Sweet Chili Coconut-Lime Grilled Chicken with Coconut-Lime Cauliflower Rice is a light and refreshing grilled dinner. Simple and scrumptious!
Got a must-try recipe for grilling season – Sweet Chili Coconut-Lime Grilled Chicken with Coconut-Lime Cauliflower Rice!
Say that five times fast.
Seriously, the recipe title might be a mouthful but the dish is shockingly easy to make, and is as delicious as it is light and healthy!
Sweet Chili Grilled Chicken
Sweet chili sauce, light coconut milk, and lime juice marinated chicken is grilled then perched atop a bed of cilantro-lime cauliflower rice infused with coconut milk. I use the same technique as my Cauliflower Fried Rice (I’ve had so many people tell me they fed it to their families who had no idea it wasn’t rice!) and you are going to LOVE it!
The grilled chicken is the star of the plate though, as it has so much flavor from a brief marinade in the fridge. Plus it calls for just THREE ingredients, and the coconut-lime cauliflower rice uses a couple of the same ingredients so you can kill two birds with one delectable stone.
Start with the chicken marinade. Like I said, there’s just three of them!
You’ll need 1/2 cup each sweet chili sauce and unsweetened light coconut milk, and the juice of 1/2 lime. Franks is a great brand for sweet chili sauce and I also like the Grama’s Sweet Chili Sauce I use in my Thai Sticky Chicken Fingers. Can’t go wrong with either!
Add the ingredients plus lots of salt and pepper to a Ziplock bag then squish to combine. Finally add 4 chicken breasts then marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to an hour.
When it’s time to eat, grill the chicken breasts over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes on one side, and 3-4 minutes on the other. Chicken = DONE!
While the chicken’s marinating/grilling get the grated cauliflower rice ready. Send a medium-sized head cauliflower that’s been chopped into big hunks through a food processor fitted with the grating attachment, OR use store-bought frozen cauliflower rice.
Add the grated cauliflower to 1-1/2 Tablespoons coconut oil melted inside a large skillet over medium/medium-high heat then season liberally with salt and pepper and saute until tender, 5-7 minutes.
Once the cauliflower is tender add the juice from the other lime half, 3-4 Tablespoons coconut milk (depending on how coconutty you want it,) and 1/4 cup cilantro that’s been chopped. Stir to combine then add more salt and pepper if needed.
Scoop the coconut-lime cauliflower rice onto plates then top with the grilled chicken and serve with extra sweet chili sauce for dipping.
I am telling you – this is the best and easiest chicken marinade! A touch tropical from the coconut milk, sweet heat from the chili sauce (definitely not too spicy for kids,) and the kick of lime juice is just the best combo. Like I said, a must for grilling season — enjoy!
More Sizzling Grill Recipes
- Simple Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Chicken Salad
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Perfect Grilled Steak
- Steak and Potato Bowls
- Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Bruschetta
- Steak Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup light coconut milk, divided
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce, plus more for dipping
- 1 lime
- salt and pepper
- 4 chicken breasts, ~2lbs
- 8 cups cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions
- Combine 1/2 cup coconut milk, sweet chili sauce and the juice of 1/2 lime in a large Ziplock bag. Add salt and pepper then squish to combine. Add chicken breasts then marinate for 30 minutes – 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Preheat grill to medium-high, making sure grates are well greased. Grill chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes on the first side, then 3-4 minutes on the second side, depending on how big they are and how well done you like them. Remove to a plate to rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a very large skillet over medium/medium-high heat (6 out of 10.) Add cauliflower, season liberally with salt and pepper, then saute until tender, 5-7 minutes. Squeeze in juice from remaining lime half then add 3-4 Tablespoons coconut milk, depending on how coconutty you want it. Add cilantro then stir to combine. Taste then add salt and pepper if necessary. Scoop onto plates then top with chicken and serve with extra sweet chili sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Serve with regular rice if you prefer.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I made this tonight for dinner and it was a major hit! It has just enough spice to make it zesty, but not too much for my husband who is a bit cautious with heat. The flavors were fantastic in both the chicken and the cauliflower rice. This is a keeper for sure!
Thanks for the great feedback, Jamie – I’m so glad you enjoyed the dish!
do you think this would freeze well? I will make the whole recipe but I would like to freeze 1/2 of it.
Hmmm, I don’t know about that. I usually don’t like cooked/frozen/thawed chicken, and I tend to think the cauliflower would turn to mush once frozen/thawed too. I might just make 1/2 the recipe if the full recipe is too much for ya!
I made this tonight and it’s going right into my book of favorites! The chicken was so flavorful and tender, and the “rice” was a perfect compliment. Who says it has to be difficult! This was easy and great! Thanks for the recipe!!!
I loved this chicken recipe, however it felt a little unfinished using the chili sauce for dipping, so I saved three tablespoons of the marinade and mixed in more chili sauce, along with a little spicy chili paste and coconut cream, finished with cilantro. My husband goggled it up! I did not make the cauliflower, but will soon!
delicious I have now made it twice this week Once with chicken and once with salmon I added serrano chilies the second time to kick up the heat
Fo you think you could freeze the marinated chicken and cook later in a crockpot?
Do you have a recipe for chili sauce or do you buy something pre-made? Thank you!
Hi Lindsey! I love this Sweet Chili Sauce: http://amzn.to/2e1SnGK
Just made this for dinner tonight, yum! I didn’t have cilantro, so I subbed chopped fresh basil and green onions. Thanks for a new favorite chicken marinade?.
Wow, this was amazing! My husband and I both loved it, the only thing I added was spinach to the cauliflower rice at the end. We loved all the flavors together, the marinade was perfect and the “rice” was so yummy. Will definitely make again, thanks for this delicious recipe!
Just finished making this…my house smells amazing! I boiled the remaining marinade after removing the chicken and mixed it with the rice. Yummy!
I have to say this is absolutely gorgeous. I even stuck to the recipe this time and it worked so well. My daughter who is not so keen on her vegetable (though she does eat them) cleaned the plate and we both agreed that well worth doing and I just wanted to express my thanks for such a good simple dish. Thanks
Can this be baked? We don’t have a grill. Thanks!
Sure!
Hi! Trader Joes is sold out of the light coconut milk and we haven’t been able to find it anywhere else, is regular coconut milk in the milk section the same? Also what does it mean to separate it?
Thanks!
Hi Susie! You can find the full fat in a can by the light coconut milk.