This Coconut Mango Chicken recipe is baked to perfection as it soaks up warm spices and the delicious flavors of the mango chicken marinade. It's a super comforting entrée and is perfect over rice or noodles.
Inspiration
My mom and I always loved the Mango Chicken Curry at our local Indian restaurant.
And by loved, I mean we could drink the sauce. Perhaps with a straw. There was simply no such thing as too much for this deliciousness.
I always find it so tasty to make an interesting sauce of sweet fruits with warming spices.
It's a perfect, and sometimes unexpected, burst of sweet and savory flavors. So I was excited to give this mango chicken marinade and sauce a go.
Uses for the Mango Sauce
I remember that my mom would sometimes just order a giant container of the sauce to have on hand. Never mind the chicken!
She'd serve it with other things . . . .
- drizzled on roasted pork
- mixed into roasted vegetables
- thinned out and tossed into a green salad
And she would also often use it as an ingredient in new sauces she'd create, thereby calling it one of her "secret ingredients."
In the case of my Coconut Mango Chicken recipe, the chicken is important.
The mango sauce is likely far from authentic Indian, and other than the heat from the cayenne, it contains no curry spices. However, it's very reminiscent of the sauce my mom and loved so much, so mission accomplished.
What's in Baked Coconut Mango Chicken Recipe
- olive oil
- annato seeds (pictured below)
- coconut milk
- mango
- cayenne pepper
- honey
- chicken
Can you imagine those delicious sweet, spicy and savory flavors all together to create this wonderful mango chicken marinade!?
What are annato seeds?
Annato seeds are derived from the fruit of the achiote tree.
They have a very mild, sweet and peppery flavor, and they're typically used as a natural food coloring.
They won’t change the flavor of this recipe— just the color — which I think is lovely and super appetizing.
You can find annato seeds in most Mexican markets, and you can get them here. (There's more information about them here.)
What to serve with Coconut Mango Chicken
This is absolutely perfect to serve with this Coconut-Cilantro Rice.
It's always a plus to serve a dish with a divine sauce with something that will soak up any that's left on the plate.
This is such a delicious meal!
I really hope you give this Coconut Mango Chicken recipe a go, and enjoy every last bite!
Coconut Mango Baked Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon annato seeds (see notes)
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
- ½ cup mango, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey, divided
- 1 (approximately 3¼-pound) whole cut up chicken, bone-in, skin-on
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, over low heat, gently simmer the annato seeds with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once the oil is a golden-reddish color, turn off the heat. This should only take a couple of minutes. Strain the oil into a small bowl, and discard the seeds. Set the oil aside.
- Add the coconut milk and mango to a blender and purée until smooth, about 10 seconds. Pour this mixture into an approximately 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish and then stir in the cayenne pepper, and the 2 tablespoons of the annato seed oil you just made.
- Add the chicken pieces, being sure each one is well coated with the marinade. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, and ideally overnight.
- After the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Evenly drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil -- (the portion that did not cook with the annato seeds) -- on a baking sheet. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and add them to the baking sheet, with a couple of inches between them. Do not rub the marinade off the chicken pieces, but do let any excess drip off into the baking pan. (Do not throw it out -- it will become a sauce later in the recipe.)
- Season both sides of the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper, leaving them skin side up.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the honey evenly over the chicken and place the baking sheet in the preheated 450°F oven. Once you see the chicken sizzling, after about 5 minutes, reduce the heat to 375°F. I remove the chicken pieces at various times to avoid overcooking the smaller pieces -- the wings should be done after about 15 minutes, the legs and thighs after about 20 to 25 minutes, and the breasts after about 30 to 35 minutes. As you remove them from the oven, place them on a large plate or platter and cover with foil. (They should have a nice golden color when they're done, and if they don't, you put them under the broiler just to brown them, about 30 seconds.)
- While the chicken is baking, add the remaining marinade to a small saucepan. Mix in the last teaspoon of honey and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 30 seconds, then turn the heat to low and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve it with the chicken. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
Notes
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David
This is quite different from my chicken aam waala, and I can't wait to try it! You and I have some good flavor preferences in common! Maybe we're twins separated at birth? (You would be the pretty twin...)
valentina
You are too funny, David! I think you have a great flavor palate, so thank you! 🙂 And you're the handsome one, of course! xo
valentina
Thanks so much! Hope you try it!
Chelsea
This recipe looks great - do you think it could be made with boneless skinless breasts or thighs?
valentina
Hi Chelsea, yes, you can use boneless, skinless breast or thighs -- in this case, don't start with the oven at 450. Set it to 375 to begin with, and the cooking time will be much less, maybe half the time, if not less. (Marinate for the same amount of time.) Enjoy!
Lisa
Any suggestions for a substitute for Annato to seeds, maybe another herb or spice?
valentina
Hi Lisa! The annato seeds are really just for color. (See the recipe notes.) You could switch it out for a little ground turmeric -- maybe 1 teaspoon at most. Or you could just omit and not replace. It'll be just as delicious. 🙂 Enjoy!
Jessica M.
We made this tonight! It was excellent! We seasoned the chicken beforehand with paprika and cumin, and then baked it in the sauce (we didn't marinate it overnight). Served it topped with cilantro, slice of lime, and cauli-rice with chunks of mango/cilantro tossed in. It was excellent! Thanks for the easy recipe!
valentina
Thanks so much for sharing Jessica! So happy you enjoyed this recipe. It's one of my favorites. Your cauliflower rice, mango, cilantro & lime to go with it, sound perfect. How delicious!
Lisa M
I made this tonight and overall it was delicious! I used fresh mango (two made a 1/2 cup) and the house still smells really good. My dad and I like curry but my mom and husband do not and I wanted something that I could make in the oven that was still summery...perfect!!
The cooking times were quite off for the chicken I used and I have very limited experience with bone-in chicken (as in, none) so this might have been my fault. I used my meat thermometer to check. The small pieces could have used an extra 10 minutes after reaching 165 degrees and I still cooked them for 25 min. The breasts needed a full hour. With the varied cooking times and absolutely delicious, juicy flavors, I’d do this in the crock pot next time. A lot easier to do in the summer also, when I am most likely to make this. Gave me inspiration for a regular curry for the winter too!
Served this with plain jasmine rice topped with the sauce (be sure to boil it of course!) and a summer spinach salad...spinach, blueberry, pineapple, strawberries, and pecan.
valentina
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for all of this great feedback. First, I'm thrilled you loved the dish!
I'm sorry the timing was off for you. There are many variables with timing, the thickness of the pieces of chicken, how well the oven is calibrated, the thickness of the baking dish, and so on. We all might do things a bit differently. That said, I will review my numbers the next time I make it -- which will be soon, I hope! I'm so happy it still turned out well and that it was delicious. Making it in a crock pot is a great idea. Please let me know how it goes. And your salad sounds amazing -- the essence of summer! I'm inspired by it. 🙂 Thank you again - for your comments, and for checking out my recipes and cooking them! Makes me happy!
John Wiankowski
I live in Belize and the fresh fruits are terrific. My favorite in season is the mango. I eat one every morning. The season is over now but I will do this recipe the next time around.
valentina
Thank you, John. A mango every morning sounds dreamy! As does living in Belize. 🙂 Thanks for checking out my recipes and I hope when you try this one, you thoroughly enjoy it. ~Valentina
CK
Tried this recipe and we absolutely love it. I played around a bit and added two things that I think are worth a note: Fresh jalepeno to the blended mixture and fresh squeezed lime once the chicken was plated. Give the lime a try!
valentina
Hi! Thanks so much for sharing this. Adding the jalapeño and lime sounds divine, and I will definitely try it next time. Great idea! So happy you loved it -- it's one of our favorites. I hope you have a lovely weekend, and thanks for making my recipes. 🙂
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
We always, always, have coconut milk on hand and this looks like the most delicious use for it! Talk about a fabulous dish! I'm such a huge fan of savoury and sweet combos so I'm ALL over this! Adding to the menu 🙂
valentina
I love savory+sweet too! Always and all ways. 😉 Thanks, Dawn, and enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Marissa
What a spectacular dish. My mouth is literally watering thinking of this mango sauce. Definitely need this in my life!
valentina
Yay! Hope you love it. Thank you, Marissa. 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced
What a fun flavor idea, Valentina! I typically don't think of a sweeter sauce with chicken, but I'm on board with the coconut + mango flavors here. This recipe is packed with flavor...just like I like!
valentina
Thanks so much, David! 🙂 ~Valentina
valentina
Thanks, Kathleen. I hope you love it! 🙂 ~Valentina
L. A. Bad
Hello! Couple of questions here, Valentina. If I use ground annatto instead of the seeds, how much ground do you think I should add to the 2 Tbsp of oil? Also, I want to try fish, as you suggested, instead of chicken. How should I go about it? Thank you for sharing this recipe.
valentina
Hi there, and thanks for writing in. 🙂 I would use 1 teaspoon of the ground annatto seeds. And for fish . . . the rule of thumb is generally 10 mins cooking time per inch. If you use something like Mahi Mahi, follow the directions through the marinating process and then season the fish as you would the chicken. The oven should be preheated to 375°F (NOT 450°F), and then bake for about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. It will not brown, the way the chicken does, but should be delicious! Any mild white fish should work well! I hope this helps. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina (And Happy New Year!)
ripon hassan
You have descried the recipe so nicely and that really helped me. Looking forward for more of such recipes.
valentina
Thank you so much! 🙂 ~Valentina
Julie
Perfect, thank you. XxxX
valentina
Yay! Thank you. 🙂 ~Valentina