This is a chicken recipe that everyone will love and crave. Sticky Coconut Chicken with Grilled Pineapple is marinated in coconut milk and fresh ginger for flavorful and moist grilled chicken. Drizzled with a spicy soy sticky sauce and grilled coconut pineapple.
Sticky chicken is my go-to that my family loves. It’s simple to prepare and is crazy flavorful. Because it’s so easy I made it for 50 hungry girls at a girl’s camp!
The key to making the chicken moist and tender is to marinate it for a good eight hours or overnight for the most flavor. This recipe works well for any cut of chicken you may have on hand. I have used boneless thighs, boneless breasts and chicken tenders with great success.
Marinating the Chicken in Coconut Ginger Marinade
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4- Combine the coconut milk, soy sauce, ginger, and chili flakes.
- Give it a stir.
- Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable bag. Pour the coconut marinade over the chicken breasts.
- Make sure all of the chicken pieces are covered well with the marinade. Seal the bag closed and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. I like to marinate overnight because the coconut flavor goes all the way through the chicken. The coconut milk, also, acts as a tenderizer and adds moisture. 😋
Grilling the Chicken
When ready to grill, remove chicken from marinade and place on a preheated hot grill. Discard any leftover marinade. Grill chicken breast for about 6-8 minutes per side. Meanwhile, make the sticky sauce
Let’s make the Sticky Sauce
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4- The sticky sauce in advance and refrigerate then just heat before serving. Pour the rice vinegar into a small saucepan.
- Add the soy sauce, chili flakes, and sugar.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup. Watch carefully toward the end of boiling because it can burn quite quickly. Remove from heat.
Coconut Grilled Pineapple
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4- Pour a 1/2 cup coconut milk over the pineapple and reseal the bag and refrigerate with the chicken. I like to marinate overnight so the coconut flavor penetrates the pineapple.
- Grill the pineapple once the chicken has been turned over. The pineapple can be placed directly on the grill or use a nonstick aluminum foil. The pineapple will caramelize nicely and will not stick to the foil.
- Turn the pineapple over when it begins to brown on the bottom, 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with coconut sugar, if desired. The pineapple is sweet enough so it really doesn’t need the sugar, but I love the deeper flavor of caramelization from the coconut sugar.
- Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Watch carefully so the pineapple does not burn. Remove from the grill.
Creating a rice bowl is a great way to serve Coconut Sticky Chicken. Top rice with sliced sticky chicken, grilled pineapple, purple cabbage, and cucumbers. Garnish with sliced green onions, cilantro, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Additional tips:
How to Cut and Store Fresh Ginger
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6- With a paring knife or the edge of a spoon carefully peel the outer skin.
- I like to slice them into disks.
- Then I slice them into matchsticks.
- Lots of little matchsticks.
- Put the matchstick slices of ginger in a re-sealable freezer bag. Label the bag and place in the freezer.
- After the ginger has frozen you can just break off pieces and chop for recipes. It lasts in the freezer for months. Finely dice a tablespoon of ginger for the marinade.
How to Cut a Fresh Pineapple
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6- Start with one ripe pineapple. Cut off the top and the bottom of the pineapple.
- Cut down the sides to remove the outer peel. Make sure you remove all those little brown things. They hurt your tongue.
- I’m cutting my pineapple into spears. Cut the pineapple in half.
- Then cut the halves into quarters.
- I like to remove the center core.
- Slice into spears. Put half of the pineapple in a re-sealable bag. Reserve the remaining pineapple spears or just eat them.
Sticky Coconut Chicken
Sticky Coconut Chicken with Grilled Pineapple is marinated in coconut milk and fresh ginger for flavorful and moist grilled chicken. Drizzled with a spicy soy sticky sauce and grilled coconut pineapple.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 365 kcal
Ingredients
Marinated Chicken
- 4-6 chicken breasts boneless/skinless
- 1 cup of canned coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot chili flakes
- 4-5 green onions chopped for garnish
Sticky Sauce
- ¾ cup rice vinegar
- ½ cup cane sugar or coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot chili flakes
Coconut Marinated Grilled Pineapple
- 1/2 ripe pineapple
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
Instructions
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Rinse chicken and pat dry and place in a large resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, mix coconut milk, ginger, soy sauce, and hot chili flakes. Pour mixture over chicken breasts. Re-seal bag and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
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Lift chicken from bag. Grill over medium heat. Close lid on a gas grill. Cook, turning as needed to brown on both sides until meat is no longer pink in center of thickest part approximately 10-12 minutes.
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Transfer chicken to a warm platter and pour the sticky sauce over meat. Garnish platter with green onions.
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In a 2- to 3-quart pan combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until mixture is reduced to ¾ cup, 8 – 10 minutes. Pour over grilled chicken. Can be made ahead and refrigerated to up to 1 week. Reheat before using.
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If by chance you are a pansy and don't like a little spice, you can adjust the hot chili flakes to 1/2 teaspoon.
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Peel and cut the pineapple into spears, rings or desired shape. Place the pineapple in a re-sealable plastic bag and pour coconut milk over. Re-seal and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
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Place the marinated pineapple on a hot grill. Grill for 3-4 minutes. Turn the pineapple and sprinkle with coconut sugar. Grill an additional 3-4 minutes or until the brown sugar begins to caramelize. If you put the pineapple directly onto the grill grates, be sure to watch carefully so the pineapple does not burn.
Recipe Notes
- The key to making the chicken moist and tender is to marinate it for a good eight hours or overnight for the most flavor.
- This recipe works well for any cut of chicken you may have on hand. I have used boneless thighs, boneless breasts and chicken tenders with great success.
- Fresh pineapple is preferred. I have never used canned pineapple, but that is always an option, if fresh isn't available.
- Renolds Wrap Aluminum foil brand has a nonstick foil. It's great for sticky foods.
- I use organic canned coconut that is whole fat.
Nutrition Facts
Sticky Coconut Chicken
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 365
Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 16g80%
Sodium 1033mg43%
Potassium 381mg11%
Carbohydrates 50g17%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 41g46%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 185IU4%
Vitamin C 57mg69%
Calcium 44mg4%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
If you try this recipe and love it, please let me know. Give me a start rating in the recipe card above.
This post was originally posted in 2010. I have made a few healthier changes to the recipe, added new photo’s and recipe card with nutritional information. This is a picture of the original post in 2010 🤦♀️Please tell me my photography has improved over the years.
Do you have a recipe for the coconut rice?
This is a recipe I have used at times with the sticky chicken:
Coconut Rice
2 cups (14 oz) jasmine rice
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups (355ml) coconut water or water
Salt
Place jasmine rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear. Drain well, it works best to tap the base of the sieve with your hand or against the sink.
Heat coconut milk and coconut water in a medium non-stick saucepan set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, season with salt (add to taste, I use about 3/4 tsp) add rice and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until water has been absorbed (you may find there’s a few small pools of liquid at the top and that’s fine), about 17 – 20 minutes.
Remove from heat let rest covered 15 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and serve warm. I use a rice cooker and I rinse the rice then toss all the ingredients in the rice cooker. Stir halfway through cooking to
completely stir in coconut milk.
Looks delicious…thank you so much!
You are so welcome.
i loved that the prep could be done the night before, its an easy mid-week meal and the WHOLE family devoured it! Great recipe!
Thank you so much for leaving a comment, Heather. I greatly appreciate it. The recipe is a keeper for sure.
Oh ya, that sticky sauce is fabulous! Tiffany wants more "Season" dresses! When are you starting your "Tiffany" line.
Janet, we made this last night, and though our chicken didn't look as amazing as yours, it was very good. But the sticky sauce was AMAZING, and I even opted for the pansy version. 🙂 I could probably eat that on anything and be happy. Thanks. Can't wait to try more.
My husband is the pickiest in my family. It drives me crazy! I've stopped cooking for him. Ryan has come a LONG way. I feel your pain. Keith has improved, but not much over 30 years.
Janet, I don't know if you know this, but my husband is one of the pickiest eaters I know. He eats no vegetables–unless they are potatoes, canned green beans, or spinach salad. He has a hard time with a lot of flavors and textures aside from that too. I made this for dinner tonight–prepared exactly as directed–and he devoured it and declared it a 10 out of 10 star recipe, which means it can go in the recipe box. I am a huge Thai/Asian food fan (he is not), so this was a great way for us to meet in the middle. A great recipe. Thanks.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the sticky chicken. It's a family favorite. I have 30 years of collecting kitchen "toys". I get more excited going into a cooking store than I do a shoe store. There's something wrong with me. Thanks for being a follower!
Janet, I am Charees's neighbor and love her cooking and now I know where she gets it from. I love good quality food and love to cook too and am SOOO excited about your blog. I made the sticky chicken and it was AMAZING! Extraordinary flavor with such simple ingredients!!One of my favorite chicken dishes ever! I also served it with some edamame and it was perfect! Thank you so much for sharing your blog and your talent! I can't wait to try more of Janet's recipes (and to get all of the awesome kitchen tools like yours).
GORGEOUS! Just gorgeous. This one's going on the menu for next week.