Make this Bangkok Chicken for a perfect weeknight dinner or a beautiful Sunday lunch. It pairs with an amazing mango chili sauce for the most incredible meal.

bangkok chicken on a bed of greens with a small bowl of mango chili sauce

A Note from Teri on Bangkok Inspired Chicken

While in Harbor County, I stumbled upon an absolutely delectable chicken dish at the Bentwood Tavern, and frankly, that dish was one of the best things that happened for me in the summer of 2020. I enjoyed it again and again and was inspired to create my own version to enjoy for everyday eating.

I’m simply delighted with my version! Cut the chicken in half lengthwise, removing the back. Feel free to ask your butcher, who will be happy to help you. (Always freeze the back for the next time you make chicken stock!)

If you can marinate the chicken overnight, you will be thrilled by how much it enhances the flavor. The trick after marinating is after you remove the chicken from the marinade, blot the excess, and brush the chicken with olive oil because otherwise, the marinade will burn when you roast the chicken.

Keep in mind that cooking a chicken can vary from oven to oven. Cooking time and temperature depends on what kind of oven you have. Once the chicken really gets roasting, use the fat on the bottom to begin to baste every little crevice of the chicken and rotate the pan to make it to make it crispy and delicious. Continue to baste and rotate until the chicken is done to perfection.

the ingredients for bangkok chicken marinade in small bowls
the ingredients for mango chili sauce on a sheet pan

Ingredients and Variations

  • Chicken halves, or a whole chicken
  • Kosher salt
  • Coconut milk
  • Red curry paste
  • 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
  • Garlic cloves
  • Cilantro
  • Lime
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Mango
  • Rice wine vinegar
  • Water
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Greens
  • English Cucumbers
  • Avocado
  • Marinated Red Onions

We wanted to create a sweet and spicy dipping sauce that would be super satisfying and delicious, so we are introducing our new Mango Chile Sauce, easily done the day before. This new Magic Elixir would also be lovely with the Sweet and Sour Snapper in the no crumbs left cookbook, so consider making extra to enjoy again. 

How to Make Bangkok Chicken

two chicken halves in a glass dish
chicken halves in marinade in a glass dish

Step One: Marinate the Chicken

Place the chicken in a large airtight container. Evenly coat the chicken on both sides with 2 teaspoons salt. Set aside.

In a large, wide-mouthed mason jar, combine the coconut milk, curry, coconut aminos, pressed garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Using a stick blender or whisk, blend until well combined. Pour half the mixture over the chicken. Flip the chicken and pour the remaining half of the mixture evenly over it. Cover and refrigerate. Marinate for at least 12 hours, or overnight.

two cooked chicken halves on a baking sheet

Step Two: Cook the Chicken

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375F. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and wipe off the excess marinade. Place the chicken skin side up on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, drizzle and brush with olive oil all over, and sprinkle with salt.

Place the chicken into the oven and cook until slightly brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste with the pan juices. If there are no pan juices, brush 1 teaspoon olive oil onto each chicken half. Then return to the oven and cook, basting every 5 minutes, until brown and crispy, about 15 minutes. If not brown, crispy, and bubbly, increase the heat to 400F for the last 5-10 minutes.

mango chili sauce in a pan with a spoon in it

Step Three: Make the Mango Chili Sauce

In a food processor, combine the mango, rice wine vinegar, and the water. Pulse until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil for about 3 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and set aside.

chicken half on a bed of greens
bangkok chicken on a bed of greens with sauce on the side

Step Four: Assemble the Platter

On a large platter, place your greens beautifully and sprinkle with salt. Pour the Marinated Red Onion oil over the greens. Place the chicken on the greens and arrange the cucumbers, avocado and Marinated Red Onions beautifully around the platter. Serve with the Mango Chili Sauce. Enjoy!

This is lovely with a salad as we’ve done it here, or with green beans and Cauliflower Rice or regular rice. So many options, and such a lovely hot entrée that will absolutely hit the spot. Let me know how you like our new Mango Chili Sauce!

Turn it Into a Bangkok Chicken Wrap

I absolutely love making a lettuce wrap, and this one might be my favorite of all time. The flavors are so perfect for a delicious light lunch.

teri holding to halves of a bangkok chicken lettuce wrap in her hands

How to Assemble Your Lettuce Wrap

Place 2 iceberg leaves on a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and salt them. Tip: If your iceberg leaves are on the smaller side, stack and overlap them to give you a little extra length.

Add chicken, avocado, cucumber, marinated onions, mango chili sauce and a squeeze of lime to the lettuce. Using both hands, carefully begin to roll the leaves up into a wrap starting with the edge of the leaves closest to you. Wrap the leaves over the filling, pulling the filling in toward you as you roll. Tuck or fold in the sides of the lettuce as you go and continue rolling as tightly as you can until the sandwich is completely wrapped, like a burrito. Then tightly roll the paper around the wrap. Twist the ends of the paper, and cut the wrap in half.

We served it with the Creamy Olive Dressing and it was perfection. Originally when we saw the dressing in the fridge we thought it was Chive Citrus Dressing, but it turns out it was the olive dressing. We were skeptical at first about whether or not it would work with the wrap, but it turns out it was the most delicious pairing!

Try These Other Chicken Recipes

If you make this Bangkok Chicken recipe, be sure to review it below and let me know what you think! If you’re looking for more inspiration, subscribe to my Substack, and follow along on Pinterest,  Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!

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bangkok chicken on a bed of greens with a small bowl of mango chili sauce

Bangkok Inspired Chicken

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  • Author: nocrumbsleft
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: Thai
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

I am so excited about this Bangkok Inspired Chicken dish! It’s a flavorful and soul-satisfying dinner.

Ingredients

For the marinade:

  •   2 chicken halves, or 1 whole chicken cut in half
  •   3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  •   1 cup coconut milk, blended
  •   2 ounces red curry paste
  •   3 tablespoons coconut aminos
  •   4 garlic cloves, pressed
  •   ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  •   Juice of one lime
  •   1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Everything else:

  •   Mango Chili Sauce 
  •   Marinated Red Onions (recipe HERE)
  •   Green of choice 
  •   1-2 avocados, sliced
  •   3 to 4 small English cucumbers, sliced diagonally (or any type of cucumbers)

Mango Chili Sauce:

  •   ½ cup ripe mango, chopped into small pieces
  •   3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  •   2 tablespoons water, divided
  •   2 garlic cloves, minced
  •   ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on your heat preference
  •   ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  •   1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

Marinate the chicken:

  1. Place the chicken in a large airtight container. Evenly coat the chicken on both sides with 2 teaspoons salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large, wide-mouthed mason jar, combine the coconut milk, curry, coconut aminos, pressed garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. Using a stick blender or whisk, blend until well combined. Pour half the mixture over the chicken. Flip the chicken and pour the remaining half of the mixture evenly over it. Cover and refrigerate. Marinate for at least 12 hours, or overnight.

Make the chicken:

  1. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375F.
  2.  Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and wipe off the excess marinade. Place the chicken skin side up on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, drizzle and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil all over, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. 
  3. Place the chicken into the oven and cook until slightly brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and baste with the pan juices. If there are no pan juices, brush 1 teaspoon olive oil onto each chicken half. Then return to the oven and cook, basting every 5 minutes, until brown and crispy, about 15 minutes. If not brown, crispy, and bubbly, increase the heat to 400F for the last 5-10 minutes.

Make the Sauce:

  1. In a food processor, combine the mango, rice wine vinegar, and the water. Pulse until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil for about 3 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat, stir in honey, and set aside.

Assemble the platter:

  1. On a large platter, place your greens beautifully and sprinkle with salt. Pour the Marinated Red Onion oil over the greens. Place the chicken on the greens and arrange the cucumbers, avocado, and Marinated Red Onions beautifully around the platter. Serve with the Mango Chili Sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

How to Make a Lettuce Wrap

Place 2 iceberg leaves on a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and salt them. Tip: If your iceberg leaves are on the smaller side, stack and overlap them to give you a little extra length.

Add chicken, avocado, cucumber, marinated onions, and mango chili sauce to the lettuce. Using both hands, carefully begin to roll the leaves up into a wrap starting with the edge of the leaves closest to you. Wrap the leaves over the filling, pulling the filling in toward you as you roll. Tuck or fold in the sides of the lettuce as you go and continue rolling as tightly as you can until the sandwich is completely wrapped, like a burrito. Then tightly roll the paper around the wrap. Twist the ends of the paper, and cut the wrap in half. We served it with the Creamy Olive Dressing and it was perfection.