This easy sticky coconut chicken is one of our favorite meals ever! Coconut milk marinated chicken is brushed with a sweet and spicy sticky glaze. It’s amazing!
You realize a formula is acceptable when it stands the trial of time for over a decade.This tacky coconut chicken has been a family top pick for more than ten years! My children demand it for birthday suppers, it’s a go-to feast for organization (or for take-in dinners), and it’s ideal for a simple weeknight supper.
The flavors are totally awesome delightful. I can’t see us truly becoming weary of this coated chicken. Ever.This formula is awesome with flame broiled chicken – that is my definitive inclination. Yet, it likewise works extraordinary to cook the chicken in a hot skillet or heat in the broiler. In any case, around the finish of cooking time, brush that scrumptious coating over the chicken!Since the sweet coating is coming into contact with heat, it will disperse and trickle off a piece, so rehash frequently in the course of the most recent couple of minutes for a thicker covering of coating, whenever wanted.
INGREDIENTS
- 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, breasts or tenders (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
MARINADE:
- 1 cup canned coconut milk, light or regular
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or ginger paste (see note)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground)
- 1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (see note)
GLAZE (SEE NOTE ABOUT DOUBLING):
- 3/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk together the marinade ingredients (or blend until smooth).
- Pour the marinade over the chicken, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour or up to eight hours (any longer and the texture of the chicken can soften and get a little mushy).
- Toward the end of marinading time, bring the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes to a boil over medium heat. Simmer vigorously until the mixture is reduced by about half and is slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.If it doesn’t seem to be thickening, just keep an eye on the reduction level, and keep in mind that it may still look a bit thin on the stove but will thicken as it cools.
- Grill the chicken over medium heat (or bake in the oven at 375 degrees on a greased, foil-lined pan), 4-5 minutes per side. The exact time will depend on type of chicken and thickness of the pieces – chicken thighs will take longer to cook than chicken breasts.
- The last few minutes of grilling or baking, brush the chicken with the glaze (repeat if you want a thicker coating). Serve with leftover glaze and rice, if desired.
NOTES
- Coconut Rice: I often use the leftover coconut milk from the can for a modified coconut rice recipe (cook 1 cup of long grain basmati or jasmine rice with 2 cups liquid – a combination of broth or water and the leftover coconut milk + a pinch of salt).
- Ginger: ginger paste OR fresh ginger works great in this recipe. Fresh ginger is super easy to work with. I buy a knob, cut it into 1-inch pieces, store in a freezer ziploc in the freezer. When I want to use it, I pull a piece out of the bag and grate it frozen on the small holes of a box grater or on a rasp grater/zester. No need to peel the ginger!
- Red Pepper: a full teaspoon of red pepper flakes will give a bit of heat to this recipe. I use between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon for a more family-friendly vibe (but it’s delicious with the full teaspoon).
- Glaze: I almost always double the glaze or at least 1 1/2 the recipe because we like to drizzle leftover glaze over the rice and chicken. A single batch will be fine just for glazing, but you might consider increasing the amount if you want leftover for drizzling.
- Vinegar: the mild flavor of rice vinegar is perfect for this dish; I haven’t tried subbing in another type of vinegar, but you could experiment.
