Coconut Milk Baked Chicken Recipe
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This quick and easy Coconut Milk Baked Chicken Recipe has become part of our regular weekly menu rotation.
Say goodbye to bland, dry chicken with this flavorful Coconut Milk Baked Chicken Recipe. It’s so easy too. Including prep and cook time, this recipe can be ready in less than 40 minutes, so it’s the perfect weeknight main dish. Easily prep the night or morning before then pop it into a preheated oven for only 30 minutes. Serve with a simple side salad and/or easy Quick Baked Potatoes (which also cooks in no time) for a complete and most satisfying meal.
Pretty much on a weekly basis we roast or grill a whole bone-in chicken that’s been cut into pieces. Not only is it a quick and versatile dish, but it’s economical too. Plus, I’ve found that bone-in chicken is more flavorful and tender than many of the boneless portions. Being able to choose the size chicken is a perk too. We always look for a smaller bird. And when possible, one that hasn’t been pumped full of junk. They tend to be more flavorful and not as tough. So many times we have found chicken to be just plain bad. No matter how we cook it. So putting time into purchasing a good bird to begin with is worth the time. Otherwise, I’d rather have a salad and baked potato and call it a night.
You may find this Coconut Milk Baked Chicken Recipe a part of your regular repertoire. I know we have. The subtle flavors of ginger, garlic and lime mingled with the slight richness added by the coconut milk result in wonderfulness on the plate. Make sure to use the sauce from the pan to drizzle over the chicken OR as an addition to that baked potato. Oh yeah, yum is right!
A few notes for Coconut Milk Baked Chicken:
- Let’s talk bird. A whole bone-in chicken, cut up is perfect for this, but all drumsticks, thighs or leg-quarters are great too. Leave the skin on for more flavor while roasting and remove before eating.
- If time permits, marinate the chicken in the coconut milk mixture up to a whole day ahead, refrigerated in a zip-top plastic bag.
- Before measuring the coconut milk, make sure it is mixed well, as it tends to separate in the can.
Coconut Milk Baked Chicken Recipe
Coconut Milk Baked Chicken
This quick and easy recipe has quickly become part of our regular weekly menu rotation.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons canned coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or other citrus on hand)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 pound whole bone-in chicken (skin on), cut up
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450-degrees F.
- Whisk together all ingredients (except chicken) until well combined. Toss chicken in mixture until coated. Arrange in oven-proof skillet or dutch oven.
- Bake uncovered 30 minutes, or until chicken is done.
Notes
- If time permits, marinate the chicken in the coconut milk mixture up to a whole day ahead, refrigerated in a zip-top plastic bag.
- Before measuring the coconut milk, make sure it is mixed well, as it will tend to separate in the can.
I have a cast iron pan too, I used it once and it’s now so rusty that I don’t know how to clean it. I would love to cook this chicken recipe with it if I could clean out the rust.
Some of my best cast iron pans come from garage sales. Burnt food or rusted don’t care. For burnt food place in a self cleaning oven (not continuous clean) for rusty sandpaper or wire wheel until shiny. Place clean pan in 300 to 350 degree oven after wiping with lard or canola oil. Leave several hours. IF a wet spot remains wipe off and heat again. If a dry spot oil and heat again. Some pans have printed instructions imprinted right on the bottom
You need to season your cast iron pan before you use it. (You can do this with old pans, too, so don’t go out and buy a new one!)
The video in the link shows you how to care for your cast iron cookware: http://allrecipes.com/video/28/how-to-season-cast-iron/detail.aspx
@ Ordinary J
How to Restore a Rusty Cast Iron Skillet
What You Need
Steel wool
Scrubbing brush or sponge
Dish soap
Dish towel or paper towels
Vegetable oil (or cooking oil of choice)
Aluminum foil
Equipment
Oven
Instructions
Remove all the rust: Use fine steel wool to remove rust from affected areas. Scour the skillet until the area returns to raw cast iron.
Wash the skillet thoroughly: Wash the cast iron with warm water and mild dish soap. Scrub with bristle brush or mesh sponge if needed.
Dry the skillet: Thoroughly dry the cast iron immediately with a clean dish towel or paper towels.
Cover the pan with a coating of oil: Apply a small amount of vegetable oil (or cooking oil of choice) to the entire piece, including the bottom and handle. Use only a small amount to avoid a sticky surface.
Place the pan in the oven: Place the cast iron upside down on the top rack of your rack. Place a sheet of aluminum foil or a foil-lined baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch any oil drips.
Heat the pan for an hour: Heat the cast iron for one hour at 350 degrees.
Let the pan cool before using: Turn off heat, let cast iron cool, then get back to cooking!
Scrub your pan with a steel wool/soap pad. Rinse it well with hot water. Put it upside down in a preheated oven at about 250 for an hour to dry it. When it’s cooled, coat the inside liberally with bacon grease (or cooking oil). Put it back in the oven at 350 for an hour, upside down, with a cookie sheet on the rack below it to catch the drips. That should do it.
Thanks for the helpful info, Doug!
give it a good scrub with steel wool and then bring to boil ,rinse clean ,rub again if you have too, then use an oil like peanut oil or flax or corn but not olive and heat in over for one hour to season at 3oo’. should be good to go. Cast Iron only gets rusty on surface and can be cleaned , just keep oiled all the time after use , and don t let it sit in water. wash with water to get left overs out ,oil it and warm it on the top of the stove and wipe off excess oil and then store. It will keep for years shining that black clean oiled look ,beautiful old pans are a treat to work with , bake in them too . but don t use tomatoes base sauces . stick to steaks and onions and mushrooms ,bacon and eggs, stir fries but tomatoes takes off the season ,clean and oil ,wipe hang.
Handles smoke , I never oil handles
Go to you tube or google and key in How do i clean cast iron pan. Lots of videos and help.
Wet your iron skillet dump any standing water , pour about two or three tablespoons of salt use a damp wash cloth and scrub the skillet a couple of times then rinse. Sit skillet on burner to dry . After it is dry pour 1/2 tsp of oil dread oil with a paper towel till skillet is thinly covered with oil. Never wash your iron skillets with dish soap. The salt cleans and purifies it .
Scrub the rust off with brillow pad dry then put lard in skillet heat skillet let lard melt. Take skillet off heat let oil cool some then wipe the oil all over the pan until it is fully coated.
Awesome recipe! Baked chicken dishes are one of my absolute favorite things to make. They make me feel like I can do anything in life. I’ve never tried coconut milk but I can only imagine it takes the chicken to a whole new level leaving it extra moist and extra flavorful! Pinned 🙂
What kind of Coconut milk? Sweetened or Unsweetened?
Unsweetened. Not coconut water.
Amy, this chicken looks AMAZING!
This looks amazing! I’ve been looking for a new way to jazz up chicken and I think this is it.
P. S. I am in full agreement with putting thought into the chicken you buy. It makes a world of difference to purchase a fresh and chem clean bird.
Amy, this looks incredible! Love how simple it is too 🙂
Oh my goodness. Amy this sounds and looks incredible! Coconut milk chicken is so my thing! 🙂
So do I buy a whole chicken and then cut the pieces apart to marinate and cook? I know sounds dumb that’s what it looks like you did in your photos but I’ve never done that we’ve only ever done whole chicken on the grill bc I wasn’t sure how to cook it! But this looks so good I want to try it!
We purchase both whole chickens and then cut them up or buy a whole chicken already cut up. Whatever works for you!
2 Questions: Do you omit all the liquid that it marinaded in when arranging it into the oven proof dish? Also, do you “lid” the oven-proof dish or dutch oven when cooking?
Your photos are amazing!
I use all of the liquid and bake uncovered (no lid).
Wow this looks delish… I love coconut milk and chicken combination. ..so does my hubby. His fave is chicken curry and I also use coconut milk to cook it here is my recipe at http://www.foxyfolksy.com/2013/08/chicken-curry-with-coconut-milk.html.
This one you have looks really easy to make…another thing I like and will definitely try it.
Thanks for that yummy-looking recipe! I was JUST about to forego this recipe on account only using 6 TB of a whole can of coconut milk seemed wasteful (I’m not rich). Now I can use both!
I know exactly what you mean! Hope you enjoy both dishes!
You can always freeze coconut milk in ice cube trays for later use!
I thought the same thing but decided to use the remaining coconut milk (in place of water) to make rice as a side.
I stumbled upon this recipe….. I have leftover coconut milk in the fridge, and tons of limes! TOTALLY making this over the weekend. Simple, easy, I can dig it! Cheers!
Natalie, did you make it? My chicken is marinating at home right now and I can’t wait to cook it and dig in. Wondered if you were satisfied with the outcome and/or had any suggestions.
I did make it! I used fresh ginger and garlic because it was on hand, and I didn’t really measure the lime juice 🙂 It did turn out fantastic though! I had only chicken breasts, so next time, I think I’d put them under the broiler, so they get a little brown. They essentially just poached in the liquid. I did, however, reduce the remaining marinade, and boy, what flavor!!! I’m definitely making this again. Made a shredded carrot/pineapple salad with coconut/lime dressing to accompany. So good! <3 <3
Should definitely add this one to my files, as we eat chicken a lot! For those who are really fussy about chickens, try and find a source of organic FREE RANGE chickens–the taste really is vastly superior to grocery store chickens. Definitely don’t buy “seasoned” chicken (or seasoned meat of any type)–all that means is that the meat has been pumped full of salt water, so you’re paying whatever price per pound for the salt water as well as the meat.
Does this taste like Coconut Milk for is it just juicy – My husband hates coconut and I love it – Think about making this for the Oscars with your potatoes
It does not taste like coconut. Let me know how you like it!
Thanks – think I will try it this weekend
The chicken was delicious but my Calphalon pan was a mess – did you make this in a cast iron skillet? I did not put any oil in the pan – maybe that would have helped and I did dump all the juices from the bag into the pan – maybe I shouldn’t have? I will make again but i might use a baking dish and no extra liquid – what do you think?
I did make it in a cast iron skillet. If using another pan, I suppose you could line it with aluminum foil or oil the pan first?
Hey..I tried this recipe and all the leftover marinade just burnt in the oven tray. Had to add oil midway as I hadn’t added any before. Does the original recipe include oil?
How healthy are your recipes? They all look so good but I’m on a strict diet for a few months. Do you know if they are south beach diet or weight watchers friendly?
Yvette, if you’re concerned about fitting it into south beach, sub out the brown sugar for a brown sugar substitute (Splenda has one), and stick to white meat pieces as they are leaner. I’ve never done WW, but this should even be phase 1 compliant on SB if you do just that minor substitution and stick to the leaner pieces.
I didn’t want to use sugar so I subbed the brown sugar with equal amounts of agave nectar – it was delicious. I also cooked the chicken on the grill and it turned out great!
I will definitely add this to my must try list! Pinning
Amy, this chicken dish looks amazing! Mouth watering pictures!
I’d like to try this…I’m wondering if this dish is on the sweet side? Hubby does not like his food sweetened, hahaha! I see that lime juice is an ingredient and that would balance out the sugar but in your opinion would you say that it is definitely on the sweet side? Maybe I could omit the sugar
No. Not sweet at all. Savory!
I disagree–we all thought it was too sweet, and we like sweet foods. I would cut the sugar in half for sure if you are afraid it will be too sweet.
but it was super yummy, tender, and easy otherwise! I did marinate overnight.
omg, why remove the skin before eating. that’s the best part! 😀
This is marinating in my fridge right now! The sauce is SO flavorful. Can’t wait til dinner!
Question: If I only want to cook some of the chicken tonight, could I freeze the rest in the marinade and thaw/bake another night?
Looks great, but all I have is skinless, boneless chicken…will that work?