These tacos are light, bright, and herby with creamy coconut milk used for simmering and making a sauce! The chicken is cooked in coconut milk with garlic and lime, so it’s tender and flavorful without needing much else. A simple coconut lime sauce gets shaken up with the remaining milk to be used as the sauce for a creamy herby slaw and to drizzle over the tacos (or bowls). Pile everything into tortillas or over warm rice for a juicy, flavorful meal!
Ingredient highlight
Coconut milk! Is a wonderful alternative to cream and milk for those of us who are lactose intolerant or vegan. It’s also a good source of iron, magnesium, potassium, and selenium. Don’t fear that saturated fat – it only can become a problem if you’re consuming a ton of it on a regular basis (as with anything else!). In fact, coconut oil is high in medium chain triglycerides, which may improve your GOOD cholesterol levels along with other health benefits.
Servings 4
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 15 minutes Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts, excess fat trimmed off if needed
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed, thinly sliced, or chopped
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
- 1 cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk (from a 13.5 oz can)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp lime juice
Coconut lime sauce:
- ¾ cup coconut milk (the remaining amount from the can)
- 2 tbsp almond or peanut butter
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Crunchy Coconut Herb slaw:
- 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage (or a mix of cabbage + snap peas)
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
For serving:
- Warm tortillas or cooked rice
- Avocado slices
- Sriracha or chili oil (optional)
- Lime wedges (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium pot, add the chicken, garlic, lime zest, salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and 1 cup coconut milk. Stir to combine, then bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (breasts may take longer – if not cooked through, flip them over, cover, and simmer 3-5 more minutes).
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Add bell peppers to the pot and simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes to reduce slightly and concentrate flavor.
- Shred up the chicken and return to the pot. Add lime juice and more salt, if needed. It should be a little tangy and well-seasoned.
- Meanwhile, add the coconut lime sauce ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine. If the nut butter isn’t mixing, use a fork to mash it up or it can also help to warm up the mixture in the microwave and shake again.
- Toss herb salad together in a bowl. Pour about half of the coconut lime sauce (a scant ½ cup) over top along with ¼ teaspoon salt and toss to coat. If you have extra cilantro or scallions, chop them up and stir it into the chicken.
- Add the saucy chicken/peppers into warm tortillas or over warm rice along with the herb slaw, and avocado. Drizzle some of the remaining sauce over top along with sriracha/chili oil if you want a little kick. Top everything with a squeeze of lime, if you’d like.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook the chicken
- Thinly slice 1 red bell pepper + simmer in sauce
- Make coconut lime sauce
- Thinly slice 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage (or a mix of cabbage + snap peas)
- Chop 1 cup cilantro
- Thinly slice 2 scallions
- Make the slaw
- Cook rice (if using instead of tortillas)
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, you could replace the chicken with a couple cans of beans or crumbled up tofu. Simmer everything together (including the peppers) uncovered for 10 minutes – you’ll likely want to season with more salt.
- Use tahini or sunflower butter to make nut-free
- Use any combo of raw crunchy veg in the slaw (radish, carrot, etc)
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Chicken: up to 4 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Sauce: up to 5 days in the fridge
- Slaw: up to 5 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up the chicken in a covered pot or in the microwave until warmed through. Serve over warmed up rice or tortillas along with the slaw and any remaining sauce. Top with extra lime!
- Eat as a taco or as a grain/rice bowl.
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