Caribbean Coconut Chicken: One Pan, Full Of Flavor

This super easy Caribbean coconut chicken with lime is packed full of mouthwatering flavors. It is a one pan recipe too so it’s always nice to have less dishes left over in the end.

For this recipe, I personally like to use a cast iron skillet, but any large deep pan will do. Just make sure it can fit the chicken comfortably without overlapping them. When they overlap, it causes those areas to not soak in as much flavor. Nobody needs a bland bite in this delicious recipe.

Cast Iron Skillets

I find the cast iron to work the best with these sort of recipes because of its innate ability to be non stick when it gets hot enough. Every morning that I make eggs, I go straight to one of my smaller cast irons because I know the eggs wont stick. Nobody enjoys cleaning up eggs off of a pan. Plus, you can also sear some bread in there to make a sandwich or just add in some super tasty morning toast.

Lodge cast iron pans are a go to for anyone in the market for great quality without breaking the bank.

Now I call this dish Caribbean coconut lime chicken because there isn’t really any one island that this dish comes from. It is an amalgamation of multiple cuisines with mostly Jamaican roots. But all of the islands enjoy a good coconut chicken recipe. 

This dish pairs with many different things like rice, collard greens, coco bread, or just some roasted vegetables. Whatever you choose, you will enjoy it!

One of the best parts about this is that it is also a gluten free and dairy free recipe! And it’s still absolutely delicious. This means you can spare no expense in flavor when you want to treat someone who cannot eat anything with gluten or dairy to a delicious meal.

Caribbean Coconut Chicken

I made this with a person that does not like spicy foods in mind. To make this dish have a real kick in it, swap out the bell pepper for scotch bonnets or jalapeños depending on your desired level of spice.

Start by making sure all of your ingredients are ready. Mise en place is key. Make sure your chicken has been cut, the limes have been juiced, and everything has been measured.

Now, heat up your cast iron pan to medium high heat. Wait for 5 minutes to make sure it is fully heated up. Add a bit of oil to the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then add to the pan. Sear for 4 minutes before flipping over. Sear for another 4 minutes and remove from the pan and place on a plate.

Now lower the heat to medium. Add a bit of oil, the onion, garlic, ginger, and a tsp of salt. Stir occasionally and cook for 5 minutes until the ingredients brown and the onion becomes translucent. 

Next, deglaze the pan by adding the chicken stock and scraping up the browned bits in the pan. Then add the coconut cream, lime, coriander, thyme, allspice, bay leaves, bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir until everything is mixed together. 

Once the liquid comes to a light simmer, reduce heat slightly and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the chicken and any juices that have pooled on the plate back to the pan. Be careful not to overlap if you can.

Continue to simmer with the chicken for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. 165°F is what were aiming for.

Food Thermometers

A food thermometer is a necessity in any kitchen, professional or not. Nobody should eat an undercooked piece of chicken. And I know we all worry about cooking chicken all the way without drying it out. So do yourself a favor and, if you don’t have one already, go out and buy a food thermometer right now.

Now, remove the chicken from the pan and place on a new plate. Do not use the plate from before! That chicken was not cooked all the way! Then taste your sauce and add additional salt if you think it is needed.

To serve, simply spoon the sauce over the top of the chicken and enjoy! I prefer some good coconut cilantro rice. It keeps the delicious rich coconut flavors going while adding a fresh pop of herby goodness.

Try some other recipes to go with Coconut chicken

• Coconut rice

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Easy Caribbean Coconut Chicken: One Pan, Full of Flavor

Course Main Course

Cuisine Caribbean

Keyword chicken, Coconut, key lime

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 284kcal

Author Matthew Earl

Equipment

• 1 cast iron skillet

Ingredients

• 2 Large Chicken breasts bias cut into 4 pieces each
• 1 white onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tbsp ginger minced
• 1.5 cups coconut milk 360ml
• 1/4 cup chicken stock 100ml
• 1 lime zested and juiced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bell pepper diced
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

• Start by making sure all of your ingredients are ready. Mise en place is key. Make sure your chicken has been cut, the limes have been juiced, and everything has been measured.
• Now, heat up your cast iron pan to medium high heat. Wait for 5 minutes to make sure it is fully heated up. Add a bit of oil to the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then add to the pan. Sear for 4 minutes before flipping over. Sear for another 4 minutes and remove from the pan and place on a plate.
• Now lower the heat to medium. Add a bit of oil, the onion, garlic, ginger, and a tsp of salt. Stir occasionally and cook for 5 minutes until the ingredients brown and the onion becomes translucent.
• Next, deglaze the pan by adding the chicken stock and scraping up the browned bits in the pan. Then add the coconut cream, lime, coriander, thyme, allspice, bay leaves, bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir until everything is mixed together.
• Once the liquid comes to a light simmer, reduce heat slightly and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the chicken and any juices that have pooled on the plate back to the pan. Be careful not to overlap if you can.
• Continue to simmer with the chicken for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. 165°F is what were aiming for.
• A food thermometer is a necessity in any kitchen, professional or not. Nobody should eat an undercooked piece of chicken. And I know we all worry about cooking chicken all the way without drying it out. So do yourself a favor and, if you don’t have one already, go out and buy a food thermometer right now.
• Now, remove the chicken from the pan and place on a new plate. Do not use the plate from before! That chicken was not cooked all the way! Then taste your sauce and add additional salt if you think it is needed.
• To serve, simply spoon the sauce over the top of the chicken and enjoy! I prefer some good coconut cilantro rice. It keeps the delicious rich coconut flavors going while adding a fresh pop of herby goodness.

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.4g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 18.4g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 1g