Yellow Chicken Curry with baby gold potatoes is comfort food at its finest! This method for Thai curry can be ready in about 45 minutes or less.
Serve this curry over basmati rice with a side of naan for a delicious meal.
Yellow Chicken Curry
This might just be my favorite curry recipe ever, and I can’t wait to share it with you all!
My sister brought some leftovers to her husband, and his exact text to me was, “That curry was frickin’ awesome. I have been reborn. I am a new man.” If that doesn’t convince you to make this ASAP, I don’t know what will! 😉
One thing to note: It is spicy! Yellow Chicken Curry definitely packs some heat—which makes me love it even more. However, if you aren’t a spice-lover, I recommend trying this Coconut Curry Chicken instead. It’s a similar recipe but much milder.
How to make Yellow Chicken Curry
- Sauté the onion in coconut oil. Add the fresh minced ginger and garlic. (Fresh is best here, so it doesn’t burn.)
- Bloom the spices: The yellow curry paste, curry powder, and coriander are so flavorful. It’s important to take time your time here to really unlock the full potential of the spices and curry paste.
- Add the diced potatoes and stir to coat with the seasonings.
- Add in the coconut milk.
- Mix in the chicken stock. Stir and ensure the potatoes are fully covered in liquid.
- Simmer the potatoes rapidly, until tender and the sauce reduces to a nice thick consistency. While this is happening, it’s time to season and cook the chicken! Toss the chicken in curry powder, salt, and pepper.
- Brown the chicken in a separate skillet.
- Add the chicken to the curry to finish cooking through. Add the finishing touches and dinner is served!
What Is Yellow Curry Paste?
The true star of this recipe is yellow curry paste. The paste has ginger, garlic, curry powder, turmeric, cilantro, lemongrass, cumin, and dried red chiles, which combine to deliver a flavor-packed (and spicy) sauce.
It can, however, be difficult to find. I’d recommend calling your store in advance to see if they carry it. You can also make your own, or order if from Amazon; here’s the exact paste I get.
Quick Tip
The turmeric in curry is brilliantly yellow. To keep storage containers from turning equally brilliant, use glass, ceramic or disposable material for leftovers!
Freezing The Leftover Yellow Curry Paste
If you get a big container of yellow curry paste, you’ll probably want to freeze the leftovers if you aren’t making Yellow Chicken Curry every night (and if you are, I don’t blame you!).
To freeze leftover curry paste, spoon it into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Transfer your curry “cubes” into a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cubes as needed overnight in the fridge.
Yellow Chicken Curry FAQs
The yellow curry paste gets its vibrant color primarily from turmeric powder, which gives the entire dish a beautiful deep-golden hue.
The spiciness depends on the amount and brand of curry paste. I’d rate this dish as medium+ spicy, but spice levels vary. You can use less yellow curry paste to lower the heat, but it will also reduce the flavor.
For a creamy and restaurant-quality curry, I recommend a good full-fat coconut milk. If you do use light coconut milk, the curry will still work, but it will also lack a bit of flavor, creaminess, and thickness.
Yes! Curries become more flavorful as they sit. Yellow Chicken Curry is perfect for meal prep or leftovers, lasting up to 5 days in the fridge. You might need to add a splash of chicken stock to leftovers as it thickens over time.
Side dishes for curry
In my opinion, there is nothing better than serving Yellow Chicken Curry over cooked basmati rice with a side of warmed naan bread.
You can also serve this Asian Cucumber Salad, these Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or a big green salad on the side for extra veggies.
More Curry Recipes
Yellow Chicken Curry
Equipment
- Large, deep pan
- Medium pan
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil divided
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion 1/2 medium onion
- 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic 3 cloves
- 1 tablespoons finely minced ginger from a 1 and 1/2-inch piece
- 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder divided
- 1/4 cup yellow curry paste see note 1
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 (13.6-ounce) can coconut milk lite not recommended
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- Salt and pepper
- 1-1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cilantro diced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce optional
- Cooked basmati rice to serve with
- Naan bread to serve with
Instructions
- Dice onion, mince garlic, and mince ginger. (I peel the ginger with a spoon or vegetable peeler and then finely mince it.) Chop potatoes into bite-sized pieces so they cook properly—I cut each baby Yukon gold potato in 6 to 8 pieces depending on the size of the potato.
- Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 3–5 minutes, until onions begin to brown. Add garlic and ginger. Stir to coat everything with the oil. Lower heat and add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, curry paste, and coriander. Stir often for 2–3 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Add potatoes and stir to coat 1 minute.
- Pour in coconut milk and chicken stock. Scrape the bottom of the pan periodically and press all potatoes into the liquid. Bring to a rapid simmer (over medium heat; it should be bubbling at the edges but not boiling) and cook 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Potatoes should be fork tender and sauce reduced; this happens at around 20–22 minutes for me. Add additional chicken stock if sauce is reducing too quickly and potatoes aren’t getting tender—this could mean you may need to reduce heat a little. Alternatively, increase heat slightly if potatoes aren’t getting tender and the sauce isn’t reducing. Add sugar, cilantro, and lime juice (adjust these ingredients to personal preference). If desired, add fish sauce.
- Meanwhile, cube chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss with cornstarch, remaining 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a separate pan, add remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil and heat over high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until mostly cooked through, about 4–7 minutes depending on the size of chicken chunks. Watch carefully to avoid overcooking, which leads to dry/bland chicken. Add the mostly cooked chicken to the curry and finish cooking for the last 1–2 minutes.
- Remove curry from heat. Taste and adjust seasonings (more salt and pepper if needed). Serve over cooked rice with warmed naan bread. (Rice and naan bread definitely help curb some of the heat from this curry!)
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you make this without the potatoes since you have carbs in the rice?
You are supposed to use unsweetened coconut milk correct?
Here’s what I use: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Imperial-Dragon-Coconut-Milk-13-5-fl-oz/10535550?athbdg=L1100
This was delicious and even better as leftovers! I couldn’t find yellow curry paste in my grocery store but used Mekhala’s lemongrass tumeric paste from a local specialty store which seemed pretty close. I used chicken breasts but would probably use thighs or even tofu next time.
Yum!! I’m so glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Well…!! i read all the comments and was a lttle concerned with the heat side of things with this dish……….. how wrong was I!
A-MAZ-ING!! we literally have just finished eating this and my husband (who’s best effort on things i cook is – that was nice) said that was bl**dy lovely. I said it lasts up to 5 days in the fridge and his reply was, it won’t last that long! I’ve now signed up and can’t wait to cook another one of your recipes.. thank you so very much for the time and effort you have out in to not only creating the dish but putting on the net for all to enjoy. simply wonderful xx
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
I absolutely LOVE this curry! It’s now a requested favorite at my home. It’s flavorful, simple and filling. I didn’t change a thing. It’s absolutely perfect and I’m so happy I found it. Thank you!
Yay! I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Mary! 🙂
This chicken curry recipe is amazing! All the recipes on this site are so thoughtfully written and easy to follow. Thank you!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thank you!
This recipe was absolutely amazing. I am so thankful to have found it! We haven’t been able to find good Indian or Thai food in the town we moved to, and this actually is better than the best we had in our previous town where we fell in love with the stuff. Thank you!
I am seriously thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Angela! 🙂
I’m in love with this recipe!! I’ve been wondering what I’m doing wrong with my yellow curry. It wasn’t flavorful enough. Instead of chicken I made crispy tofu. So good!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear! And crispy tofu sound delicious! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Excellent curry. I was unable to find a yellow curry paste so substituted with madras curry paste. After adding the chicken I threw in a very large handful of arugula and let it wilt completely before serving, about a minute. All it did was add some green and a bit of texture. Your recipe is very tasty and I liked your idea of cooking the chicken separately as this avoided overcooking the chicken breast. Thank you. I will be trying this on my kids and grandchildren soon.
I am so happy to hear this Denis! Thanks so much for you comment! 🙂
Hands down the best curry I’ve ever made and one of the best I’ve ever had! The only thing I changed is reducing the amount of curry paste to 2 tblspoons – 1/4 of a cup seemed like a lot to me. The lime juice at the end really brought it all together! Sooo delicious!
My boyfriend is vegetarian and I cannot wait to try making this recipe with tofu for him!
Your comment made my day! So thrilled to hear you loved this recipe 🙂 Hope the boyfriend loves it with tofu! Thanks Yakout!