This Coconut Chicken Curry Recipe is the perfect weeknight meal
30 MINUTE WONDER. The chicken and vegetables simmer in curried coconut milk for the most irresistible 30-minute meal of your life. It’s warm, creamy, comforting and tastes like it’s been simmering for hours but only takes minutes! TAPESTRY OF FLAVOR. The layers of complex flavors create a tapestry of savory, salty, sweet and sour in every bite. It’s a balancing act that results in a savory depth of flavor like no other. ACCESSIBLE INGREDIENTS. I’ve used the same rave-review formula of my red curry chicken and yellow curry chicken to make this Coconut Curry Chicken but with easy-to-find yellow curry powder. MAKE IT ON REPEAT. This chicken curry with coconut milk is huge on flavor, low on effort and belongs in your easy weeknight dinner back pocket!
RESTAURANT delicious: layers of flavor in a creamy curried coconut sauce Less expensive: serve the whole family for the price of dining out! Pantry friendly: you can find curry powder and all the ingredients at any grocery store which means you can keep them stocked and make this coconut curry any time Minimal prep: just chop your chicken and veggies Customizable: use whatever veggies you have on hand One Skillet: means ONE SKILLET to clean! Easy: just sauté, dump and simmer away to rich, lusciously silky coconut curry Quick: on your table in less than 30 minutes from scratch! Meal-in-one: protein and veggies made in ones skillet Easy to Double: you can double or triple this coconut curry recipe for meal prep, make ahead or freezer meals Great leftovers: the curry chicken tastes even better the next day! Freezer friendly: this Coconut Curry Chicken freezes fabulously well for make ahead dinners
Step 1: Bloom curry: The key to unlocking the full flavor of curry powder is to bloom the curry. This is essentially toasting the curry in oil which helps the flavor emerge or “bloom” – and it makes a HUGE difference.
Step 2: Sauté aromatics: We also sauté the curry powder with our chicken and onions which infuses them with curry goodness. Have you ever had chicken in a curry that is bland? Well, they have definitely skipped this step!
Step 3: Sauté vegetables: Next, we add bell peppers, cauliflower, ginger and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. This develops the ginger and garlic flavor but more importantly allows the curry powder to permeate all of the ingredients with flAvor.
Step 4: Add coconut milk. Next, stir in half of the coconut milk. Whisk the remaining half of coconut milk with a little cornstarch and add it to the skillet. While cornstarch definitely isn’t authentic in Coconut Chicken Curry, it is a fabulous trick I’ve discovered and use in all of my curry recipes to create a creamier coconut sauce.
Step 5: Add remaining ingredients: Dump in all the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the vegetables reach desired crisp-tenderness. The time will depend on which vegetables you’ve chosen to use and how small they are chopped. Step 6: Garnish! Top with optional fresh basil, cilantro, lime juice and chili sauce and dig in!
Powdered ginger and garlic: if you don’t have fresh ginger and garlic on hand and need to make this coconut curry NOW (I get you), you may substitute with powders. Use ¾ teaspoon ground ginger and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Soy sauce: you may substitute fish sauce with soy sauce if you don’t keep it stocked – but you will want to pick some up if you plan on doing more Thai cooking in the future. Shrimp: this coconut curry chicken can also be turned into coconut curry shrimp! Instead of adding the shrimp with the curry paste, season the shrimp with the salt and pepper, then cook it separately with some oil just until opaque and cooked through. Remove the shrimp to a plate and add to the sauce at the end of cooking. Sauté the red curry paste without the shrimp in some oil to bloom the spices then proceed with the recipe. Other proteins: you can also swap the chicken for cubed pork tenderloin, fish or tofu. When cooking fish, season it with salt and pepper and cook separately. Alternate veggies: you can mix and match the veggies based on what’s in your fridge, your favorites, what’s in season or what’s on sale. Some tasty alternatives would be broccoli, sweet peas, asparagus, bok choy, snow peas, etc. Add nuts: cashews add a deeply satisfying, buttery crunch. Take care to purchase raw, unsalted nuts. To elevate your cashews, dry roast them in a skillet until toasted- YUM! Add coconut: garnish with toasted sweetened coconut for extra coco-nutty yum. Add sesame seeds: add a nutty sesame flavor. Take care to use toasted sesame seeds or toast them yourself. Add water chestnuts: also add a tantalizing crunch. Water chestnuts are easy to find in a can so you can keep them stocked and ready to go. Use Birdseye chilies: you are welcome to substitute the Asian chili paste for minced Birdseye chilies. You will want to remove the seeds and finely chop.
How to Customize Coconut Curry?
In addition to swapping the vegetables for your favorites or what you have on hand, this Coconut Curry Chicken can be customized in many different ways to make it YOUR favorite coconut curry. It can be made spicy, not spicy, sweet or more savory, more or less tangy, with or without buttery cashews etc.
Want sweeter curry? Add more brown sugar Want saltier curry? Add more fish sauce or soy sauce Want tangier curry? Add more lime juice Want spicier curry? Add more chili sauce Want thinner curry? Add chicken broth Want thicker curry? Add a cornstarch slurry Want more crunch? Add cashews, peanuts or chickpeas
Rice: to mellow and absorb the flavorful sauce and offers a neutral textural component. I prefer jasmine rice but any rice will work. Just pop the rice in your rice cooker for a hands’ off, easy side. Just make sure to thoroughly rinse your white rice until the water runs clear to achieve the fluffiest rice. You can also use microwave rice pouches if you’re making a serving for one or meal prep. Low carb options: cauliflower rice, quinoa, broccoli rice or a blend of brown rice and any of the aforementioned options. You can also use low carb noodles such as zoodles or spaghetti squash. Appetizers: turn this coconut chicken curry into a feast with Thai Chicken Satay or Peanut Pineapple Thai Chicken Satay, Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, or Thai Chicken Pizza. It is also delish with other Asian inspired, non-Thai appetizers such as Crab Rangoons, Homemade Egg Rolls, Pineapple Cream Cheese Wontons, or potstickers. Bread: naan or roti bread to soak up the delectable sauce. Salad: a simple green salad or Asian Pineapple Salad. Fruit: pineapple, kiwis, mangos, grapes – pick your favs!
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