This rich and fragrant chicken curry is sure to become a recipe favorite!
Slow simmer tender chunks of bite-sized chicken in a simple and delicious curry sauce made with spices, coconut milk, and curry.
Serve it over rice and enjoy!
What is Curry Chicken?
A staple from India and a favorite in Thai cooking, curry is a deliciously flavorful spice blend packed with flavor and lots of warm spices like turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic, and cinnamon, to name a few.
- It’s simple to adjust to individual preferences. Make it as spicy or mild as you like!
- Leftovers make fantastic lunches all week long, or this chicken curry recipe can be made for batch cooking or make-ahead freezer meals. Then just thaw and heat it up later!
- Try creamy red curry chicken or mixed vegetable curry chicken for something different!
Ingredients in Curry Chicken
Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs work in this recipe and make juicy and tender results.
Coconut Milk: Creamy coconut milk is the base of this sauce, along with chicken broth. Be sure you’re not using coconut cream, which is sweet. Substitute heavy cream or half and half for coconut milk, adding it near the end of cooking.
Spices: Curry powder is a must (of course!) and the curry paste adds extra flavor.
Umami Flavor: Minced garlic, lime, and fish sauce add lots of flavor to this dish.
Variations: Add bell peppers or other vegetables. For extra heat, add a little bit of cayenne pepper if you’d like.
How to Make Curry Chicken
What could be simpler than this rich and aromatic stir fry that comes together in no time?
- Cook onions and garlic in oil, until softened and fragrant (as per the recipe below).
- Brown chicken and add curry powder and red curry paste.
- Add coconut milk and simmer until the chicken is cooked. Garnish, and serve over rice.
What to Serve with Chicken Curry
Coming up with sides that go with this delish chicken curry recipe is easy!
Spoon it over white, brown, or basmati rice and serve with a fresh vegetable or some naan bread. If you’re looking for a lower carb option, try cauliflower rice.
Leftovers?
- Leftover chicken curry will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in a sealed container.
- To freeze, seal it in a zippered bag or another freezer-safe container. It will keep its flavor for up to 6 months and can be defrosted overnight.
- Reheat it in a pan on the stovetop, adding a little coconut milk or chicken stock as needed.
More Curried Favorites
Did your family love this Chicken Curry recipe? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Chicken Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast boneless skinless, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 small yellow or white onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 15 ounces coconut milk canned, full fat
- ½ cup water or chicken stock optional
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- salt to taste
- handful fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 4 cups cooked white rice for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and minced garlic. Cook until onions are fragrant and softened.
- Add chicken to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing it to brown slightly. Stir in the curry powder and paste, and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Pour in coconut milk and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Add the water or chicken stock, and simmer until the curry reaches the desired consistency.
- Stir in the brown sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice. Taste season with additional salt if desired
- Top with fresh cilantro, serve over cooked rice.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner
Cuisine American, Chinese© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Oh my gosh. This was so easy and so good. I have made many recipes and this is my favorite now. Fish sauce is the key! I didn’t have red curry paste, but will try it next time. Instead I used two different curries from Penzeys spices. Best place for spices. Over the top fabulous.
Thanks for the recipe!
Amy
This was amazing! tasted like it was from a restaurant. Even my curry naive kids gobbled it down.
This is absolutely amazing!! The flavors are outstanding! It is a easy recipe too. I had most of the ingredients on hand. Can’t wait until I can make it again. Looking forward to the leftovers in the meantime. Thank you so much
I add green bell pepper, golden raisins, and chickpeas. I also season my chicken with garlic & onion powder. Add a pinch of cayenne and a tsp of granulated chicken powder to the sauce. I would sprinkle a little lime zest on top.
I used cauliflower instead of rice, with extra vegetables, for low carb. Stir fry the cauliflower and the rest first, then add chicken cooked with the garlic with the curry . The liquids finish it. It was great.
Love this simple Curry Chicken recipe. It has great flavour. I often add some sweet pepper chopped up with the onions and garlic to add to the complex flavours. This time I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. I am not into too much spice so this recipe suits my palette fine. My husband will sprinkle generous amount of hot chili flakes to give it an extra kick. I serve it over brown basmati rice and put lots of cilantro on top! Recommend this highly and it can be frozen for another meal if you wish.
It was so delicious.
Recipes like these are the reason I don’t need restaurants.
This tastes absolutely amazing! All of the family enjoyed this meal. Thank you for such delicious meals!
I made this last night for the first time and it got rave reviews from my teenagers. I will be putting this into the regular rotation! I also think I know why a couple people are finding it bland. The flavor here is totally dependent on the freshness and quality of your curry powder and curry paste. I bought some new curry powders to try at a spice market in Seattle a few months ago and thought this recipe was calling for them. I also grabbed the supermarket blend that I’ve had for a few years and compared them. The grocery store version had almost no smell or taste, while the ones from the spice market were bursting with flavor.