Make Coconut Curry Chicken in one pot in 30 minutes or less. It’s 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 you’re not sure what to make for dinner, creamy Coconut Curry Chicken always comes through.
It’s fast, flavorful, and healthy! This is one of my husband’s all-time favorite meals, and while I tend to prefer veggies over meat (hiiii there, butternut squash curry), this is one of my favorites as well.
Coconut Curry flavor
Today we’re using red curry in this dish, alongside yellow curry powder and a good amount of coriander. If you’re wondering what coconut curry tastes like, it’s 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, I would rate this dish as mild, but it does depend on the brand of red curry you use. I’ve found Thai Kitchen® 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, it’s hard to know what will work best in your coconut curry chicken. To help, I’m breaking it down below.
Coconut milk or coconut cream?
- Coconut milk has the liquid consistency of cow’s milk. It’s 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 coconut is a sweetened version of coconut cream. It’s generally used in drinks or desserts. With all the added sugar, it’s 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 won’t 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 — 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
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil separated
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced (~1/2 cup)
- 3 cloves minced garlic (~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
- Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper
- 1 can (13.5 oz.) full-fat coconut milk (NOT lite)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce, optional
- 1/4 cup cilantro and/or basil diced
- Serve over/with: cooked basmati rice and naan bread with additional lime wedges
- Optional: chopped peanuts or cashews
Instructions
- Start by prepping ingredients: Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and mince the ginger. I peel the ginger with a spoon or vegetable peeler and then finely mince it. Thinly slice the red bell pepper into long vertical strips and then cut those strips in half horizontally.
- Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3-5 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 2-3 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
- Return the heat to medium high. Add in the remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil and the red bell pepper. Stir for 1-2 minutes and then add in the bite-sized pieces of chicken. Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste (I add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Cook, stirring often for about 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is browned on both sides, but not cooked through.
- Pour in the coconut milk, 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 165 degrees F) and curry is slightly thickened (See Note 1). 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.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely love this recipe – thanks so much for posting it Chelsea.
Is it possible to freeze the left overs?
Hey Jackie! I’m soo glad you enjoyed this! I haven’t personally frozen this dish before but I would imagine the curry would freeze well. Let me know if you try it! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Came here to ask the exact same thing! Anyone have success freezing it? I’d love to gift a freezer meal to a friend!
Really delicious! Made for dinner, omitted the brown sugar (forgot about it) recipe was incredible. Will make again. Thank you!
Yay!! I’m soo happy you enjoyed!! Thanks! 🙂
Wow – made it tonight and everyone loved it! Even the 7 year olds. Thank you!
I am sooo happy to hear that everyone loved it!! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
After my wife had a disappointing chicken curry dish at a local restaurant, I searched for a recipe online and came upon yours. I cooked it yesterday for lunch and it was bursting with flavors! Quite delicious! About the only thing I would tweak would be the heat level. I used 3 Tbsp of red curry paste, according to the recipe, so maybe I will just dial that down a bit next time as my wife doesn’t like her dish too spicy. Two thumbs way up!
I’m soooo happy to hear this!! Thank you so much for your comment!! 🙂
I really loved this recipe. It was easy to make, and I had every item in my pantry. I was slightly concerned about a curry recipe without any tomato, but I found that the addition of lime juice and brown sugar brought the right balance of acid and sweetness that tomatoes would have had. The addition of fish sauce brought a savory umami to the dish. Perfect!
YAYY!! I’m soo happy you enjoyed this dish! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Excellent. I have made many different versions of coconut curry and this is the best one hands down. I’m on Keto so I used brown swerve instead of brown sugar but other than that I followed the recipe exact. Delicious
Yayyy!!! I”m sooo happy to hear this! Thank you so much for your comment! 🙂
I have made this last week for the first time, doubled all the ingredients for 12 guests for my birthday. Risky??? Maybe!!! But, there was nothing left at the end of the evening! I am making this again today for my daughter who arrived from France where she has been studying for the past 4 years.
I search a lot the Internet for good recipes. This is a GREAT recipe that I will make again and again.
Chelsea you have become my favourite cook outside of Europe where my family and I live (we live on the beautiful island of Cyprus). Keep up the excellent work!
I am seriously SOOO happy to hear this!! And seriously so flattered. Thank you so much for your sweet comment and I’m sooo happy you all enjoyed this dish! Cyprus looks like quite the destination!!
What can I sub if I don’t have the red curry?
Honestly I’d wait til you have it; it’s a big part of the flavor in this recipe! (Technically you can substitute more curry powder, but I do think the red curry makes this dish so much better!)
I always make it with yellow curry – I bought a large tub cause America 😁 I also needed it to be totally milk for my toddler to eat along.
I love these Thai dish additions!
I’m not Thai or even Asian but I love Thai food. Here are a few optional substitution ideas to try if you are feeling it:
1. Adding fresh THAI BASILl to a delicious curry dish like this one adds a nice Thai flavor! I use 1 full cup of fresh in mine.
2. PALM SUGAR is another ingredient that also provides a nice Thai flavor & is less sweet than sugar. If your grocer doesn’t carry it, you can find it on Amazon. 🙂
Thank you so much for the tips! 🙂
I couldn’t agree more about your adding Thai basil and palm sugar. Thai basil easily roots as a cutting from what you buy fresh in the Asian store. Strip the lower leaves from the stem, leaving the top 4-6 leaves. Cut the bottom of a stem at an angle. Place cuttings in a glass of filtered water until roots appear. Change water as necessary. Plant in good potting soil for inside or out in garden soil, weather permitting. Makes a great gift for cooks that like to makeThai food. I also grow kaffir lime leaves indoors in Oh. It’s one of the easiest citrus to grow.
I will be the first to actually review this recipe! It was delicious and so easy. I started with 2 TBsp. of red curry paste and found I could go to 3 without it being too hot. I did use the full amount of brown sugar and again did not find it overpowering. This recipe is a keeper!
So happy to hear this was a hit! Thank so much for your comment and review Lynn! 🙂