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Coconut Lime Chicken and Rice

Coconut lime chicken and rice is a one-pot skillet meal with tender chicken thighs nestled in fragrant coconut lime rice. The coconut broth simmers until the grains are tender and lightly golden, finished with fresh lime and cilantro.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
rest 5 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 1.5 lb boneless chicken thighs thighs cut into 1-in pieces if you want faster uniform cooking
Rice
  • 1.5 cup long-grain white rice
Coconut lime sauce
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced measure minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce or soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 0.25 Salt and black pepper to taste use to season chicken
Garnish
  • 1 Fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper, then sear in oil in a large skillet over high heat for 4–5 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
Toast the rice and build flavor
  1. Sauté the garlic and grated ginger in the same pan over high heat for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant. Add the long-grain white rice and toast for 2 minutes.
Simmer and cook
  1. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, lime juice, lime zest, fish sauce (or soy sauce), and sugar, then stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Keep the liquid gently bubbling (visual cue: small simmering bubbles around the pan).
  2. Nestle the chicken thighs into the rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 18–20 minutes until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through (visual cue: rice has absorbed most liquid and chicken is no longer pink).
Finish and serve
  1. Rest covered for 5 minutes to let the steam finish cooking the rice (visual cue: the surface looks slightly thickened).
  2. Fluff the rice gently with a fork until creamy and evenly distributed (visual cue: grains separate while staying glossy).
  3. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro and lime wedges (visual cue: bright green herbs and citrus wedges on top).

Notes

For best texture, toast the rice until it smells nutty and slightly changes color before adding liquids, so each grain stays distinct. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days; reheat with a splash of broth or water until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because coconut rice can change texture after thawing. For a dairy-free option it’s already naturally dairy-free—if you want it gluten-free, use soy sauce labeled gluten-free or stick with fish sauce.