This Chicken Curry will be the best you ever tried! Chicken simmered in a flavorful sauce with coconut milk and yellow curry powder, then served over rice is a 30 minute dinner heaven. This chicken curry recipe is so aromatic!
We love any curry around here, whether it’s lentil curry, shrimp curry or Thai chicken curry.
In my world, everyone should be able to make chicken curry at home. This simple, healthy and absolutely delicious curry recipe will convince you that eating out is unnecessary. I remember even my Ukrainian grandma used to make chicken curry with sour cream in absence of coconut milk. Same with butter chicken in absence of heavy cream.
Chicken curry comes together in 30 minutes in any skillet. Its simple ingredients will surprise you a lot. One thing I highly suggest is to use fresh and quality yellow curry powder. How do you know that? When you open a jar it is so aromatic, you want to eat the jar. 🙂 Mine is organic and I am not saying yours should be but definitely not from a dollar store. I am sharing this because I couldn’t believe what a difference!
My family, all 3 boys, big and small, “inhaled” this coconut curry chicken! I also made brown rice in Instant Pot at same time and dinner was off the charts!
Enjoy!
Ingredients for Chicken Curry
- Chicken: Boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs are the best. Breast is more dry but I feel like rich sauce helps a lot. Dark meat is more fatty and I would love thighs in this curry chicken recipe too.
- Coconut milk: Use coconut milk from a can and not carton. I used full fat but low fat is fine too. Cream accumulation on top during colder months is normal. My favorite brand is Thai Kitchen because it is not gritty, non-GMO and I believe BPA free.
- Onion, garlic and ginger: A lot of onion makes curry sweet and flavorful along with fresh garlic and ginger. You could use 1 tsp dried ginger instead.
- Yellow curry powder and turmeric: As mentioned above, fresh and quality yellow curry powder is the key. You can use any other colour powder and add more if you like things spicy!!! It is such a personal preference and an easy fix. Turmeric adds colour and flavor but you can skip if don’t have any.
How to Make Chicken Curry
I made chicken curry in 12 inch ceramic non-stick skillet in 30 minutes while brown rice was cooking in Instant Pot. Healthy dinner just couldn’t be easier!
- Saute onion, garlic and ginger in generous amount of oil for about 5 minutes or until veggies are translucent and fragrant. Then add curry powder and turmeric and cook for 30 seconds. Mixture will appear dry and you want to stir constantly, but this step will enhance curry flavor drastically.
- Add coconut milk and maple syrup, stir and bring to a boil. Watch coconut cream melt and syrup will make sauce sweeter. You can also use honey or any other sweetener.
- Cook chicken for 15 minutes by adding it raw to a boiling curry sauce. Distribute evenly and make sure it is submerged in sauce. Boneless chicken releases juices, so no broth is necessary. And keep skillet uncovered.
- Thicken the sauce (optional) by adding a slurry of cold water and cornstarch, then let it boil until thickened in a few minutes.
How to Serve, Store and Reheat
Serve chicken curry over brown rice, quinoa or white rice if it’s your jam. I won’t stop praising Instant Pot cause it’s simply the best – I cooked brown rice in it. This is how we eat curry. No salad or naan bread but you can add either.
If you would like to add veggies, sometimes I add 1 lb of finely chopped cauliflower or a bag of cauliflower rice towards the end and simmer for a few more minutes. You might want to stir in additional tablespoon of cornstarch in a slurry as cauliflower will release more water. However, cornstarch is completely optional.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days in a glass container with a lid. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Reheat chicken curry by simmering on low in a skillet and stirring occasionally. So easy!!!
More 30 Minute Dinner Recipes
- Slow cooker butter chicken
- Instant Pot dal
- Butter chicken spaghetti squash
- Shrimp stir fry
- Teriyaki chicken and cauliflower
I hope you enjoy this chicken curry recipe and be healthy!
Chicken Curry {Quick and Easy}
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless & skinless chicken breast or thighs cut into 1.5" cubes
- 2 large onions chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp yellow curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 14 oz can coconut milk full fat
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp cold water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Cook brown rice or quinoa as per package instructions.
- Preheat large skillet on medium heat and swirl oil to coat. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add yellow curry powder and turmeric; saute for 30 seconds, stirring often.
- Add coconut milk, maple syrup, salt and stir until incorporated and bring to boil.
- Add chicken, stir, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a small bowl, whisk cold water with cornstarch and pour over sauce. Stir and cook for a few minutes until sauce has thickened.
- Season with pepper to taste and serve over brown rice or quinoa. So good!
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 5 days or freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Reheat chicken curry by simmering on low in a skillet and stirring occasionally.
Video
Notes
- If you would like to add veggies: Sometimes I add 1 lb of finely chopped cauliflower or a bag of cauliflower rice towards the end and simmer for a few more minutes. You might want to stir in additional tablespoon of cornstarch in a slurry as cauliflower will release more water. However, cornstarch is completely optional. Just sauce won't be as thick.
- Chicken: Boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs are the best. Breast is more dry but I feel like rich sauce helps a lot. Dark meat is more fatty and I would love thighs in this recipe too. You can use anywhere from 1 to 2 lbs chicken.
- Coconut milk: Use coconut milk from a can and not carton. I used full fat but low fat is fine too. Cream accumulation on top during colder months is normal. My favorite brand is Thai Kitchen because it is not gritty, not GMO and I believe BPA free.
- Onion, garlic and ginger: A lot of onion makes curry sweet and flavorful along with fresh garlic and ginger. You could use 1 tsp dried ginger instead.
- Yellow curry powder and turmeric: As mentioned above, fresh and quality yellow curry powder is key!!! I buy 1 lb of organic Splendor garden curry powder from Amazon. You can use any other colour powder and add more if you like things spicy!!! It is such a personal preference and an easy fix. This curry is mild for kids. Turmeric adds colour and flavor but you can skip if don't have any.
- Vegan: Substitute chicken for chickpeas or cauliflower for a vegan version.
Nutrition
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This seems amazing!! Trying this out this weekend!!!! 🙂
Can’t wait to make it
Enjoy!!!
Loved it. 5 star. Will add pineapple cubes next time. Thank you Olena.
Yay! So happy to hear!
so it’s a generous amount of oil then add cold water???????????
I stand corrected. my wife told me this is the best thing you’ve ever made. absolutely incredible. coming from French cousine background, half insult half compliment. being so easy to make and so delicious. 2 thumbs up
Haha not insulted at all. That is so amazing to hear! Glad you enjoyed my recipe!
This was so good! Super easy to make also. My boyfriend who apparently ~hates~ curry loved it and ate it all! I added broccoli, chickpeas and spinach! Thank you for the recipe:)
Love the veggies that you added! So glad this recipe was a hit, Brittany!
My family liked this.
Hi,
Can this be done in a slow cooker?
You can follow this recipe directions.
Just finished making this for dinner, it was delicious! We were a little skeptical as we have had a few curry fails. Glad to say we finally found a winner!
Woohoo! I am so happy my recipe was a hit, Rebecca!
Delish! Can’t wait to tell my friends that I can cook a dish that taste just like our favorite Thai restaurant.
Yay! So happy to hear this Ev!
This recipe is so easy to follow, and the flavor blew me away! So yummy my 18 mo finished every bit!
You don’t know how happy this makes me Betty! Yay!
Delicious and easy recipe thank you!
This was very tasty. I used one large can (540 ml, 19 fl oz) of drained chickpeas. I added 3/4 C of chopped raw cashews (because they need to be used by the end of the month and I have a big bag), half way through the simmering, and folded in 1.5 C of frozen green peas at the end. No need to thicken, I actually would have liked a bit more sauce, (but I could have taken it off the heat earlier). I was pleasantly surprised with the good taste of this, all from my two year old curry powder (grocery store-no name) and a handful of ingredients around the kitchen.
Thanks for reminding me that simple is good!
Thanks for sharing Anne! Simple is good for sure!
Loved this recipe. I added roasted cauliflower and chickpeas to the chicken to make it a really hearty dish, and found I didn’t need to thicken the sauce with the cornstarch mix at the end. Delicious!
Thanks for sharing Vicki!
Can you substitute tapioca starch/flour for cornstarch?
If it thickens when heated then yes. I never used it.
If using chickpeas instead of chicken should I use 1 or 2 cans? Can’t wait to try this!
I would say closer to 2 cans 14 oz each.
I just made this for the third time and my husband and I love it! I make it without adding the cornstarch and it is thick enough. Cutting up two large onions is torture on my eyes but well worth it!
Cutting onions makes me cry too Karen. But I agree, it is so worth it 🙂
Ms. Osipov, can you please let me know what brand of curry you used for this recipe? I would appreciate if you could let me. Thank you.
Organic Splendor Garden on Amazon and it’s 1 lb bag. I am in Canada, so not sure you can get it where you are.
Excellent. Put some cauliflower in it. Was delicious. The cauliflower
Flavor was not real intense. Perfect.
Hey if I need to use sour cream instead of coconut milk what would be the portion of sour cream equivalent to? Thank you
Can of coconut milk is 1.5 cups. I would start with 1 cup. Add it at the end and don’t cook.
Used boneless chicken thighs. Fast, easy and yummy. Only change was to add celery and green beans.
This recipe is a keeper, My husband agrees, Next time I’ll add matchstick carrots and maybe frozen peas! First time trying an Indian recipe!!!
I love your recipes! Can you substitute unsweetened almond milk for the canned coconut milk? I don’t use anything from a can. It is fresh for me. Otherwise, I love all the other ingredients.
You can use heavy cream, about 3/4 cup. My grandma used sour cream.
This was delicious. The whole family liked it. I didn’t make any changes to the recipe and I served it over rice.
Thanks so much for sharing how much your family liked this recipe. I really appreciate it!
We really enjoyed this, I added chopped red peppers an zucchini as that was what I had on hand. Definitely will be making it again
Awesome Shelley!
Definitely will be making this again! Loved it.
This curry is amazing! I have made it almost every week for the past few months. I was hesitant to put the raw chicken into the sauce directly, but it works great and is so easy. I add cauliflower with the chicken, and my husband and three teenagers all love it. We never have leftovers!
Yay! So happy that this curry is on your regular dinner rotation menu!
Fantastic! I substituted peanut butter for the honey. The kids even liked it! Thank you for posting this!
You are welcome Jennifer!
This.Was.OUTSTANDING!!! Added some frozen peas at the end, served it over brown batsmati rice. Another great recipe, thank you Olena!
You are welcome Eva 🙂
This recipe was delicious! I cut it in half because I was just cooking for myself and I served over cauliflower rice. Oh – and I added a touch more maple syrup! The flavors blend perfectly and it’s such an easy dish to put together. Thank you!
So great to hear Amanda!
I added a few precooked cut red potatoes, thickened it with potato starch, and since I didn’t have maple syrup, I used agave syrup. Also, I know it’s heresy for some, but I used Kirkland canned chicken.Family loved it!
I’ve made this dish twice! I love it! I add chopped cauliflower and bell pepper and serve Over riced cauliflower. My family loves it! So easy to meals and so much flavor. It’s a great recipe for meal prep too!
Fantastic Dolonna!
Looks delicious! Is there a way to do it in an instant pot? Thanks!
Yes. You can follow Instant Pot butter chicken directions and wing it a bit. 🙂
Delicious!!! The best curry ever!
Wahoo! So happy to hear. I agree haha
Delicious chicken curry!
This is the first curry recipe I’ve ever made and I couldn’t believe how easy it was! It has become a staple in our house and I can’t how many times I’ve made it!! Love it and how much confidence it’s given me to try new things 🙂
I made this tonight and used riced cauliflower instead of quinoa or brown rice. It was so good, even my picky daughter ate it
Delicious!!!! My family loved this! I’m a bit of a spice wimp so I only used 2 tsp. of curry and it was yummy. Definitely a keeper!
Most definitely freezes well. I have made a few containers of this for lunches for work, and they defrost then reheat fine 🙂
Hello there! When you add the chicken to the cooking dish, are you supposed to add uncooked chicken at that time or should you precook the chicken then add it? Thank you!
Uncooked. It cooks fast.
Hi Olena. I just made this recipe last night and it was delicious. I have decided to make a change in my life and my family’s as well to eat clean and healthy foods. I appreciate your work, thank you so much! I’m making the spaghetti squash chicken Alfredo boats tonight and I can already see its gonna be amazing! Thanks again and I’m looking forward to more of your food recipes. Blessings!!!!
This sounds great! Is the calorie count just the curry, or is the rice included in the total?
thanks!
Just the curry without rice.
Making this as we speak… kitchen smells heavenly. But not seeing where in the recipe instructions the honey is called for? Wasn’t sure so I just put in a little bit with the sauce. Can you clarify? Thanks!
That’s right. Sorry. I will fix that. That was a late adjustment I keep forgetting about. Enjoy!
Got it, thanks. Was good with just a little bit of honey and regular coconut milk. Enjoyed with brown rice. Yum. 🙂
Love how quick, simple and delicious this 30 minute curry is. Definitely a great weeknight meal I can see myself making!