comment icon 112 more comments You know I’m not always the biggest fan of chicken but THIS. This sauce-soaked, herb-loaded wonder is exactly the kind of chicken I like. It’s the time of year when I start to build my meal plans around getting outdoors as much as possible. I know what’s coming (WINTER) and I know how much I will be outside (HARDLY AT ALL) so I’m doing my best to really lean into those summer flavors and the kinds of meals that naturally bring you outside into the sun. And if those meals can put loads of fresh summer herbs to good use, double win. For that reason this recipe serves two purposes:
Getting you outside into the sun / fresh air to boost the mood a bit. Giving you the foundation for all good things: that zingy, salty, herb-loaded coconut lime sauce.
Coconut milk, lime juice, lime zest, fish sauce, cilantro mint garlic oh my. This. Sauce. Is. So. Good. It’s worth mentioning that between recipe development, photos, and video, the three people working on this recipe (working out of three separate locations) each ended up with slightly different looking sauces. One thin, one medium, one thick. The lesson: coconut milk can vary greatly from can to can and brand to brand, and how much lime sauce you add (and whether you measure or just squeeze) can also impact the final coconut lime sauce texture. I’d recommend just starting with what’s written and then adjust as needed. At the end of the day, chicken and rice never fails, but it EXTRA never fails us when it’s serves as a blank canvas to holds all the flavors of that cool, creamy sauce. A little char on the chicken, a fresh squeeze of lime, hot sticky rice, and a heavy dousing of puckery coconut lime sauce. It’s creamy and summery, bright and fresh, and deeply filling and satisfying. Bring it on.
Check Out Our Video For How To Make Coconut Lime Grilled Chicken:
Click here to see the step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!
The coconut lime sauce (and the crown jewel!) of this recipe was inspired by the sauce in this Forbidden Rice salad recipe from Food52. Not one but two people on our team made it and convinced me I needed to try it! They were not wrong. The Food52 recipe was authored by Asha Loupy. You can find her website here and her Instagram here.
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of delicious rice recipes. Check it out! 4.8 from 25 reviews
juice and zest of 2-3 limes (about 1/4 cup) 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk (solid / creamy stuff in a can for a creamier sauce) 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon lemongrass paste (or fresh grated lemongrass, if you have access!) half a jalapeño pepper, ribs and seeds removed 1 clove garlic small bundle of fresh cilantro small bundle of fresh mint
Everything Else
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs 1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked
Vegetarian / Vegan: Sub 1-2 tablespoons soy sauce for fish sauce, and serve on pan-fried tofu!
