Make Coconut Curry Chicken in one pot in 30 minutes or less. Itโs packed with delicious flavors and is the perfect weeknight dinner.
Pair Coconut Curry Chicken with rice and/or naan bread. A side of roasted carrots or roasted sweet potatoes would also pair nicely.
When youโre not sure what to make for dinner, creamy Coconut Curry Chicken always comes through.
Itโs fast, flavorful, and healthy! This is one of my husbandโs all-time favorite meals, and while I tend to prefer veggies over meat (hiiiiย there, butternut squash curry), this is one of my favorites as well.
Coconut Curry flavor
Today weโre using red curry in this dish, alongside yellow curry powder and a good amount of coriander. If youโre wondering what coconut curry tastes like, itโs a bit sweet but mostly savory with hints of spice from the red curry. Red curry is made from crushed red chilies, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, ginger and fish paste. We amp up those flavors with additional garlic, ginger, and onions.
So as far as spiciness goes,ย I would rate this dish as mild, but it does depend on the brand of red curry you use. Iโve found Thai Kitchenยฎ is generally quite mild.
Coconut Curry Chicken FAQs
What makes curry sweet?
- Cooking the onions slowly and for a longer period causes the onions to brown and develop a sweeter flavor.
- Coconut milk makes this curry sweeter than using regular cream.
- We add a little bit of brown sugar (optional) for sweetness.
- Coriander is a naturally sweet spice. Curry powder tends to be on the sweeter side as well (more on this below).
What does curry powder taste like?
Curry powder has a unique flavor with both savory and sweet spices. Cumin, turmeric, and bay leaf give curry powder a deep, earthy and savory flavor while the sweet spices such as cinnamon and cloves add brightness and sweetness.
With all of the various coconut products, itโs hard to know what will work best in your coconut curry chicken. To help, Iโm breaking it down below.
Coconut milk or coconut cream?
- Coconut milk has the liquid consistency of cowโs milk. Itโs the basis of most Thai curries and is made by simmering 1 part shredded coconut to 1 part water.
- Coconut cream has a much thicker and richer consistency than coconut milk. Coconut cream is made from simmering 4 parts shredded coconut to 1 part water.
- Cream of coconutย is a sweetened version of coconut cream. Itโs generally used in drinks or desserts. With all the added sugar, itโs not a great substitute for coconut cream.
Can I use coconut cream in curry?
In this coconut curry chicken, we use full-fat coconut milk. Lite coconut milk wonโt thicken and give you a rich full flavor like regular coconut milk. Coconut cream tends to be too thick (and overpoweringly coconut flavored) for this coconut curry chicken and cream of coconut is far too sweet.
Coconut Curry Chicken additions
With just a few ingredients, creamy Coconut Curry Chicken goes from good to WOW.
Our must-have additions: fresh lime juice, finely chopped cilantro (or basil!) a little bit of brown sugar.
Other great add-ins: chopped peanuts or cashews, fish sauce.
Variations
- Coconut Curry Chicken and vegetables: This curry has some red pepper in it, but feel free to increase the veggies! You can add some carrot sticks (add along with red pepper) and spinach (stir in at the very end โ residual heat will cook it down).
- Coconut Curry Chicken thighs: Chicken thighs will work great instead of breast meat (use boneless skinless and adjust for cooking time).
- Chicken Curry with coconut milk and potatoes: Try adding baby Yukon gold potatoes (to do this, I microwave whole potatoes for 5-8 minutes or until tender; cut them into quarters and add them in alongside the red pepper. This helps the potatoes catch up to the rest of the ingredients and yet still absorb the delicious flavors).
- Coconut Chicken Curry slow cooker recipe: try this recipe!
More delicious chicken dinners
- Easy, One-Pot Pesto Chicken Tortellini
- Mango Chicken
- Chicken Ramen
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken over coconut rice
Coconut Chicken Curry
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil divided
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced, 1/2 cup
- 3 cloves minced garlic about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons
- 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger from a 1 and 1/2-inch piece
- 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste I use Thai Kitchen; reduce or increase as desired for spice levels
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk full-fat, not lite
- 1 lime
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce optional
- 1/4 cup cilantro and/or basil, diced
- Chopped peanuts or cashews, optional
- Serving suggestions see note 1
Instructionsย
- Start by prepping ingredients: Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and mince the ginger. I peel the ginger with a spoon or vegetable peeler, then finely mince it. Thinly slice the red bell pepper into long vertical strips and cut those strips in half horizontally.
- Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sautรฉ for 3โ5 minutes or until onions begin to turn golden. Add the garlic and ginger; stir to coat everything with the oil. Lower the heat to low and add in the curry powder, red curry paste, and coriander. Stir often for 2โ3 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
- Return the heat to medium high. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil and the red bell pepper. Stir for 1โ2 minutes, then add the bite-size pieces of chicken. Sprinkle on salt and pepper (I add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Cook, stirring often, for about 4โ5 minutes or until the chicken is browned on both sides but not cooked through.
- Pour in coconut milk, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and brown sugar (to taste; I start with just 1 tablespoon). Stir until chicken is cooked through (juices run clear and it is cooked to 165ยฐF) and curry is slightly thickened (see note 2). If desired, stir in the fish sauce.
- Serve over rice and/or with naan. Garnish individual plates with cilantro, basil, and/or crushed peanuts/cashews. Serve additional lime wedges by the side if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
ย
Iโm having some difficulty understanding how the chicken will brown and get fully cooked while in the coconut sauce. Would you be able to help me with this part of the recipe? I can hardly wait to try this!
Great question! The chicken actually isnโt expected to fully cook *while browning*. In step 3, youโre just browning the outside of the chicken pieces for about 4โ5 minutes to build flavor and color. Theyโll still be slightly undercooked in the center at that point. Once the coconut milk is added, the chicken finishes cooking by gently simmering in the sauce until it reaches 165ยฐF internally. Since the chicken is cut into small 1-inch pieces, it cooks through pretty quickly. Think of it as a two-step process: first brown for flavor, then simmer to finish cooking. Hope that helps โ Iโd love to hear how you enjoy it! ๐
Thank you!
This recipe is one of the best ones ive come across anywhere. You can add vegetables; ive added carrots and calabasa squash, bok choy, etc. Ive even cheated and bought a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and pulled off the skin and diced up the chicken breast and ive also used raw chicken and it hits every single time. Perfectly balanced. Just as good as any thai restaurant. Its super healthy too. 10/10.
Wow, thank you so much! This made my day! I love hearing the different ways youโve made it your own. The veggie additions sound delicious, and Iโm especially loving the rotisserie chicken shortcut! So happy itโs been a hit every single time. Thanks for the sweet comment!
I make this all the time, using your recipe as a templet for adding additional vegetables to the mix, such as yellow or orange bell peppers, peas, green beans and potatoes and or sweet potatoes. It is a wonderful mixture of flavors and textures, so thank you, itโs my go to recipe for curry.
I love the idea of adding extra veggies to the mix! Thanks so much for sharing, Claudia!