Description
Start your next dinner adventure with this Brazilian Coconut Chicken—a creamy, spiced, one-pan dish with golden-seared chicken thighs simmered in a velvety coconut milk sauce with bell peppers, garlic, lime, and fresh herbs. It’s cozy, vibrant, and perfect for quick weeknight dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
1. Pat chicken dry. Season both sides with salt, black pepper, paprika, and cumin.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin-side down 4–5 minutes until deeply golden.
3. Flip chicken and cook 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
4. Add onion and bell pepper to the same skillet. Cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
5. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. Pour in coconut milk and lime juice. Scrape up browned bits and bring to a gentle simmer.
7. Return chicken to skillet skin-side up. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20–25 minutes until chicken is cooked through (165°F / 74°C).
8. Optional: uncover and simmer 3–5 minutes to thicken sauce.
9. Taste sauce and adjust salt/lime if needed. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Notes
Substitutions: Use boneless thighs (reduce simmer time to ~15 minutes) or chicken breasts (watch for drying). Swap cilantro for parsley if preferred.
Lighter option: Use light coconut milk for a thinner sauce.
Veggie add-ins: Stir in spinach at the end or add zucchini with the peppers.
Serving ideas: Great over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or microwave.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One-Pan Skillet
- Cuisine: Brazilian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh + sauce
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg