A great weeknight meal is fast, healthy, and tasty. This Whole30 Thai-Inspired Coconut Lime Chicken Skillet checks all those boxes, says Whole30 co-founder and CEO Melissa Urban. “This recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep, and is quite versatile. Use kale instead of spinach, serve over cauliflower rice (or Jasmine rice in your food freedom), or add hearty veggies like broccoli, cabbage, or sugar snap peas for extra fiber and nutrition,” says Melissa. She doubles the recipe so she has leftovers for lunch the next day, saying “The flavors meld together even better overnight.”
Below, Melissa shares the recipe for this super-fast weeknight meal:
Whole30 Thai-Inspired Coconut Lime Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
1½ tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil, divided
3 to 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts weighing roughly 1.5 pounds
1 medium onion, sliced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 red birds eye chili, sliced (optional)
zest of 1 lime
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 can compatible coconut milk—13 to 14 oz
juice of half a lime
1 tbsp compatible fish sauce (Melissa used redboat)
1 to 2 cups baby spinach (optional)
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste
Instructions
- HEAT a large skillet over medium high heat and add half your cooking oil. Once hot, add the chicken breasts to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Then remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
- ADD the remaining oil to the pan. Once hot, add the onion, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion softens and are lightly browned. This should take about 4-5 minutes.
- ADD the chili (if using), lime zest, turmeric, and coconut milk and bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to maintain a simmer, and add the lime juice and fish sauce. Add your spinach (if using) and give everything a stir to help the spinach wilt. Add back the chicken breasts and cook for 8-10 minutes. Turn the chicken breasts over and cook an additional 8-10 minutes.
- TASTE your sauce and season with salt, if needed. Sprinkle the chopped fresh cilantro and serve.
