May 15, 2022 at 8:03 am

    Just btw- you said to keep the remaining sauce to use for later.. after it was already with raw chicken 😳

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 15, 2022 at 5:35 pm

      The marinade is perfectly safe to eat as long as you follow the instructions in the recipe and cook it for 10 minutes as directed. N x

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 17, 2022 at 7:43 pm

        5 stars
        Yup totally awesome as always! The sauce makes it, 10 mins or more on the boil kills any raw chicken nasties. I haven’t had one of your recipes go wrong and I’ve done about 30 so far 👍

        Reply
  3. Linda says

    October 21, 2021 at 12:13 am

    Looking forward to trying this. Can you please let me know if it can be frozen at the marinading stage? Thanks

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      October 21, 2021 at 10:12 am

      I wouldn’t suggest freezing it, sorry. Coconut milk splits when frozen. N x

      Reply
      • Dee says

        September 17, 2022 at 7:47 pm

        5 stars
        I’m a freezer, especially for easy mid week meals, I froze it no problems reheated beautifully have a go

        Reply
    • Dee says

      September 17, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      5 stars
      Sorry I froze it after it was cooked, not at the marinating stage.

      Reply
  4. Bridgette Riggin says

    June 16, 2021 at 7:57 am

    5 stars
    So yummy! I took a pic to post here but don’t see any where to upload it! This is the third time I have made this and it never disappoints! Thank you!

    Reply
  5. PJ says

    February 11, 2021 at 11:20 am

    5 stars
    Nagi!!!! I love you! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe, I have made it 4 times now, and will be making it again later this week. It’s now a staple receipe in my kitchen for chicken wings. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of grilling. I broiled in the oven instead, because it’s cold outside lol. It turned out so well, and taste even better after a couple of days. I don’t use Instagram, I would have shared a pix with you. Thanks so much.

    Reply
  6. Natalia says

    December 8, 2020 at 2:09 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi! Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe. The grilled chicken turn out so juicy and tender. They are the best and so easy to cook. Definitely will make them again next time!

    Reply
  7. Ron says

    September 30, 2019 at 8:27 am

    This is a fantastic marinade with
    rich flavor and great taste.
    After ten minutes the sauce was
    still a little thin, so I added some
    cornstarch and it turned out perfect. The Franks Hot Sauce
    made my day. What a great idea. Nagi your a genius

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 30, 2019 at 9:14 am

      Sounds perfect Ron!!

      Reply
  8. Celeste says

    July 29, 2019 at 5:27 am

    Hi Nagi – I read in one of your other posts for Vietnamese lemongrass chicken that I can freeze the chicken with the marinade (which worked out really well, btw). Could I do that with this recipe?

    Reply
  9. Mel says

    July 4, 2019 at 8:38 pm

    Hi Nagi, I made this and it turned out wonderfully, just as all of your recipes do. Just one thing with this recipe, when I combined the marinade ingredients, it seemed like the coconut milk curdled. Although it tasted perfect, I was wondering if you have seen this before.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 5, 2019 at 1:04 pm

      Hi Mel, can I ask what type of coconut milk you were using? – N x

      Reply
  10. Pauline says

    November 1, 2018 at 12:34 am

    5 stars
    Has anyone tried this using Thai red or green curry paste?

    Reply
  11. Karin says

    April 3, 2018 at 8:44 am

    This was delicious for my Easter BBQ. Thanks Nagi your recipes are my go to now 😊

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 4, 2018 at 9:04 am

      Love hearing that Karin! So pleased you enjoyed this so much! N xx

      Reply
    • Lily says

      April 27, 2020 at 8:58 am

      5 stars
      I don’t have a grill so i just made it on the stove, but it sure tastes amazing! I used a non stick frying pan to cook it and it took me 10-15 minutes. Also think serving this with lime juice would add a bit more flavor. Nevertheless, another tasty and simple recipe.

      Reply
  12. Romina says

    February 28, 2018 at 3:52 am

    5 stars
    Wow! This recipe is amazing! I made the marinade exactly as the recipe calls for and it was insanely delicious!! I used chicken drumsticks (I read a note on another one of your coconut chicken recipes regarding using drumsticks instead of thighs and I followed the cooking instructions which were perfect) and marinated them for 24 hours. They were so tender and flavorful through and through! I also used your recommendation on the leftover marinade; added water and boiled it down for a solid 20 mins or so. It thickened up and was delicious poured over the coconut rice I served it with. I have shared the recipe with all my colleagues and they are very excited to try it!
    This recipe will definitely be added to my regular roster. Thank you! 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 28, 2018 at 8:32 am

      That’s so great to hear Romina! So glad you enjoyed it! N x ❤️

      Reply
      • JULIE BULYOVSKY says

        March 7, 2018 at 1:54 am

        5 stars
        NAGI, first off love all your recipes… but I can’t for the life of me figure out how to leave a comment.. so i’m replying to yours but its unrelated – lol . i was wondering… so i made this marinade yesterday and chicken breasts have been in it over night.. could i not throw all of this into a crock pot today and have it like a curry over rice? is it safe to do that if the chicken has been marinading in it all night?? i just feel like this marinade is similar to a curry sauce recipe to me. please let me know your thoughts!

        Reply
        • Nagi says

          March 11, 2018 at 5:53 pm

          Hi Julie! I haven’t tried that but would be interested to hear what you think! N xx

          Reply
  13. Marie says

    November 12, 2017 at 12:56 pm

    Yes. It was still very thin and it didn’t taste as you and all your commenters described. Just trying to figure out what I did wrong. The chicken, however, was great. I also made a killer basmati rice, cooked with a bit of onion, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, cardomom pods and whole cloves to go with it, along with your salad of cukes, onions and tomatoes. Loved everything except that sauce. Regardless, thanks for a great recipe! I’m sure I’ll try it again and, hopefully, get that sauce right.

    Reply
  14. Marie says

    November 7, 2017 at 8:03 am

    5 stars
    I made this as the recipe as described and the chicken was delicious, especially grilled. Leftovers tasted even better. The sauce was way too thin after adding 3/4 cup of water then it separated. Perhaps due to over cooking it?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 7, 2017 at 5:33 pm

      Hi Marie! The sauce should thicken back down after simmering for 10 minutes, did you do that part? 🙂 N x

      Reply
      • Marie says

        November 11, 2017 at 9:52 pm

        Hi Nagi, I think I mistakenly cooked it longer than 10 minutes. (Multitasking is difficult for me these days. 🙂 There was a layer of the coconut fat on top. Not supposed to be like that, right?

        Reply
        • Nagi says

          November 12, 2017 at 12:30 pm

          ?? You mean the sauce?? Did you try whisking it back in to incorporate??

          Reply
  15. Josie H says

    February 5, 2017 at 10:37 am

    5 stars
    I made this tonight & the family loves it.
    This is really appealing to me. I love cooking with coconut milk! It was very easy to prepare & wildly delicious. I love a recipe where the most intensive part is zesting a fruit! Thanks again Nagi.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 7, 2017 at 7:55 pm

      What a compliment! Thanks Josie, so thrilled you enjoyed it! N xx

      Reply
  16. Mariah Miller says

    January 14, 2017 at 10:13 am

    I know this is an old blog post – but maybe you’ll still see this.

    I’m making this for my book club dinner tomorrow night. I’m not able to grill it – any tips on temp and timing for baking?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 16, 2017 at 6:10 pm

      Hi Mariah, sorry for the delay responding! Unfortunately this recipe really is best cooked on the stove or grilled to get the caramelisation. But you could bake – I’d do 430F/220C for 15 – 20 min (high heat to try to get some nice browning).

      Reply
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