Thai Coconut Marinated Chicken

Name: Thai Coconut Marinated Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 5 serving
Ingredients: 1 tsp garlic; 1 tsp ginger; 1 tsp chilli; 1 lemongrass (OR paste); 1 1/2 tsp coriander powder; 3/4 tsp tumeric powder; 1/2 tsp curry powder; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce; 3/4 cup coconut milk; 750 g - 1 kg / 1.5 - 2 lb chicken thigh fillets; Oil for cooking; 1/2 cup coconut milk; 1 tbsp peanut butter, smooth; 2 tbsp hoisin sauce; 1 1/2 tbsp lime juice; 1 garlic clove; 1/2 tsp chilli paste or fresh chilli; Finely chopped coriander / cilantro and more chilli; Lime wedges

User Reviews

5.0

108 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings
5
Calories
436 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Thai

Thai Coconut Marinated Chicken

Kai Walton

Report

Recipe video above. Chicken infused in a gorgeous Thai coconut marinade which infuses with flavour and adds buttery richness from the coconut milk. MARINATING TIME: 24 - 48 hours.

Share:

I Made This!

81 people made this

Print

21 people printed this

Save this

64 people saved this

Ingredients

Servings

Marinade (Note 1):

1 tsp garlic , minced
1 tsp ginger , minced
1 tsp chilli , finely chopped (or paste is fine), adjust quantity to taste (Note 2)
1 lemongrass (OR paste) , white part only, finely chopped(Note 3)
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp curry powder (any is fine)
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce (sub soy)
3/4 cup coconut milk (full fat please!)

Chicken:

750 g - 1 kg / 1.5 - 2 lb chicken thigh fillets , skinless and boneless (Note 4)
Oil for cooking

Coconut Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp peanut butter, smooth
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 garlic clove , minced
1/2 tsp chilli paste or fresh chilli , adjust to taste

Garnish (optional):

Finely chopped coriander / cilantro and more chilli , for garnish
Lime wedges (highly recommended)

Add to Shopping List

Instructions

Mix marinade in a large bowl. Add chicken and mix. Cover with cling wrap and marinate in the fridge for 24 - 48 hours (can't skip marinating for this recipe).
Brush BBQ with oil, or heat 1 tbsp in a skillet (I used a skillet). Use Medium heat - or Medium Low if your stove/BBQ runs hot (otherwise marinade may burn).
Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess. Cook the first side for around 5 minutes or until caramelised and golden. Turn then cook the other side for 4 minutes until caramelised.
BAKING: See Note 4.
Transfer chicken to serving plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander / chilli if desired, and serve with lime wedges and Sauce.

Sauce:

Place ingredients in a bowl and mix a bit. Microwave for 30 seconds, then mix until smooth. Bring to room temperature or serve warm (it thickens a bit when cooled).

Notes

Marinade - best made with fresh ginger, garlic, chilli and lemongrass but it is still terrific using store bought jarred garlic etc. Lemongrass is sold in tubes in the fresh produce section of Australian supermarkets and it is actually very good. I would use 1 1/2 teaspoons if using paste.
Chilli - use any fresh chilli you want. Rule of thumb - the smaller the chilli, the spicier it is! I used large red chillis in this (cayenne peppers) which are not that hot. Thai Chillies are super spicy, as are Birds Eye Chillies.
Lemongrass - If using fresh lemongrass, peel the green reedy outer layer off to reveal the white part. Then finely chop the white part only.
You can also use lemongrass paste. Use 2 teaspoons.
Chicken - This recipe works best with chicken cuts with fat. Boneless thigh is my favourite. It is fantastic with drumsticks and other bone in cuts, but it is better to roast rather than cook on BBQ (marinade has tendency to burn and these take longer to cook).
Roast drumsticks and wings for 45 min @ 180C/350F, bone in thighs for 50 min - it caramelises nicely.
CHICKEN BREAST - best to cut in half horizontally before marinating. Then they will only take 3 minutes on each side to cook so they'll be nice and juicy. Coconut milk is fantastic for adding richness into breast! I don't recommend roasting breast - you won't get the caramelisation on the surface (key for flavour)
Serving suggestions - see in post for sides.
STANDBY / FREEZING: Once you put the chicken in the marinade, pop it in the freezer. I find that the time it takes for the chicken to freeze then defrost = good marinating time, plus you can also leave it for a further 24 hours after defrosting. Ensure it is defrosted before cooking.
Nutrition assumes 5 servings, 1 kg/2lb chicken, accounts for 1/4 cup coconut milk in the marinade (rest is discarded) and that all the sauce is consumed.