Instant Pot Coconut Chicken with Lime
This Instant Pot Coconut Chicken with Lime recipe is a 30-minute meal with only six ingredients. Serve the tender and flavorful coconut chicken with cooked rice or sautéed cauliflower rice. This recipe is gluten-free, Whole30, and keto-friendly.
This healthy chicken recipe is full of delicious creamy coconut milk flavor, topped with the bright freshness of lime. It also has great texture from the celery and onion.
I like to serve it over steamed white rice or sautéed cauliflower rice for a keto or low-carb option.
Why You Need This Recipe
- This Instant Pot Coconut Chicken can be made in 30 minutes, and it only has six ingredients.
- For my friends on restricted diets, this gluten-free and dairy-free recipe is a perfect fit. This is also a great recipe for people on a no sugar diet.
- Celery is a key ingredient that is budget-friendly, easy to find, and part of my list of the best vegetables for picky eaters.
- If you’re new to using the Instant Pot, this is a really simple recipe that is appropriate for beginners (see my full article on how to use the Instant Pot Duo).
Key Ingredients
Chicken thighs stay incredibly moist but you can also use chicken breasts if you prefer. Both work great! Just be sure to cut them up into 1-inch pieces first.
Onion & celery taste great in this dish but you can use what you have on hand. Carrots or bell peppers would work great too. Just be sure to chop them up before putting them into the pot.
Chicken broth adds an easy boost of flavor with one ingredient. It also helps cook all the chicken and veggies. You can also use vegetable broth if you prefer. Just be sure to check the label to make sure it’s gluten-free if you follow a gluten-free diet.
Coconut milk gives this dish a creamy and rich base that tastes delicious served over rice (or cauliflower rice). I always recommend having full-fat canned coconut milk on hand; it’s part of my list of no-sugar foods because it’s full of satisfying healthy fats.
Lime juice brightens up the sauce and complements the flavor of the coconut milk.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Steps
Step One
The first step is to add the celery and onion to the Instant Pot.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two
Next, add the chicken and broth to the pot.
Step Three
Lock on the lid and then cook it for 8 minutes at high pressure.
Step Four
Use the quick-release and then stir in the coconut milk and fresh lime juice. That’s it!
Depending on the type of diet you’re following, you can serve the tender chicken over sautéed cauliflower rice, steamed basmati rice, or even with cooked noodles. It’s your choice.
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
- If you don’t like celery, then feel free to substitute a similar vegetable instead (fennel, carrots, or bell peppers would all work okay too). But, in the interest of keeping this recipe to just a few ingredients, I used celery and onion.
- Feel free to add a cup of chopped mushrooms for even more texture to this dish. Again, in the interest of keeping this a really simple recipe, I just used onion and celery.
- Also, you can choose whether or not you want to use chicken thighs or chicken cutlets. The most important part is that you cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces so it cooks quickly and evenly.
- If you want to add even more spice and flavor to this recipe, feel free to add 1 teaspoon of curry powder OR 1 teaspoon of green curry paste to the Instant Pot before cooking.
- You can also make this recipe in the slow cooker. Just add all the ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This recipe is meant for bite-sized pieces of chicken so frozen chicken will only work here if it’s already cut into chunks or is thawed enough to cut up. Add 5 minutes to the cooking time for frozen chunks of chicken.
Steamed rice or sautéed cauliflower rice is ideal. See my recipe for Instant Pot Basmati Rice.
Is This Recipe Healthy?
This dish has lots of healthy nutrition, and is Whole30, paleo, gluten-free, and keto-friendly. Plus, it’s so darned easy make. Each serving includes approximately:
- 275 calories
- 15 grams of fat
- 28 grams of protein
- 7 gram of carbohydrate
- 2.5 grams of sugar (naturally occurring)
More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes You Might Like
If you like this Instant Pot Coconut Chicken recipe, you’ll probably also like my Instant Pot Chicken & Sweet Potato dinner which is another super simple recipe. Or, try my super easy and flavorful Instant Pot Indian Chicken Curry made with coconut milk.
Other favorites include:
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Tenders
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
- Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Potatoes
- Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken
And, don’t forget to check out my epic Instant Pot Chicken Recipes round-up featuring my favorite recipes.
If you’re new to eating a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, you might also like my round-up of the best gluten-free and dairy-free recipes.
Don’t Miss These Instant Pot Resources
Instant Pot Coconut Chicken
This Instant Pot Coconut Chicken with Lime recipe is a 30-minute meal with only six ingredients. Serve the tender and flavorful coconut chicken with cooked rice or sautéed cauliflower rice. This recipe is gluten-free, Whole30, and keto-friendly.
- Total Time: 33 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of celery, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1.25 pounds chicken thighs or chicken cutlets, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 limes, juiced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the celery and onion to the pot of your pressure cooker. Place the chicken tenders on top of the celery. Add the chicken broth and lock on the Instant Pot lid.
- Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. When the cooking time is complete, let the pressure come down naturally for 5 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid. Pour in the coconut milk and fresh lime juice and give the soup a good stir. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve with cooked rice or cauliflower rice, if desired.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- If you don’t like celery, then feel free to substitute a similar vegetable instead (fennel, carrots, or bell peppers would all work okay too). But, in the interest of keeping this recipe to just a few ingredients, I used celery and onion.
- Also, you can choose whether or not you want to use chicken thighs or chicken cutlets. The most important part is that you cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces so it cooks quickly and evenly.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Main dish, soup
- Method: Pressure cooker, instant pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 276
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 238.9 mg
- Fat: 15.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.1 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 28.2 g
- Cholesterol: 82.7 mg
Keywords: instant pot chicken, coconut chicken dish, easy chicken recipe
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest is the author of the best-selling Instant Pot-authorized cookbook, The Healthy Meal Prep Instant Pot Cookbook. She has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and receives nearly 10 million annual visitors to her site. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
Thanks for this very light and refreshing recipe. I used full fat canned coconut milk but it turned out quite soupy. We didn’t really know what to do with the extra liquid, but I think we’ll keep it and add rice to it for future meals because of the nice flavor. Also, we added Coconut Aminos to give it some extra “zing.” Wondering if mushrooms would also be a good addition to give it a little more heft? We’ll try that next time.
Mushrooms would be a great addition!
I’m literally just finishing devouring this soup!! I put it over brown rice and it is simply amazing! It was so easy to make and so fast! I’m gluten and dairy free and your recipes have saved my life in more ways than one. I own your cookbook and everything is just amazing! Thank you for this soup! Can’t wait to make more!
★★★★★
Awwwww thanks Erin! You just made my day with your kind words and review. Happy 2021!!! Sending you my very best. XO.
The recipe calls for two liners but I don’t see when the lime juice is added. Does it go in at the same time as the coconut milk?
Yes, sorry about that. You stir in the lime juice with the coconut milk at the end.