This 30 minute Yellow Chicken Curry will be the best curry you have ever tried! Once you taste the juicy pieces of chicken simmered in a robust and flavorful sauce made with coconut milk, yellow curry powder, and other aromatics, you’ll see why!
We love any curry around here, whether it’s green lentil curry, Instant Pot chicken curry or Thai chicken curry.
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In my world, everyone can and should make chicken curry at home because it’s too easy not to and so darn delicious!
A dish that can feel so exotic to some is simple everyday comfort food to others, and this yellow chicken curry recipe will convince you that ordering chicken curry takeout is no longer necessary!
My family “inhales” it when served with brown rice, it’s one of healthy dinners that has very little leftovers!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant quality but better: Home cooking will always win, especially when the authentic flavors of a traditional Indian dish are even better than anything you’d get at a restaurant.
- Easy to make: This chicken recipe comes together in 30 minutes with a few pantry staples.
- So much flavor: Curry powder itself is incredibly aromatic, but so is turmeric, fresh ginger, onion, and garlic.
- Can be served in different ways: On its own, with rice, naan bread, roti, or even on a bed of spring mix or spaghetti squash noodles.
Ingredients for Yellow Chicken Curry
To make this chicken curry, you will need only a few simple ingredients.
- Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces are the best. The breast is drier but the rich sauce helps with that. Dark meat is fattier and in itself more flavorful. You can’t go wrong either way.
- Coconut milk: Use coconut milk from a can and not a carton. I used full fat coconut milk 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.
- Onion, garlic, and ginger: Onions make the curry sweet and flavorful, and the fresh garlic and ginger give it a punch. If you don’t have fresh ginger, use 1 teaspoon dried ginger instead.
- Yellow curry powder: Fresh and quality yellow curry powder is the key. You can use any other color curry powder and add more if you like things spicy because yellow is the mildest! It is such a personal preference and an easy fix.
- Turmeric: Turmeric adds color and flavor (and is so good for you) but you can skip it, if don’t have any.
- Maple syrup: A little bit of sweetness to mellow out the spices. It’s not so much the heat, but more the intensity of it. It’s also a great way to round out the flavors. You can use honey, sugar or agave instead.
- Cornstarch and water: For the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.
- Salt and pepper.
How to Make Yellow Chicken Curry
I make this yellow curry chicken recipe in a 12 inch ceramic non-stick skillet in 30 minutes while the brown rice cooks in the Instant Pot.
- Saute onion, garlic and ginger in a generous amount of oil for about 5 minutes or until veggies are translucent and fragrant.
- Add spices: Then add curry powder and turmeric, 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 the coconut cream melt making it so rich and creamy!
- Cook chicken for 15 minutes by adding it raw to a boiling curry sauce. Distribute evenly and make sure it is submerged in the sauce. Boneless chicken releases juices, so no broth is necessary. Keep the skillet uncovered.
- Thicken the sauce by adding a slurry of cold water and cornstarch, then let it boil until thickened in a few minutes.
Tips for Best Results
Here are my top tips for the best yellow chicken curry from the first try!
- Use fresh good quality yellow curry powder: It is key to achieving the most robust flavors. A way to tell is by smelling the package as you open it up. If its aroma is so mouthwatering that it makes you want to jump into the spice, it’s probably good!
- It’s good practice to go through your spice rack on occasion: Spices tend to have a long shelf life, but if you go long enough without using them, they may lose their freshness.
- Don’t use coconut cream: Although we talk about coconut milk and coconut cream being similar, for this recipe be sure to use the coconut milk. Coconut cream contains more fat and less water that we need for the sauce volume.
- Curry stains: Not so much the powder on its own (although be careful with that too) but once you’ve made this curry dish, you might not want to wear your best and brightest whites.
Variations
Here are my top tips to make this curry how you like it!
- Other protein: This recipe works for other kinds of protein as well. Curried goat, lamb, shrimp, and beef are all delicious meats that pair well with a curry sauce.
- Vegan yellow curry: Learn how to cook tofu on the stove for a meatless option. My preference is to add cooked chickpeas or cauliflower instead of chicken. Cauliflower will release water, so you might want to consider thickening up the sauce. Totally up to you!
- Added veggies: Toss in some diced potatoes, red bell peppers, peas, or carrots for added vegetables. Use one or a combination of all. The tenderness of the veggies that absorb the flavors of the sauce is just ridiculous.
What to Serve with Yellow Chicken Curry?
- Serve chicken curry over quinoa or white rice if that’s your jam. Instant Pot jasmine rice, Instant Pot coconut rice or Instant Pot basmati rice are popular types of rice that pair well with curried chicken.
- With brown rice: I won’t stop praising Instant Pot because it’s simply the best! It’s one of my favorite ways to cook brown rice, which is how we like to eat our curry.
- You could also enjoy it with a salad or with some naan bread. If you have roti, some people enjoy ripping off pieces of roti and scooping up the curry with it.
- Cauliflower rice: This works as a side dish for sure, but you could also add some cauliflower rice or cauliflower florets into the chicken curry itself. Add it in towards the end of the simmer and you’ve got additional low-carb veggies in there!
How to Store
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days in an airtight container with a lid.
Freeze: In an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Reheat chicken curry by simmering on low heat in a skillet and stirring occasionally. So easy!!!
FAQs
You can! Follow the directions as listed in the recipe up until you add the chicken. Transfer the sauce mixture you’ve prepared on the stovetop into the crock pot, add the chicken, then set it to cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 6-8 hours.
Not yellow curry, no. Most curries aren’t spicy as they’re made up of a combination of warm earthy spices. Depending on who is making it, where the dish comes from, what spices are added, and the ratio of certain spices, then you can go from mild to spicy curry.
No, I don’t recommend that for Indian curry dishes. Curry paste is a stronger, more concentrated curry. It’s used a lot in East Asian and Thai cuisine, which is a different (albeit also delicious) take on curry dishes. If you were interested in a Thai yellow chicken curry dish, then by all means use the paste, but you’ll need to adjust some of other ingredients as well.
More Curry Recipes to Try
- Slow cooker butter chicken
- Butter chicken spaghetti squash
- Instant Pot butter chicken
- Chicken curry salad
- Coconut curry chicken soup
Yellow Chicken Curry
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1.5″ cubes
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 14 ounces can coconut milk, full fat
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon 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, 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!
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 5 days. Reheat by simmering chicken curry on low in a skillet stirring occasionally.
- Freeze: In an airtight container up to 3 months.
- 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.
- Coconut milk: Use coconut milk from a can and not carton.
- 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: Fresh and quality yellow curry powder is key! Turmeric adds colour and flavor but you can skip if don’t have any.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this without the chicken and cornstarch and loved it! I drizzled it over my baked chicken and whole wheat rice and it was perfect!
That sounds delicious! Skipping the chicken and using it as a drizzle is such a clever twist—glad it paired so well with your meal!
This recipe is so good and easy! I did add red pepper, carrots, and sweet potato. Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Okay, but if I want to add vegetables? Your riced cauliflower tip isn’t helpful.
Then add your vegetables.
I had all the exact ingredients in the pantry and cupboards! At the end, I added julienned carrots, small broccoli florettes, and baby Bella mushrooms. I love my curry with a lot of veggies.
I used coconut cream and the base was a lovely, thicker texture. I added some water maybe, 4 tablespoons before the cornstarch water mixture at the end. Just to ensure the extra veggies didn’t bulk up and make it too dry Also I served it with green lentils because I don’t eat rice – all exceptional and delicious!!
Hi Kat! I loved reading how you made this yellow chicken curry your own! Your addition of vegetables is awesome, I might try next time!
Can this be made in a slow cooker? Can I use light coconut milk?
Yes, please see FAQs in the post. You can use light milk.
Enjoyed by my fam and will do again. Consistency changed as I let it rest on the stove (waiting for all to be home). It went from nicely thick to watery. No veggies in the sauce. Maybe more fat rendered?
I am so happy to hear you loved this yellow chicken curry. My only thought is that it was sitting covered and condensation built up and diluted the sauce or it’s the brand of coconut milk used…You can use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch next time, that should help.