An easy, flavourful recipe to add to your summer grilling menu. Grilled Coconut Chicken Thighs are marinaded in lime juice and zest, fish sauce, freshly grated garlic and ginger plus coconut milk, then grilled to juicy perfection.
Grilled Coconut Chicken Thighs
This grilled chicken recipe is so easy to make and so tasty you will wonder why you didn’t make it sooner!
We use skin on, bone in chicken thighs for this recipe. It takes a little longer to cook the thighs but they sure do end up juicy! We like to serve with coconut rice or green rice or green beans, broccolini or asparagus.
What is the marinade?
- Coconut Milk: Full fat all the way. Replace coconut milk with yogurt.
- Lime juice and zest: Fresh is best. Marinades need an acid and we love the taste of lime. Use lemon or orange juice to replace lime.
- Fresh ginger and garlic: These aromatics are a must.
- Fish sauce: A staple in East and Southeast Asian cuisine, it brings a umami taste to the mix.
- Chicken Thighs: To ensure juiciness we use bone-in, skin on thighs.
Some of my favourite meals involve the flavours in this dish. It’s simple and a delicious option for an outdoor barbecue or potluck.
PRO TIPS
- Use fresh ingredients whenever possible.
- You can use skinless, boneless chicken thighs, however your cook time will be less.
- Marinade for longer than 30 minutes if you have time.
Check out these and popular juicy chicken recipes!
- Chicken Shawarma
- Grilled Garlic Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Greek Chicken Kabobs
- Sticky Hoisin Orange Chicken
If you made this recipe tagΒ Wanda BakerΒ on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker

Ingredients
- 1 cup canned coconut milk stir well
- 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp lime peel grated
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp fresh ginger grated
- 1 clove garlic
- 10 bone-in skin on chicken thighs
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in zip lock bag, except chicken. Squish the bag to mix up ingredients.
- Add chicken to bag, close and give a good shake to incorporate all the flavours. Marinate for a minimum 30 minutes up to several hours in the refrigerator if you have the time.
- When ready to grill remove chicken from the marinade. Grill over medium heat for approximate 15 β 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Keep an eye on them as flare ups may occur and the skin will get quite charred. If flare ups happen move the chicken around.
- Remove from grill and set aside on a plate or platter covered with tin foil.
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Tried these and there is so much flavor in this chicken! We are adding this to our menu and making it regularly.
I made these and they were very juicy. I marinated for an hour and didn’t add the zest but still so good.
This dish was amazing. I made it for my girlfriend and we devoured it.
Would love to make it for my family. Bursting with flavors, simple and easy recipe too.
Anything with coconut is a winner in my book! Adding this tasty chicken to my must-try list!
Such a beautiful color on this chicken! All the flavors in the marinade sound absolutely amazing. Definitely perfect for an outdoor barbecue.
Roll on BBQ season. These chicken thighs look so juicy and tender!
These chicken thighs look perfectly cooked. I love anything with coconut too.