This One Pot Coconut Lime Chicken and Rice will be your new favorite dinner. Everything comes together in one pot with the perfect flavors of coconut and lime for a recipe you didn’t know was missing from your life.
I love a good one-pot dinner, and when it is unexpected and full of amazing flavor, it’s even better. In this recipe, we are using coconut milk and lime juice to cook our rice. The chicken simmers on top, and the whole dish is then infused with the most magical flavor combination. It’s an easy dinner that is sure to impress.
Why This Recipe Works
- It is Built for the Stovetop: We avoid the oven completely as this recipe was designed to be fully cooked right on the stove top.
- The Right Liquid to Rice Ratio: We are using coconut milk, chicken broth, and lime juice. When combined it is the perfect amount of liquid to cook the rice.
- We Aren’t Using Water: In addition to the liquid to rice ratio being spot on, we are using a mixture of coconut milk and chicken broth to cook it, which provides some of the most flavorful rice you will enjoy.
How to Make Coconut Lime Chicken and Rice
Below is a brief overview of how this one-pot chicken and rice recipe comes together. For the full recipe, including all ingredients and their measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Cook the Chicken
Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes on each side in a hot skillet; the chicken won’t be fully cooked here, and that is ok. We are giving the thighs a nice crispy skin. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Pro Tip: Do not skip patting the chicken dry. Removing that excess moisture is key to get the sear on the skin you see below.
Make the Sauce
Add the veggies to the hot skillet and sauté for three minutes until the onion is soft. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Then stir in the creamy coconut milk, lime juice, and rice.
Finish Cooking the Chicken
Place the chicken thighs on top of the rice and bring the mixture to a boil with the skillet covered. Cook for 25 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. Fluff the rice gently with a fork, stir in the cilantro, and serve.
How to Keep Chicken Crispy in a One-Pan Dish
First, resist the urge to submerge the chicken in the liquid when putting it back in the pan after adding the rice. Make sure the liquid doesn’t go above the skin.
Second, after you finish cooking, if you’d like to crisp up the skin further, put just the chicken under the broiler in your oven for 2 to 3 minutes, keeping a close eye on it.
FAQ
For this recipe, you should stick with something that is labeled long-grain white rice, such as Jasmine rice. If you substitute with brown rice, instant rice, or some other variety, you will not get the results you are looking for.
No. Because coconut milk is plant based, it won’t curdle the liquid the way it might if we were using cow’s milk.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover chicken and rice, separately, in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat them separately. I recommend reheating the rice in the microwave adding a little bit of broth, and covering it. The chicken can be reheated, covered, in the oven, in the microwave, or in the air fryer.
If you make this recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and let me know how your family enjoyed it.
One Pot Coconut Lime Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (907.2 grams)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice (297 grams)
- 2 cups chicken broth (453.5 grams)
- 15 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (403 ml)
- 1/4 cup lime juice (59.1 ml)
- 3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Pat the chicken very dry. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed deep skillet (or large Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook for eight minutes or until they are browned, then flip and cook for three more minutes. The chicken will not be fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add in the onion, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for three minutes until the onion is soft. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Then stir in the coconut milk and lime juice. Add in the rice and stir to combine.1/2 red onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, 1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice, 2 cups chicken broth, 15 ounces unsweetened coconut milk, 1/4 cup lime juice
- Place the chicken thighs on top of the rice, being sure that the skin stays above the liquid as much as possible, and bring the mixture to a boil with the skillet covered. Turn the heat down to a simmer, open the lid, and gently stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to keep the rice from sticking. Return the lid and cook for 25 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. Fluff the rice gently with a fork, stir in the cilantro, and serve.3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
- Note: If you'd like to further crisp the skin, remove it from the skillet, place it on a foil lined baking sheet and place it under your broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, keeping a close eye on it so that it does not burn.
Notes
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