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Home Cuisines Thai Recipes

Thai Coconut Chicken

By:Nagi
Published:8 May '17Updated:2 Jul '20
156 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

If you love Thai food, this Thai Coconut Chicken is for you! The chicken is marinated in coconut milk loaded with Thai flavours which adds flavour and richness to the chicken.

Served with a Peanut Coconut Sauce to really drive home the coconut flavour, this Thai Chicken is fantastic for the BBQ, stovetop or roasting. Serve this with a side of jasmine rice or Thai Fried Rice!

Close up of Thai Coconut Chicken fresh off the grill

Thai Coconut Chicken

If you’re new to coconut marinades, you’re going to really love this Coconut Chicken recipe! Coconut milk is a brilliant marinade – it’s a flavour carrier, infusing the chicken with all the tasty flavours you’ve mixed into the marinade.

But not only that, it also adds richness into the chicken, which most marinades do not do. Coconut milk has a fair amount of fat in it which infuses into the chicken.

So this Thai Chicken is not only injected with terrific Thai flavours, it’s tenderised and infused with what I describe as “butteriness” from the coconut milk. It’s absolutely divine!

Thai Coconut Chicken - Chicken marinated in a sensational Thai coconut marinade. Great for BBQ, stove or roasting. www.recipetineats.com

Thai Coconut Chicken Marinade

While this Thai Coconut Chicken may not be strictly authentic Thai, the marinade is loaded with authentic Thai ingredients that are found in classic Thai recipes, like homemade Thai Red Curry and Thai Green Curry Pastes.

  • Garlic and ginger

  • Chilli

  • Lemongrass (fresh or convenience paste)

  • Spices: coriander, turmeric, curry

  • Sugar

  • Fish Sauce

  • Coconut milk

It also just dawned on me that the ingredients in the Thai coconut marinade is like a mash up between this incredible Southern Thai Tumeric Chicken and Gai Yang, the popular Thai grilled chicken which is a street food favourite.

Thai Coconut Chicken - Chicken marinated in a sensational Thai coconut marinade. Great for BBQ, stove or roasting. www.recipetineats.com

Coconut Peanut Sauce for Coconut Chicken

The coconut flavour from coconut marinades is actually quite subtle, like in this western style  Coconut Marinated Chicken.

So what I like to do is serve it with a Coconut Peanut Sauce, just to really drive home the coconut flavour. It’s simple to make but tastes thoroughly authentic Thai, made with just a handful of ingredients:

  • Coconut milk

  • Peanut butter

  • Hoisin Sauce

  • lime juice

  • Garlic

  • Chilli paste

Also, it’s quite a neat way to use up a whole can of coconut milk in this recipe – because despite good intentions, I never seem to use up leftover coconut milk!

Peanut Coconut Sauce for Thai Coconut Chicken in a bowl

Here are some suggestions for things to serve on the side to complete your Thai dinner menu:

  • plain steamed jasmine rice, a fluffy coconut rice (trust me, it’s not coconut overload!) or make a fresh lime rice using this Lemon Rice recipe (switch lime for lemon);

  • a side of Thai Fried Rice (minus the chicken, maybe add some chopped veg);

  • leafy greens or a garden salad tossed with the dressing in this Thai Chicken Salad or Thai Beef Salad; or

  • serve with plain slices of tomato and cucumber (pictured) -this is a very common way vegetables are added to a meal in Thailand.

And if you love Thai food, be sure to have a browse of my entire Thai food collection which includes all your Thai takeout favourites! – Nagi xx


Serve these on the side!

  • Steamed Jasmine rice, Thai Fried Rice, Pineapple Fried Rice or Coconut Rice

  • Crunchy Asian Slaw on the side – great all rounder Asian salad that goes with all Asian foods

  • Asian Sesame Dressing for any fresh salad or steamed vegetables

  • Asian Mushroom Ramen Noodles – another great all rounder!

If you love cooking with coconut milk, you’ll love these!

  • Easy Coconut Curry

  • An amazing easy Thai Coconut Noodle Soup

  • Salmon in Coconut Lime Sauce

  • Coconut Pot Roasted Chicken

  • Coconut Marinated Chicken

  • Thai Coconut Chicken

  • Thai Green Curry and Red Curry

Thai Coconut Chicken - Chicken marinated in a sensational Thai coconut marinade. Great for BBQ, stove or roasting. www.recipetineats.com

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Thai Coconut Chicken recipe video! IMPORTANT: The video says Cumin instead of Curry Powder, the VIDEO is WRONG! It should be curry powder. The recipe is right. Sorreee!!! 🙈

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Thai Coconut Chicken - Chicken marinated in a sensational Thai coconut marinade. Great for BBQ, stove or roasting. recipetineats.com

Thai Coconut Marinated Chicken

Author: Nagi
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Main
Thai
4.95 from 34 votes
Servings5
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 1403
Recipe video above. Chicken infused in a gorgeous Thai coconut marinade which infuses with flavour and adds buttery richness from the coconut milk.  MARINATING TIME: 24 - 48 hours.

Ingredients

Marinade (Note 1):

  • 1 tsp garlic , minced
  • 1 tsp ginger , minced
  • 1 tsp chilli , finely chopped (or paste is fine), adjust quantity to taste (Note 2)
  • 1 lemongrass (OR paste) , white part only, finely chopped(Note 3)
  • 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
  • 3/4 tsp tumeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder (any is fine)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce (sub soy)
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk (full fat please!)

Chicken:

  • 750 g - 1 kg / 1.5 - 2 lb chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless (Note 4)
  • Oil for cooking

Coconut Peanut Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter, smooth
  • 2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 garlic clove , minced
  • 1/2 tsp chilli paste or fresh chilli , adjust to taste

Garnish (optional):

  • Finely chopped coriander / cilantro and more chilli , for garnish
  • Lime wedges (highly recommended)

Instructions

  • Mix marinade in a large bowl. Add chicken and mix. Cover with cling wrap and marinate in the fridge for 24 - 48 hours (can't skip marinating for this recipe).
  • Brush BBQ with oil, or heat 1 tbsp in a skillet (I used a skillet). Use Medium heat - or Medium Low if your stove/BBQ runs hot (otherwise marinade may burn). 
  • Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess. Cook the first side for around 5 minutes or until caramelised and golden. Turn then cook the other side for 4 minutes until caramelised.
  • BAKING: See Note 4.
  • Transfer chicken to serving plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander / chilli if desired, and serve with lime wedges and Sauce.

Sauce:

  • Place ingredients in a bowl and mix a bit. Microwave for 30 seconds, then mix until smooth. Bring to room temperature or serve warm (it thickens a bit when cooled).

Recipe Notes:

1. Marinade - best made with fresh ginger, garlic, chilli and lemongrass but it is still terrific using store bought jarred garlic etc. Lemongrass is sold in tubes in the fresh produce section of Australian supermarkets and it is actually very good. I would use 1 1/2 teaspoons if using paste.
2. Chilli - use any fresh chilli you want. Rule of thumb - the smaller the chilli, the spicier it is! I used large red chillis in this (cayenne peppers) which are not that hot. Thai Chillies are super spicy, as are Birds Eye Chillies.
3. Lemongrass - If using fresh lemongrass, peel the green reedy outer layer off to reveal the white part. Then finely chop the white part only.
You can also use lemongrass paste. Use 2 teaspoons.
4. Chicken - This recipe works best with chicken cuts with fat. Boneless thigh is my favourite. It is fantastic with drumsticks and other bone in cuts, but it is better to roast rather than cook on BBQ (marinade has tendency to burn and these take longer to cook).
Roast drumsticks and wings for 45 min @ 180C/350F, bone in thighs for 50 min - it caramelises nicely.
CHICKEN BREAST - best to cut in half horizontally before marinating. Then they will only take 3 minutes on each side to cook so they'll be nice and juicy. Coconut milk is fantastic for adding richness into breast! I don't recommend roasting breast - you won't get the caramelisation on the surface (key for flavour)
5. Serving suggestions - see in post for sides. 
6. STANDBY / FREEZING: Once you put the chicken in the marinade, pop it in the freezer. I find that the time it takes for the chicken to freeze then defrost = good marinating time, plus you can also leave it for a further 24 hours after defrosting. Ensure it is defrosted before cooking.
7. Nutrition assumes 5 servings, 1 kg/2lb chicken, accounts for 1/4 cup coconut milk in the marinade (rest is discarded) and that all the sauce is consumed.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 248gCalories: 436cal (22%)
Keywords: Coconut chicken, Thai chicken
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

LIFE OF DOZER

Currently overseas with friends in Fiji. As usual when I’m away, Dozer is on his own holiday with the golden retriever boarder.

His second favourite person in the whole world (only after me – I think 🤔), he has much more respect for her than me. She’s also great for getting dogs in shape – it’s like a Biggest Loser Boot Camp. Not that Dozer needs to lose weight now. But when I (accidentally) made him a bit tubby when he was younger, I boarded him with her and when I got back, he was a lean, mean, fighting machine!!! Ba ha ha!!!

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156 Comments

  1. Rowan Sander says

    May 23, 2020 at 11:50 pm

    5 stars
    High praise for this one Nagi, my 9 year old son declared it better than ok, it was awesome! Served with your recipe for tomato salad with minted yoghurt dressing. So good thank you!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 25, 2020 at 11:13 am

      Wahoo – and they are the hardest critics to please! N x

      Reply
  2. Jacinta Murray says

    April 19, 2020 at 7:32 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this tonight & it was so so good. Marinated the chicken for 24 plus hours & cooked it on the bbq grill. Had steamed jasmine rice with it that we poured the coconut peanut sauce on as well as the chicken. My family are loving all the recipes Ive been making from you Nagi, thank you.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 20, 2020 at 1:52 pm

      Sounds fabulous Jacinta!!! N x

      Reply
  3. Tania says

    March 8, 2020 at 9:30 am

    Nagi, I’ve been making your recipes since I’ve discovered your website a few weeks ago. My husband and I have enjoyed every single dish we’ve tried so far… and I’m confident, as many other commenters have stated, that all other recipes we’ll try will be delicious.
    Anyhow, this chicken was incredible… I had leftover coconut milk and made your coconut rice with lime leaves… it brought back memories of Thailand. Thank you soooo much for making me a more confident cook and making our bellies so happy!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 9, 2020 at 10:16 am

      Oh that’s wonderful to hear Tania, thanks so so SO much for the feedback 🙂

      Reply
  4. Luana Zammit says

    November 19, 2019 at 8:36 pm

    Hi Nagi,

    Would love to try this recipe but using the baking option. Can you please clarify something for me as I’m not sure I understood? If i use Boneless thighs, how long should I leave them in the oven for and at which temperature? Should I put them in a glass tray? I just don’t want the marinade to dry up.

    Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  5. Dean Andryeyev says

    September 14, 2019 at 1:38 am

    5 stars
    I’ve followed your blog/recipes for a while now. Thank you for consistently providing delicious material.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 14, 2019 at 8:22 am

      You’re so welcome Dean!!

      Reply
  6. Cybel says

    July 19, 2019 at 12:18 am

    Hi, I would love to try this but don’t want it too spicy as I would be making it for my family, including kids. Do you know of a milder chili paste I could use? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 19, 2019 at 9:02 am

      Hi Cybel, I’d just reduce or completely omit the chilli if you prefer – N x

      Reply
  7. Nicole D says

    June 15, 2019 at 2:35 pm

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! Everyone in my household love this as well! Your recipes are very easy to follow. They are authentic as well; they come out exactly as how they’re depicted in the images and videos. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      June 17, 2019 at 8:58 am

      You’re so welcome Nicole!

      Reply
  8. Maria says

    May 28, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    5 stars
    Nagi you’ve out-done yourself again! This recipe is so easy and so incredibly delicious. The chicken was very tender and flavoursome. Sadly we didn’t like the peanut sauce; although it was tasty, it wasn’t quite as delicious as the satay sauce from your other curry recipes (which take a little longer to prepare but are well worth the effort!).

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 28, 2019 at 8:02 pm

      Hi Maria, I’m so happy you loved the chicken!! Sorry you didn’t love the satay sauce, I do have quite a few on my website – I love ALL things satay 😂

      Reply
  9. Chantelle says

    March 15, 2019 at 12:09 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing! One of my favourite chicken marinades. I used breast and followed your cooking instructions, was still juicy and delicious! Served it with coconut lime rice and shredded green cabbage . Oh I also used soy sauce instead of fish sauce, my husband freaks out about the smell everytime. Thanks Nagi!

    Reply
  10. Georgia says

    March 10, 2019 at 9:51 pm

    I’m so confused about the curry powder you list in the ingredients. There are soo many different curry powders and I’m not sure what to use here. I don’t think my indian style curry powder will complement the thai flavours. What curry powder do you use in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 11, 2019 at 6:30 pm

      Don’t stress Georgia! I have different curry powders on hand to be honest, but I assure you your Indian style curry powder will work here just as well 🙂

      Reply
  11. Ann-Gee Lee Wilson says

    September 25, 2018 at 4:04 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner last night and my husband, who loves spicy food absolutely loved it! He said it’s definitely a keeper and I totally agree. Thank you, Nagi, for sharing all the beautiful and delicious recipes 🙂

    Reply
  12. Barb says

    May 1, 2018 at 5:22 pm

    I knew you’d posted something about Fiji.

    BULA Nagi! Just returned from Denarau after 9 days.

    Didn’t do too much BUT I hope when you were in Fiji you had the opportunity to visit the local markets in Nadi and Lautoka. The local spices, herbs, fruit & vege and how they’re sold is probably my highlight. The locals are just so lovely and very willing to discuss their products – a foodies delight indeed. The aroma is something I don’t think I’ll ever forget, you could spend all day taking it in.

    We booked a suite at the Hilton which included a kitchen (stove, microwave, utensils, dishwasher etc) + a BBQ so I was able to cook using local produce.

    Vinaka!

    Reply
  13. Belle says

    February 25, 2018 at 8:01 pm

    5 stars
    I made this dish tonight and my partner said it was the best thing his eaten in 2018 even better then restaurant food! I added steamed carrot just so there was some veg in our dinner but all in all such an amazing and easy dish!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 28, 2018 at 10:24 am

      And it’s ONLY MARCH!!!! You set the bar high!! 🤣

      Reply
  14. Sarah says

    October 21, 2017 at 8:11 am

    Hey Nagi!
    Soooo looking forward to trying this. A quick one: its almost next to impossible to get lemon grass where I live. Any ideas on what I can use as a good substitute without ruining the dish? Thanks!

    Reply
  15. Valerie says

    September 28, 2017 at 9:11 am

    5 stars
    I made this up in August and took out of the freezer yesterday morning. We had it for dinner last night. Oh my, it was so delicious and so tender. I didn’t have any hoisin which I thought I did for the sauce so I replaced with with oyster and a teaspoon of honey. Looking forward to making it again with hoisin. I served it with the Thai Fried Rice, again delicious. I thought there would be leftovers for tonight but everyone kept going back for seconds, then thirds!!!!! It was so good having it all made up in freezer. I’m going to do that with more of your dishes. I was talking about you and your recipes last week whilst swimming in the lovely warm waters in Waikiki whilst on holidays with a friend who directed me to you last year. We both agreed that you are simply the best and your recipes never ever disappoint, so thank you Nagi!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 28, 2017 at 9:50 am

      Makes me smile like a fool thinking about you and your friend chatting about my recipes while swimming in the crystal clear waters of Hawaii!!! ❤️ I’m so glad you enjoyed this Valerie, thanks for letting me know! N xx

      Reply
  16. Marica says

    July 28, 2017 at 4:10 am

    Why is it that this takes 24 to 48 hours marinade and the other thai chcken is overnight up to 24 hours? Is it the thicknes of the coconut milk the difference? I have a chicken wings competition this Saturday at a pool party and i need to inpress 😊 which one do you raccomend?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 30, 2017 at 5:14 pm

      Hi Marica! I just found the marinade flavour infused slightly quicker for this. I recommend BOTH! Whichever you think you will prefer! N xx

      Reply
  17. Rossalyn S. says

    July 18, 2017 at 3:17 am

    4 stars
    I made this yesterday and found that I’m really not a fan of the fish sauce flavor (all else tastes great). Any suggestions on what I could sub for this?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 19, 2017 at 7:45 am

      Hi Rossalyn! I’m so surprised you could taste it, you definitely should not be able to. Are you sure you used the right amount? Otherwise just sub with soy sauce 🙂 N xx

      Reply
      • Rossalyn Smith says

        July 19, 2017 at 10:27 am

        Thanks you. I’ll use the soy sauce next time. It could just be the brand I bought – it also had a strong smell. I used 2 tablespoons.

        Reply
  18. Kym says

    July 10, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    Hi Nagi
    Can I fridge the marinaded fresh chicken thighs in a clipseal bag for 48hrs then freeze the bag until I would like to defrost and grill ?? Would love to have some on standby !!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 11, 2017 at 2:32 pm

      Hi Kym! I think the better way would be to pop it in the freezer as soon as you put the chicken in the marinade – you’ll find that the defrosting time is the perfect marinating time for this! N x PS I’ve updated the recipe with these directions.

      Reply
  19. Mary says

    July 2, 2017 at 7:17 pm

    Nagi, do you think this would be OK cooked as skewers with tenderloins or would they cook too quickly and be dry? I’m looking for finger food for a BBQ and this looks super tasty.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 3, 2017 at 7:32 am

      YES!!! That would be amazing 🙂 The coconut will add richness to the lean meat 🙂

      Reply
  20. Jan Isaacs-Wade says

    June 30, 2017 at 6:24 pm

    Oh my goodness Nagi! This looks amazing and I’m trying it soon! You know how to push all my buttons, and that’s a good thing! Have a wonderful hedonistic vacation with friends and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

    Jan

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 2, 2017 at 10:56 am

      Ha ha! I love hearing that Jan! 😉 N xx

      Reply
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I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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