This chicken curry recipe has a rich coconut curry sauce with aromatic spices. Serve it over rice for a quick weeknight meal.
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Recipe Highlights For Chicken Curry
- Flavor: This curry chicken recipe is flavor-packed. The creamy sauce has a delicious curry flavor and is slightly sweeter than coconut milk.
- Skill level: So simple! Just cook the chicken and veggies, then simmer in the sauce.
- Budget tip: Frozen peppers and onions will stretch this recipe out even more.
Ingredient Tips For Chicken Curry
- Chicken: Use boneless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe.
- Coconut milk: Use full fat coconut milk (ensure it’s not coconut cream).
- Curry: Yellow curry powder adds a distinctive color and a warm, earthy flavor, while red curry paste is a bit more complex and contains aromatics like lemongrass and lime. You can use just one or the other (add a bit extra), but I recommend both if possible.
- Fish sauce: Fish sauce adds a savory umami. If you don’t have fish sauce, you can replace it with some soy sauce.
Variations
- Spice up the dish with red chili flakes, diced Thai chiles, or sambal.
- Stir in a little plain yogurt for extra tang and creaminess.
- Add some chopped tomatoes.
- Garnish with extras like sliced green onion or a little squeeze from a wedge of lime to marry the flavors.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken curry is delicious served over plain white rice, basmati rice, or coconut rice. It’s also delish over zucchini noodles.
Serve with a side of steamed broccoli, sauteed green beans, or some bok choy.
Storing Curry Chicken
- Separate leftover chicken curry from rice (if using) and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Before reheating, add a little coconut milk, chicken stock, or water to loosen the sauce.
- Freeze portions in zippered bags (without the rice) for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Curried Favorites
Did your family love this Chicken Curry recipe? Leave a rating and a comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts diced into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion or white onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 15 ounces coconut milk canned, full fat
- ½ cup chicken stock or water, optional
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- salt to taste
- 1 handful 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 and season with additional salt if desired.
- Top with fresh cilantro, serve over cooked rice.
Notes
- Adjust the thickness of the curry sauce to preference. Add chicken stock or water to thin it after simmering or simmer longer to thicken the sauce.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American, Indian© 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.
We loved this recipe! I’ve been searching for a curry recipe that is similar in taste to my favorite Thai restaurant. This is a keeper for us. Thank you for sharing. P.S. I cheated a little bit, I bought a roasted chicken and used the meat for my curry:)
So glad you loved it! Rotisserie chicken is a great idea to save time.
I love to eat Chicken dishes like Chicken curry and Chicken Kebabs. Your procedure for curry is really nice. thanks for the Article.
Hello Holly!!!! I have a question. Do you chopped the chicken before cooking it? I’m guessing you did but want to make sure. This is my first time doing my favorite dish. Thank you.
Yes, I’ve updated the recipe :) Thank you for asking and enjoy the dish!
Very and the easy quick Chicken recipe that I have ever known we can make it in just a few minutes and very fewer ingredients Thank you for sharing this article.
So glad you loved the recipe Bhavya!
My family & I LOVED this,I made a larger amount & made it more spicy, like the curry we get in Ireland. Absolutely delicious. Wish I could save it but can’t seem to be able to. Thank you,will be making this over & over !
I am so glad you loved this Mary! I am a huge fan of spicy too!
Just made this curry and it’s wonderful. I didn’t have curry powder and don’t like things too spicy, used one tablespoon of yellow curry paste and 1/2 tablespoon of red curry paste. The lime, brown sugar and fish sauce really add that extra level of flavor – I’ll be making this again and again. Thanks!
I’m so glad you loved it Cindy!
I just made this and I like it, but it may be too spicy for my company. What can I do to cut some of the heat?
Hi Elaine, add something cream based such as heavy cream, yogurt, or sour cream.
Already made this recipe and it’s yummy! I was wondering if it’ s as good with shrimps..
Mmmm, that sounds yummy too Sue!
I just made this recipe tonight and it was delicious! My son and husband asked me to print it so that I can make it again which is high praise – that is not always the reaction to a new internet recipe. The layers of flavor and balance of heat vs sweet made it very savory and yummy.
I’m so glad your family loved this recipe Jennifer!
Yummy! I bet rarely someone ever can reject this divine dish! – Natalie
We love Chicken Curry too Natalie! :)
WOW!! This is SO good! I especially like the slightly sweet heat with the hint of lime. The recipe is easy to follow too.
So glad you enjoyed it Audrey!
So great! Loved it, it ill be my go to recipe from now on!
Wow!!! This chicken curry is to die for!!! It is so easy and so flavorful, very rich and came together quickly. I followed the recipe, but added pepper, potatoes and carrots as we love veggies and curry. I have made lots of curry but this recipe is spectacular! I have never used lime juice or fish sauce before in curry so maybe that’s what made the curry pop. Soooo good. This will be my go to recipe from now on! Thank you very much for sharing Holly as you have made us so happy!
You’re welcome, so glad that you loved the curry Sue! And adding veggies is so great!
This was great. Very flavorful and easy. I substituted riced cauliflowe for the rice. Will make again.
So glad you enjoyed it Fran!
First time making Curry!! Delish!!!
So glad you loved it!
Thanks for the nice list!
I love curry a lot. I’m so jealous of you when you did try a lot of different kinds of curry!!
My bf just make for me a chicken curry a few weeks ago and as looking at your recipe I send the link right away to my bf and ask him to cook it for me xD xD
Thanks a lot for your recipe!!
You’re welcome Natalie, enjoy!
We did it last night :P We added potatoes and carrots.
It was great!
I am so glad you enjoyed it!
und dafür ist eine schale duftendes, gut gewürztes curry bestens geeignet. gelbes curry mit ananas, linsen und flower sprouts. nach grünem und rotem thai curry kommt jetzt ein gelbes curry in die suppenschale.
Chicken Curry is a great dish, I believe an Indian dish as well. I love it, and I use the whole parts of the chicken, sometimes breasts are dry, I like the legs and the thighs better.
This sounds and looks so good!! I love curry and this one uses both red Thai curry paste and yellow curry powder…and coconut milk. Heavenly!
It’s so good Averie!