Thick, creamy, and luscious. This Coconut Chicken Recipe is a total Caribbean dream. Packed with flavor thanks to the creamy coconut milk sauce with sautéed coconut, onion, garlic, and lots of spices.
Serve with rice, avocado, and fried green plantains if you’re feeling fancy. This chicken will make you feel like you’re living your best life in the tropics.
Check out some of the reviews in the comments below & here (thanks 🙂💕).
Coconut Chicken Recipe
You guys. I have the best coconut chicken recipe you’ll ever try. NO JOKE. It’s packed with flavor thanks to the sautéed coconut, onion, garlic, and spices and incredibly creamy because of the thick and luscious coconut sauce. It’s a dream. Literally.
Whenever I make this, people inhale it and always go back for more sauce. I highly recommend trying it, especially if you love Caribbean flavors and savory coconut dishes.
Why you’ll love this coconut chicken:
- Packed with flavor thanks to the sautéed coconut and all the spices used.
- Incredibly creamy. Look, the creaminess is on a whole another level: the coconut sauce is thick and so luscious.
- Easy to make. Ready in just 3 steps, anyone can make it.
- Versatile. Don’t have chicken on hand or have a vegetarian or vegan loved one over? Make this sauce skipping the chicken and enjoy with soy curls, tofu, or over potatoes or just plain rice.
Ingredients for coconut chicken
(Optional) Achiote or annatto, ground or oil. This is optional but recommended because it’s what gives the sauce that delicious golden color that you see in the pictures and it’s also how I learned to make this chicken recipe so it’s a must for me.
The taste is very mild but earthy and it’s mostly used as a natural food coloring here in Latin America (and we mostly use the oil version but ground is easier to find in the US).
If you’re in the US, you can find ground achiote here on Amazon and all you have to do is add it in like any other spice. You can totally skip it, if you prefer, and maybe add in a pinch of turmeric for color (optional as well).
Chicken. You can use thick cutlets and even cut them into cubes, skinless drumsticks, thighs, basically whatever you have on hand works.
Paprika. Use good quality paprika because you want to use quite a bit of it.
Cumin. Ground.
Coriander. Ground.
Salt and pepper.
Onion. Use fresh white onion.
Garlic. Use fresh garlic for this recipe, you need all the flavor of fresh garlic cloves.
Tomato. Large, medium, small, whatever you have on hand works.
Tomato sauce or ketchup. You can also use tomato paste but use half the amount as the flavor is stronger and tomato isn’t really one of the key flavors.
Shredded coconut. The unsweetened kind. Stick to finely shredded coconut for this recipe because you don’t want huge flakes in your sauce. You will sauté the coconut with the other veggies util nice and fragrant and your kitchen will smell absolutely delicious once you do this! This is one of the key ingredients!
Coconut milk. Use unsweetened canned coconut milk for this recipe. Make sure it’s room temperature.
Bay leaves. Do not skip this one. You can use fresh or dried bay leaves. I usually use dry because that’s what I have on hand. It really adds to this recipe and ties the flavors together. I almost left it out once and while tasting the sauce I couldn’t tell what was wrong… it was totally the bay leaf!
Cilantro. Optional but recommended, for topping.
How to make coconut chicken
STEP ONE: Cook the chicken. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, season the chicken with the paprika, cumin, coriander, achiote, salt, and pepper. Place the seasoned chicken in the skillet and cook until done, then remove it and place it aside.
STEP TWO: Make the coconut sauce. In the same skillet, add and extra splash of oil, onion, garlic, and tomato. Season with paprika, cumin, coriander, achiote (if using), salt, and pepper and keep sautéing until softened and fragrant.
Add the tomato sauce or ketchup, stir, and sauté. Add the shredded coconut, stir, and sauté until fragrant. Lower the heat to medium low, pour in the coconut milk and mix. Then, add the chicken back in making sure it’s evenly coated with the sauce. Finally, add the bay leaves, and simmer over low medium heat until the sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust spices or seasoning if desired.
STEP THREE: Serve. Add some chopped cilantro on top and serve along with rice, patacones (fried green plantain), or avocado. Enjoy warm.
Can I make this ahead of time?
No, sorry, I wouldn’t recommend it. This chicken is best eaten as it’s made as you want the sauce to be nice and creamy and warm.
What you can do is cook chicken 1 day ahead of time (step 1) and store it covered in the refrigerator, if needed. The next day, take it out, allow it to come to room temperature, then follow step 2.
How do I store coconut chicken?
Store covered or in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat over medium-low heat with a dash of coconut milk, cream, milk, or water to loosen up the sauce.
Make sure that whatever you’re using to loosen up the sauce matches the temperature of the sauce or it may curdle. I don’t think you’ll have leftovers though lol.
HAPPY COOKING!! I hope you'll love this Creamy Coconut Chicken Recipe as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
More Latin American Recipes you'll love:
- Ecuadorian Rice And Beans (Menestra Recipe)
- The Best Coca Cola Chicken
- Pan De Yuca (Ecuadorian Cheese Bread)
- Chicken And Yellow Rice (Arroz Con Pollo)
Coconut Chicken
Ingredients
For The Chicken
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil (or achiote oil, if using achiote oil skip the ground achiote later)
- 1 lb (450 g) skinless chicken
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon achiote/annatto powder (optional but recommended, you can find it here on Amazon, skip this if using achiote oil)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
For The Coconut Sauce
- 1 medium yellow onion (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tomato (half of a large tomato or a whole medium or small tomato, minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon achiote/annatto powder (optional, skip this if using achiote oil)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon tomato sauce or ketchup (or tomato paste but use half the amount if using tomato paste)
- 1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 can (450 ml) unsweetened canned coconut milk (room temperature)
- Salt and pepper (if needed, to taste)
- 2 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
- Cilantro (optional, chopped, to taste, for topping)
Instructions
- Cook the chicken. Add the oil to a skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating up, season the chicken with the paprika, cumin, coriander, achiote (if using), salt, and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden (about 5-6 minutes), flip and cook until golden again (about 4-5 minutes), then remove from the skillet and set aside (you'll add it back in later).
- Make the coconut sauce. In the same skillet over medium heat, add and extra splash of oil, onion, garlic, and tomato. Season with paprika, cumin, coriander, achiote (if using), salt, and pepper and keep sautéing until softened and fragrant (about 2-3 minutes). Add the tomato sauce or ketchup, stir, and sauté (about 1 minute). Add the shredded coconut, stir, and sauté until fragrant (about 2-4 minutes). Lower the heat to medium low, pour in the coconut milk and mix. Then, add the chicken back in making sure it's evenly coated with the sauce. Finally, add the bay leaves, and simmer over low medium heat until the sauce has thickened (about 10-15 minutes). Taste and adjust spices or seasoning if desired.
- Serve. Add some chopped cilantro on top and serve along with rice, patacones (fried green plantain), or avocado. Enjoy warm.
Notes
📷 DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?! Tag @itsdamnspicy on Instagram and hashtag it #itsdamnspicy
Lydia says
Do you have to use tomatoes? I really don’t like tomatoes.
Bianka says
Hi Lydia, you could leave them out, I did that a couple of times because I didn’t have any on hand and it still turned out delicious! Let me know if you try it!
Teresa H says
Amazing recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Catherine W says
Amazing! I pair with coconut rice – not realizing that was my last can of coconut milk I used regular milk for the sauce and 1tbsp of cane sugar to try and replicate the sweetness in the coconut milk. It was delicious!! I’m excited to try the recipe again with all coconut milk!
Bianka says
Hey Catherine, happy to hear you loved it and yes, I highly recommend you try it with coconut milk, it’s just sooo good!
Monika says
This turned out AMAZING!!! Very flavourful with a great mixture of spices. My main tweak was using yellow curry powder in place of the coriander.
Jax says
This was the best thing ever!!! I can’t stop eating it