Coconut lime grilled chicken marinade is an easy way to infuse delicious flavor into your regular grilled chicken routine!

Well hello there Monday morning, how did you get here so fast?

We are in transition mode here this week. Last week of preschool and kindergarten this week and then the kiddos are off for the summer. They’ll be at camps most weeks since I’m working, but we’re sure to have plenty of afternoons in the sun, too. 🌞🕶👙

And sure to have plenty of nights eating dinner from the grill! So today I’m sharing with you a family recipe that’s perfect for kicking your grilled chicken up a notch!

This  recipe has been passed around for quite a while now…

I remember, years ago, being at my grandmother’s house. We called her Jamma and she lived in Eastern N.C., where my mom grew up.

The whole family was there, except for Jamma. We’d all gone down for her funeral and were spending time together at her house afterwards.

It seemed so strange to smell her, to be among her things, to see her knick knacks that I was so familiar with, and to not have her with us anymore.

But it also felt so good to have the rest of the family there to remember her, to tell stories, to share laughs together. To cry together, too.

At some point in the conversation, my Aunt Edith mentioned, as a side note, a handmade cookbook she had put together for my two older cousins, when they’d gotten married.

It was a collection of some of her favorite recipes that were perfect for a new wife just learning her way around the kitchen.

That was me then. I’d just been married only a few months and was still learning my way around the kitchen.

She sent me a copy later and I’ve been cooking from it ever since. (Easy microwave baked brie, slow roasted cherry tomatoes and quick crab dip all came from her.)

This coconut lime grilled chicken marinade is one of those recipes. (She actually included several marinades in that cookbook — they love to grill! — so I’ll be sure to keep bringing them to you!)

To be perfectly honest with you though, I’m not really a huge coconut fan. I never quite got on the coconut water or coconut milk or coconut oil bandwagon. I use them all here and there, but coconut is not a go-to flavor for me.

So the first time I made this recipe, I was a bit hesitant, wondering if the coconut flavor would be really strong and we wouldn’t like it. (My husband’s also so-so on the coconut love.)

But no.

The coconut here is faint. It just barely infuses the meat, giving it a little more richness and blending so beautifully with the lime and cilantro, the red curry paste and the slight heat from the red pepper flakes.

So well balanced!

I should have known! My Aunt Edith has never steered me wrong!

A few notes on this coconut lime grilled chicken marinade:

• I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs here but you could certainly use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Just keep an eye on them and remove when they are cooked through (when they have reached about 160-165 on a meat thermometer).
• This recipe makes enough for about 2 pounds of chicken. Adjust as needed.
• You can find red curry paste in a small jar in the international aisle of your grocery store.
• You’ll want to marinate this for a minimum of 30 minutes. I think 1-2 hours is a good goal. And if you want to put this together in the morning, before work, that’s fine too.
• I highly recommend you reserve about 1/4 cup of the marinade to baste on while the chicken is cooking and to drizzle over at the end. It really helps bring home the flavors and keep it extra juicy and tasty! Just be careful to separate it out before you marinate the chicken to avoid cross contamination.

I hope your grilling season is in full swing and that this coconut lime grilled chicken can be a new favorite, from my family to yours!

XO,

Kathryn

Coconut lime grilled chicken marinade

Print Add To Shopping List

Preparation 00:10 Cook Time 00:12 Total Time 0:22

Serves 4-6     adjust servings

Coconut lime grilled chicken marinade is an easy way to infuse delicious flavor into your regular grilled chicken routine!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or substitute breasts)

For the coconut lime marinade

• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2/3 cup coconut milk (regular or low-fat)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Remove and reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for later.

Place chicken in a large plastic bag and add remaining marinade. Coat the chicken in the marinade then close the bag and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Better yet, refrigerate and marinate for 1-2 hours or up to 6-8 hours.

Remove chicken from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before grilling.

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Add marinated chicken to grill and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes per side, until cooked through. (Timing will depend on which cut of chicken you use and its thickness.)

Let chicken rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with reserved marinade drizzled over the chicken.

Recipe Notes

I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs here but you could certainly use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Just keep an eye on them and remove when they are cooked through (when they have reached about 160-165 on a meat thermometer).

This recipe makes enough for about 2 pounds of chicken. Adjust as needed.

You can find red curry paste in a small jar in the international aisle of your grocery store.

You’ll want to marinate this for a minimum of 30 minutes. I think 1-2 hours is a good goal. And if you want to put this together in the morning, before work, that’s fine too.

I highly recommend you reserve about 1/4 cup of the marinade to baste on while the chicken is cooking and to drizzle over at the end. It really helps bring home the flavors and keep it extra juicy and tasty! Just be careful to separate it out before you marinate the chicken to avoid cross contamination.

4 1

1 review

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Amount Per Serving	As Served
Calories 481kcal Calories from fat 281
% Daily Value
Total Fat 31g	48%
Saturated Fat 12g	60%
Transfat 0g
Cholesterol 214mg	71%
Sodium 482mg	20%
Carbohydrate 4g	1%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Sugars 0g
Protein 46g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

	Calories	2000
Total Fat	Less than	65g
Sat Fat	Less than	25g
Cholesterol	Less than	300mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate		300g
Dietary Fiber		25g