Coconut & cilantro flavors cook with chicken in this simple slow cooker or Instant Pot recipe. Thai-inspired, this is an easy yet flavorful dish the entire family will enjoy.
Updated 2020 with Instant Pot instructions
I’m combing two of my favorite ingredients here: coconut & cilantro. This is not a traditional Thai recipe but it has Thai-inspired flavors.
Chicken Breasts or Thighs
I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts but you can also use thighs with this recipe as well. I have made this recipe both ways and I can honestly say I don’t have a preference. They’re both good:-) Yes you can use bone-in chicken but I find it easier to shred boneless, skinless chicken. If you don’t plan on shredding the chicken you can use bone-in, skin-on.
Other coconut recipes you might enjoy:
Slow Cooker Thai Beef Curry (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Coconut Cilantro Curry Shrimp (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Salmon Stew (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Thai Shredded Chicken (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
How To Serve This
How you serve this will all depend on your dietary restrictions. The obvious answer is over rice whether is be cauliflower rice, brown rice, jasmine rice etc. It’s also good served over a bed of zoodles (zucchini noodles), noodles, in a tortilla, or even over a bed of your favorite greens (kale, spinach, lettuce).
I use a 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.
PrintSlow Cooker/Instant Pot Coconut-Cilantro Chicken (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 15 ounces full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Juice of 1 lime (approx 2 tbsp)
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Add coconut milk, fresh cilantro, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, and lime juice to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
- Add chicken. Toss to cover if needed.
- Cook HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-6.
Instant Pot
- Add coconut milk, fresh cilantro, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, and lime juice to the pressure cooker. Stir to mix well.
- Add chicken. Toss to cover if needed.
- Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 10 minutes (make sure internal temperature for the chicken is 165° Fahrenheit). Quick release pressure.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 168
- Sugar: 0.6 g
- Sodium: 852.1 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.3 g
- Fiber: 1.7 g
- Protein: 10.6 g
- Cholesterol: 20.6 mg
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Lisa
Friday 7th of May 2021
Kid and picky husband approved. Thank you!
Jovan
Monday 28th of December 2020
This was incredibly flavorful and delicious! I used the slow cooker and doubled the recipe. I had nearly 4 lbs of chicken done in maybe 10 mins of prep time and 5 hours of slow cooking. I coupled the chicken with some stir fried veggies and extra topping of fresh cilantro, green onions, and a squeeze of like. I'm set for the week!! Thank you for the super tasty recipe!
Sophie Fallon
Tuesday 1st of September 2020
Did you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk, and is it for sure coconut milk and not coconut cream?
Jeanette
Wednesday 16th of June 2021
Hi 2 questions. You have pepper listed twice. Did you use both red and bkack? Also did you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk?
Love your rwcipes!
Fit SlowCooker Queen
Tuesday 1st of September 2020
Unsweetened & yes it was for sure coconut milk. Coconut cream can be substituted.
Serena
Thursday 25th of June 2020
Made this on 6/23/2020 and it was good!! I didn't have the coriander or cumin ? so I used some curry powder instead and it came out tasty. I know that it would have been even better if I had those two missing ingredients. You all should give this a try ?
Christine Klein
Wednesday 24th of June 2020
Im kind of laughing as I read the last comment- I made this and the flavor was fantastic! IMO. I think its just a personal preference- I LOVED it