Sweet and tangy, these honey coconut lime chicken thighs cooked on the stove top is full of flavour and will have you reaching for seconds! Make this pan seared chicken thighs for dinner tonight or as a meal prep.
Fast Chicken Dinner
I love how juicy and flavourful chicken thighs are! Lately, I’ve just been making quick and easy dinners with them by cooking them in my cast iron pan and have been really loving how such a simple cooking method can yield so much flavour.
This coconut lime chicken is freezer friendly and doesn’t take long to marinade if you forget to prep it ahead of time. What I like to do is start the marinading process then while it’s sitting in the fridge, I’ll wash my rice to put in the rice cooker, and chop up some veggies to steam or pan fry. By the time I’m done all that, the chicken is ready to be cooked!
You’ll love how flavourful this is. To add even more flavour, I hold off on using all of the marinade (as there’s quite a bit!) and will bring half of it up to a boil to cook the mince garlic then drizzle the coconut sauce on top of the chicken and let the rice soak it up.
What You’ll Need To Make These Coconut Lime Chicken
- coconut milk — always get full fat for the best flavor!
- garlic — fresh garlic is key for this recipe, garlic powder just isn’t the same here. I use frozen garlic that I’ve pre-minced to save time.
- chili pepper flakes — for some heat.
- honey — I use a runny honey.
- salt
- lime juice & lime zest — fresh lime juice is best as the flavor is more bright and tangy than bottled lime juice.
- chicken thighs — I use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- olive oil — you can also use another neutral oil, such as avocado oil.
- butter — I use unsalted butter.
How To Make These Pan Seared Chicken Thighs
- Combine and mix together the coconut milk, garlic, chili pepper flakes, honey, salt, lime juice, and zest.
- Set aside half of the mixture and marinate the chicken thighs in the other half.
- Marinate overnight or for 20 minutes.
- When ready, set your pan (I use an enamelled cast iron) on medium heat and add olive oil and butter.
- Add the chicken thighs (with the marinade shaken off) to the skillet, smooth side down.
- Pan sear for 5 minutes, baste with 1-2 tablespoon of the marinade that was set aside, then flip and cook for 6 to 7 more minutes, or until cooked through.
- Top with a splash of lime juice on top if you wish before serving.
Tips and Notes
- I like to cook the marinade that was set aside and drizzle it on top of my chicken thighs and rice when serving.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan, cook in two batches if needed and just add more oil and butter to the pan between batches.
- Chicken thighs are done when they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165F/73C.
- Have an opened can of leftover coconut milk now? I add it to my rice so there’s extra flavour to it!
- Don’t move your chicken when you first put the thighs in the pan so it can get a nice sear.
Make This Chicken Ahead of Time
- How to prep this for the freezer: place the marinade and chicken in a large freezer friendly ziploc bag, to prep this meal ahead of time. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
- Meal prep: store the cooked meal in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Things To Serve This With
- Coconut Rice (Instant Pot Coconut Rice)
- Lemon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
- Peanut Thai Chili Brussels Sprouts
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Korean Purple Rice
- Wild Rice
Coconut Honey Lime Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Equipment
- enamelled cast iron
Instructions
- Combine and mix together the coconut milk, garlic, chili pepper flakes, honey, salt, lime juice, and zest.
- Set aside half of the mixture and marinate the chicken thighs in the other half.
- Marinate overnight or for 20 minutes.
- When ready, set your pan on medium heat and add olive oil and butter.
- Add the chicken thighs (with the marinade shaken off) to the skillet, smooth side down.
- Pan sear for 5 minutes, baste with 1-2 tablespoon of the marinade that was set aside, then flip and cook for 6 to 7 more minutes, or until cooked through.
- Top with a splash of lime juice on top if you wish before serving.
Nutrition Per Serving
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