Coconut Mango Chicken Recipe
This Coconut Mango Chicken is baked to perfection as it soaks up warm spices and the delicious flavors of the mango marinade. It's a super comforting main course and is perfect over rice or noodles.*Please note that the chicken has to marinate for at least 6 hours, and ideally overnight.
Servings: 4 to 6
Calories: 567kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk (full-fat or light)
- ½ cup mango, roughly chopped
- about ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey, divided
- 1 (approximately 3½-pound) whole cut-up chicken, bone-in, skin-on or off
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- a few fresh cilantro sprigs for garnish, washed and dried
Instructions
- Make the marinade/sauce. Add the coconut milk, mango and cayenne pepper to a powerful blender and purée until it's very smooth. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and then stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
- Marinate. Add the chicken pieces to the baking dish, moving them around so both sides are well coated with the marinade. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, and ideally overnight. Try to flip them over at least once during that time, even if it's only for an hour.
- Preheat oven and prepare a sheet pan. After the chicken has marinated, preheat the oven to 450°F, line a sheet pan with parchment, and then evenly drizzle it with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Prepare to bake. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and place them on the baking sheet, with a couple of inches between them. Do not rub the marinade off the chicken, but let any excess drip off into the baking pan. (Do not throw it out -- it will become the sauce later in the recipe.)Season both sides of the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper, skin side up (or the side up where the skin was, if it's removed).
- Bake. 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 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 375°F. Bake just until the chicken is cooked through -- I remove the pieces at different 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, put them under the broiler just to brown them, about 30 seconds.)
- Make the sauce. While the chicken is baking, add the remaining marinade to a small saucepan. Add the last teaspoon of honey and another pinch or two of cayenne pepper, depending on how much heat you want, 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 drizzle it over the chicken. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
- Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs and serve!
Notes
Boneless chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work, too. Start the oven at 375°F instead of 450°F, and bake about 10 minutes less. Watch them closely so they don’t overcook.
Mango: If you can’t find good fresh mangoes, use frozen. Let them thaw completely first.
Make ahead: Make the entire dish up to 2 days ahead. Cool completely, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Take it out of the fridge about an hour before serving, then reheat in a 375°F oven until hot, about 15 minutes.
Food safety: Always bring the marinade to a full boil before simmering it into the sauce, since raw chicken has been in it.
Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 0g | Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 404mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2mg