Here is a fantastic dinner to add to your rotation: Coconut Lime Chicken!
Inspired by a dish on the Cheesecake Factory menu, this dish is filled with tender pieces of chicken, snow peas, mushrooms and onions smothered in a delicious Thai-inspired coconut-lime sauce with mangos and cashews. It’s got the perfect touch of spice, delicious savory notes, and a touch of sweetness from the mangos, making it a total winner around the table.
You can keep this dish Whole30 by serving it alone or over cauliflower rice. But if you aren’t doing a Whole30, this is fantastic over steamed, white rice.
Coconut Lime Chicken

Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 tbsp avocado oil, divided
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp tapioca starch
For the Stir Fry:
- ½ medium white onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 6 oz snow peas
- 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 2-3 thai chiles thinly sliced
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ½ cup broth
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- Zest of half a lime
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 3/4 cup mango diced
- ½ cup roughly chopped cashews
For Serving:
- Prepared Rice or cauliflower rice
- Freshly chopped cilantro leaves
- Freshly chopped thai basil or basil leaves
Instructions
- Place the cubed chicken into a large bowl with 2 tbsp of the avocado oil, salt, white pepper, coconut aminos and tapioca starch. Stir until well combined.
- Heat a large, deep non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tbsp of avocado oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken in a single layer (you will likely need to do this in two batches) until golden brown and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside until all of your chicken is cooked through.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, until the onions are tender, being careful not to burn the garlic; about 4 minutes.
- Add the snow peas, mushrooms and chiles. Continue to cook, stirring, until the snow peas have softened; about 3 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, broth, coconut aminos, fish sauce, lime zest and lime juice to the skillet and stir to coat the veggies. Add the chicken and any of its juices to the skillet and toss to combine. Bring the contents in the skillet to a simmer and continue cooking until the sauce has just thickened and the chicken is well coated in the sauce, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in the mango and the cashews.
- Serve over prepared rice (or cauliflower rice) and garnish with cilantro and basil. Enjoy!
28 Comments
Jenna
July 12, 2022 at 1:03 amSo good! Love all your stir frys and this is one of my favorites!
Anna
January 7, 2023 at 12:27 amThis is delicious! Made with one jalapeños because we didn’t have Thai chili…
Highly recommend!
Alex
January 9, 2023 at 7:15 pmThat’s a great swap. Glad you enjoyed!
anna
July 5, 2022 at 10:08 pmQuickly became a top favorite for us. This is a KILLER recipe!!!!! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Alex
July 5, 2022 at 10:19 pmThanks, Anna!
lindsay
January 19, 2022 at 6:28 pmCan I sub snap peas or regular frozen peas ?
Chad
October 6, 2021 at 8:08 pmHey Alex, cook your recipe’s multiple times a month and you never disappoint. I am planning on making this tonight and I cannot find fresh snow peas. Could I sub frozen? Thank you
Alex
October 6, 2021 at 9:27 pmHi Chad!! I am so glad! and yes– frozen will work just fine– just give them a few more mins to cook through!
Hannah
September 28, 2021 at 10:07 pmDoes normal coconut milk work?
Yana Lvovich
September 20, 2021 at 9:41 amMade this last week and it was sooooo good! Thank you for taking the time to create these amazing recipes for us to enjoy!
Torild Steward
September 18, 2021 at 7:25 pmI’m making this tonight. Have never cut up a mango before 🤪. I’m assuming I peel it first? 🙈
Alex
September 20, 2021 at 5:45 pmyes
Leah Smith
September 18, 2021 at 12:38 amThis was delicious! I couldn’t find Thai chiles, and I happened to have jalapeños on hand, so I sliced them and added them in, and it was so yummy!!
Emily
September 13, 2021 at 7:57 pmCan you use raw unsalted cashews?
Alex
September 14, 2021 at 12:18 pmyes!
Paige
September 12, 2021 at 1:01 amShould the coconut milk be full fat?
Alex
September 14, 2021 at 12:19 pmyes
Elaine Howell
September 10, 2021 at 2:07 amOmgeeeee Alex this was incredible!! I’m not a fan of Thai chilis (too hot) so I added a little cayenne. Fabulous. My husband absolutely loved this dish. Thanks so much.
Samantha Boatright
September 10, 2021 at 1:22 amThis is one of my favorite meals of yours!! Such a perfect combo of flavors. Thank you!
Amanda
September 8, 2021 at 1:59 amHi! Any chance I can sub arrowroot for the tapioca starch? Thank you! I’m excited to try this!
Alex
September 8, 2021 at 1:27 pmyes, that definitely works here!
Kelsey
September 8, 2021 at 1:36 amAlex, this was one of my favorite recipes yet! I loved the mango in there and the crunchiness of the cashews. Definitely making again! I made it in my wok and it worked out perfectly.
Alex
September 8, 2021 at 1:30 pmaw!! making my day!! Thank you! xoxo
Jessica Spaeth
September 8, 2021 at 12:09 amSoooo tasty! I didn’t see where to add the broth in so I just added it with the coconut milk and everything else. Replaced cashews with peanuts bc I didn’t have cashews on hand and still 10/10. Yum!!
Alex
September 8, 2021 at 1:29 pmyay! so glad you loved it (and sorry about that error! I just fixed it thank you for letting me know!)
xoxo
Blaire
September 7, 2021 at 8:52 pmI can never find Thai chiles. Would jalapeños be the best substitute?
Alex
September 7, 2021 at 11:12 pmI would opt to use a serrano pepper, finely diced.
Monica
January 16, 2022 at 1:26 pmI found Thai chiles at an Asian supermarket with their produce. If you have one nearby I would check there!