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Slow Cooker Coconut Lime Chicken

A unique meal for your slow cooker! This Coconut Lime Chicken has just the right amount of flavor and is packed with juiciness. It’s super easy to prep and then let it cook all day in the slow cooker!
chicken thighs in coconut lime sauce with lime wedges on top
Bone-in chicken is generally less expensive and more flavorful. It’s healthier, too! The collagen, gelatin, and glycine in the bones helps restore gut health. Current research tells us that a healthy gut is key to a strong immune system.
Bone-in meats are also packed with minerals that we’re all lacking in our diets (calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium).
This chicken’s flavor is unique thanks to the coconut milk and pineapple juice. And, it doesn’t get dried out!
step by step making coconut lime chicken in slow cooker

Ingredients You’ll Need…

olive oil

bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

Cajun seasoning

salt

garlic powder

ground ginger

curry powder

red pepper flakes

coconut milk (canned not refrigerated)

pineapple juice

lime juice (fresh or bottled)

coconut lime chicken in slow cooker

How To Make Slow Cooker Coconut Lime Chicken…

  1. Rub chicken with seasoning to coat
  2. Heat olive oil in skillet or multi-cooker
  3. Add chicken and brown on each side
  4. Place chicken in slow cooker
  5. In a mixing bowl, whisk liquid ingredients
  6. Pour over chicken
  7. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours

Pro Tips:

There are two ways to brown the chicken. You can brown it in a skillet or multi cooker prior to slow cooking. OR you can wait until it is cooked, then place it on a foil-lined broiler pan and broil for 3-8 minutes. (Keep an eye on it and take it out as soon as it starts browning up.)
Give this dish a gourmet flair! Add fresh limes when serving for more flavor and a beautiful presentation.
Coconut Lime Chicken is great for meal prep! Just remove the skin and pull from the bones. Serve shredded chicken over salads, in wraps, etc.

Pull leftover chicken from the bone and freeze for up to 3 months.

white bowl filled with coconut lime chicken thighs topped with lime wedges

Slow Cooker Coconut Lime Chicken

Jennifer Draper
A unique meal for your slow cooker! This Coconut Lime Chicken has just the right amount of flavor and is packed with juiciness. Super easy to make and let cook all day in the slow cooker!
3.88 from 74 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Servings 8 people
Calories 455 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 pounds chicken bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 13.5 oz can coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup lime juice

Instructions
 

  • Rub chicken with seasoning to coat
  • Heat olive oil in skillet or multicooker
  • Add chicken and brown on each side
  • Place chicken in slow cooker
  • In a mixing bowl whisk liquid ingredients
  • Pour over chicken
  • Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8

Notes

  • Add fresh limes when serving
  • Meal prep:  remove skin, pull from bones
  • Freeze up to 3 months after removing skin and pulling from bones 

Nutrition

Calories: 455kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 25gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 265mgPotassium: 460mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 245IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @slowcookergourmet or tag #slowcookergourmet!
Important nutritional disclaimer

32 Comments

  1. I completely high jacked this recipe. I tripled the seasonings, swapped the amount of pineapple juice and lime juice (traded 1/2 cup of pineapple for 1/2 cup lime and only used 1/4 cup of pineapple). In addition to the dry seasonings, I used fresh ginger, garlic, lime zest, and shredded coconut to season the chicken with the other seasonings. I allowed it marinate while it reached room temperature. Also, I used skin on, bone in chicken thighs. Hard seared skin down (without the coconut). Removed from pan. I also eliminated the red pepper flakes and used some fresh jalepeno, red pepper and poblano pepper, onion, fennel, and Thai basil. Deglazed with 1/4 cup of pineapple rum and 1/4 cup of coconut rum. Returned the chicken to the pan. Mixed the liquids together, added to the pan and put the pan in the oven for 25 minutes. Coconut cream works better than just coconut milk. No need to thicken.

    Served with coconut rice with toasted almonds, coconut flakes and green peas. It was delicious. I’ve been eating leftovers all day!

  2. 4 stars
    Following recommendations in the comments, I doubled/tripled most of the spices and it turned out great! Could definitely taste the coconut flavor. I cooked 3 hours on high. Broiled for 5 minutes and the skin crisped up very nicely. Would be nice to write a conversion to instant pot, should be very doable! (I suspect it would work for 6 minutes, natural release, based on other recipes I’ve made).

  3. 1 star
    I did this exactly as the recipe states and even added a little more spice. The chicken was really tender but I did not taste anything at all related to coconut lime.

  4. Can you clear up if the coconut milk is sweetened or unsweetened?
    The can on the shelves say unsweetened but I’m unsure
    Thanks

  5. 2 stars
    The chicken was moist and tender, but NO FLAVOR. I even added real garlic, real ginger, and doubled the amount of curry.

  6. 5 stars
    Excellent!

    Followed recipe exactly (but my husband forgot to broil) and they were perfect! The chicken falls right off the bone and has a nice light taste of coconut. My toddler even ate some!

    I’m looking forward to the leftovers this evening!

  7. 2 stars
    This was so bland and I even doubled all the spices (except salt) and tripled the curry. I don’t know how you could possibly broil the chicken after it’s been in the crockpot simmering, it just fell apart when I took it out! I used some of the liquid to cook quinoa as a side, which also turned out bland. This is not something I would make again without significant adjustments. I would probably experiment with using pineapple rings on top of everything for serving, letting the lime simmer with everything else for more flavor, add lime zest at the end, use WAY more curry and ginger.

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