Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice
Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice is a super easy and flavor-packed meal that’ll transport your tastebuds to Southeast Asia! Infused with coconut, it’s meaty, saucy, and delicious, and the best part is that it’s simple enough for any night of the week!
I love this dish. I love the simplicity of it and the flavors. Who doesn’t love coconut rice? When you add some fresh herbs and chicken, it goes to whole new levels of deliciousness!
I like to cook the chicken in a skillet and then shred it, but you can also use rotisserie chicken or even leftover baked or grilled chicken. The sauce is the boss in this recipe. It’s a bit spicy, has lots of umami, and is made with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice
The best part is that you can get the chicken cooking and make the rice at the same time so that it all comes together and is ready to eat at the same time.
Easy, hearty, and tasty – I love this Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice dish, and I just know you will, too!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s not hard to make and has so much flavor!
- This chicken and rice recipe is saucy, meaty, and hearty. It’s the perfect meal!
- I love that I can adjust the spice – a bit more Sriracha will really amp up the heat.
Gather these ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breast
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
- Soy sauce – Or coconut aminos.
- Honey
- Ketchup
- Garlic – Fresh garlic, minced.
- Sriracha – Optional.
- Cilantro – Chopped.
- Lime – Juice from 1 lime.
- Basmati rice
- Coconut milk – You’ll need 1 can of full-fat coconut milk.
- Avocado – Optional garnish.
How to make Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice
- Trim any fat from the chicken breasts and sprinkle them with kosher salt and cracked pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add the chicken, cooking it until it is cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove it from the pan to keep warm.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same pan and saute the garlic over medium heat until fragrant. About 1 minute.
- Add the soy sauce, honey, ketchup, and Sriracha to the pan. Mix well and simmer for 2 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Add the lime juice and stir to mix.
- While the sauce is thickening, shred the chicken with 2 forks or your hands. You’ll need about 4 cups of shredded chicken.
- Transfer the shredded chicken to the sauce and mix well then set aside.
- Add the coconut milk and ½ cup of water to a saucepan and add the 1 ¼ cups of basmati rice and soy sauce. Bring the pot to a boil then turn the heat down to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir, then cook for 10 more minutes.
- Serve the chicken over the rice, top with slices of avocado, a sprinkle of chopped cilantro and a wedge of lime. Enjoy!
Tips & substitutions
- You can use rotisserie chicken instead of cooking it from scratch. Simply add cubed or shredded rotisserie chicken to the sauce and continue the recipe from there.
- Look for pre-cooked and frozen rice to speed this meal up, but it won’t have the same coconut flavor.
- Double the Sriracha if you like it spicy.
Serving suggestions
You don’t need much to turn this dish into a meal. I love this sticky chicken and rice dish with a simple salad of spring greens and a tasty dressing like my favorite pineapple dressing. The flavors really complement each other. For dessert, try this coconut-mango ice cream. Yum!
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Check out these awesome chicken recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Sticky Coconut Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, will be about 4 cups of shredded chicken
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 TBS ketchup
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp sriracha, optional
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Lime, juiced
For Stovetop Coconut Rice:
- Avocado, slices for serving
- 1 1/4 cup Basmati rice
- Dash of soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 14 oz can full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup water
Instructions
Prepare the chicken:
- Prepare chicken breasts (cut off any fat) and sprinkle evenly with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. If super thick, flatten the chicken and tenderize (totally optional).
- Over medium high heat add 1 TBSP oil and butter to a large skillet. Add the chicken and saute until cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
- In the same skillet, over medium heat, scrape the bottom of the pan, adding 1 TBSP oil. Saute the fresh garlic. Next add the soy sauce, honey, ketchup, and sriracha. Mix and simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce gets thick. Squeeze one lime (juice) over the sauce and mix well.
- Meanwhile, shred chicken with two forks or use your hands to make about 4 cups of shredded chicken.
- TIPS: You can skip cooking the chicken breasts if you wan to resort to Rotisserie chicken (shredded).
- Add shredded chicken to the sauce in the sauté pan. Mix to combine.
Prepare the rice:
- Add 1 can coconut milk and ½ cup water to the pot. Add 1 and ¼ cup rice and soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cover. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. The rice is ready!
Serve:
- Serve the chicken over rice, veggies, mashed potatoes, or cauliflower rice. Serve with slices of avocado, a sprinkle of chopped cilantro, and a wedge of lime.
- QUICK TIP: Also, you can buy Trader Joe’s rice (brown, sticky white, basmati) pre-cooked (in the freezer section), but it won’t have the coconut flavor.
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I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Absolutely delicious!