Coconut Curry Chicken is the quick and easy dinner recipe of your dreams! It is hearty, creamy, and the perfect sauce for soaking up white rice! Or for enjoying with bread, pasta or your favorite sides! I am in love with this curry in a hurry!
My daughter Salma, said, "Mum, that sauce gets 5 stars!" in reference to this Chicken Curry. Her older sister Neriah said it is so good!
We had this curry for dinner with some family friends and they all said it was really good! So I said, "it is going on the blog!"
Ingredients For Coconut Curry Chicken
- Chicken Thighs. I use boneless skinless chicken thighs. I love chicken thighs because they contain a good ratio of fat and more fat means more flavor. However, chicken breasts could work as well.
- Coconut Milk. A good quality unsweetened coconut milk is essential here. My favorite brand is the Thai Kitchen brand coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk because that ensures the curry is sufficiently creamy.
- Onion. I use one cup of chopped onion. The onion is cooked together with the chicken in the beginning to build the flavor profile of the curry.
- Minced Garlic. Just like the onion, the garlic is cooked with the chicken to create an insanely good flavor base for the curry.
- Ginger. I used freshly grated ginger but ginger powder will work as well.
- Tomato Paste. For color and more creaminess.
- Curry. Use good quality curry powder here.
- Chicken bouillon powder. This gives the curry that extra something something.
- White pepper. I prefer the flavor of white pepper over black pepper in this curry. White pepper is so good! Also, using white pepper ensures that I do not see specks of black pepper in my curry. But you could definitely use black pepper if that's what you have.
- Vegetables. A combination of bell peppers and carrots add color, nutrients and flavor to this curry. Feel free to add any vegetables you like or make the curry with no vegetables.
How to Make Coconut Curry Chicken
1. Season chicken with curry powder, ginger, salt and white pepper.
2. Heat up a little oil in a pot. Add chicken and let it cook until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from pot.
3. Saute onions then add tomato paste, garlic and ginger. Add water, curry powder, salt and bouillon powder. Add chicken coconut milk and pepper and let them simmer.
What to Serve With Coconut Curry Chicken
- White rice. White rice is great for soaking up the delicious sauce. I love hot fluffy jasmine rice!
- Pasta. You could equally serve this Coconut Curry Chicken with your pasta of choice.
- Bread. Good crusty bread is great for dipping into your bowl of curry.
Watch How To Make Chicken Curry
Watch how to make Coconut Curry Chicken! Watch me making some in the video below. Also, please SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel so you do not miss any of my videos!
More Family-Friendly Chicken Recipes
Coconut Curry Chicken is the quick and easy dinner recipe to make when you need to put dinner on the table but you are in a hurry. It is so hearty with the creamy coconutty sauce and crisp vegetables. Serve over hot-fluffy rice!
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs substitute with boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger, ginger paste or minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 14 oz coconut milk 1 can
- 1 ½ cups chopped vegetables, bell peppers and carrots or other vegetables of choice
- 6-10 basil leaves, chopped I used Sweet Thai Basil
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Prepare and Season chicken. Cut the chicken into 1 inch thick strips and place on a large plate or in a bowl. To the chicken add a quarter teaspoon each of the curry powder, ginger paste, salt and white pepper. Mix well to combine, ensuring that the seasoning gets all over the chicken.
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Cook Chicken. Set a pot (preferably a dutch oven) on high heat. Pour the oil into the pot and swirl to ensure the oil completely coats the bottom of the pot. Let it heat up for 3 minutes then add the chicken to the pot in a single layer. Let the chicken cook for about 3 minutes then stir and let the chicken cook until no longer pink (stir from time to time as the chicken cooks to prevent burning).
Remove the cooked chicken from the pot. The pot should have some fat rendered from cooking the chicken thighs. If you used chicken breasts, add about half a tablespoon of oil to the pot after removing the chicken.
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Make the Chicken Curry. Add the chopped onions to the same pot in which you cooked the chicken. Let it cook for about one minute while stirring from time to time. Add the tomato paste and stir well to combine with the onions. Add the minced garlic and stir. Add the minced ginger and stir. Add the one and a half cups of water and stir. Add the curry powder and stir. Add the remaining salt and chicken bouillon powder and stir. Add back the chicken to the pot and stir. Bring to a simmer then pour in the coconut milk. Bring to a simmer then add in the remaining white pepper and stir. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
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Add Vegetables. Add in the chopped bell peppers and carrots and stir then add the chopped basil leaves. Turn off the heat.
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Serve. Serve warm with rice, pasta, bread or your side of choice. I love this coconut curry chicken with hot fluffy jasmine rice!
1. My coconut milk of preference is the Thai organic coconut milk. It has a rich coconut flavor and is super creamy.
2. The white pepper really helps cut the sweetness of the coconut milk. (I use unsweetened coconut milk but natural coconut milk still has a little sweetness to it.) If you do not have white pepper, use black pepper instead.
3. Once all ingredients are in the pot, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add a little water or coconut milk if it is too salty. Add a little sprinkle of salt if it isn't salty enough.
4. Feel free to add other vegetables like zucchini or egg plant.
5. You could also make this coconut curry chicken without any added vegetables. In fact, my kids prefer it without any vegetables.
6. If you can't find chicken bouillon powder, replace the one and a half cups of water with low sodium chicken broth. Then adjust the quantity of salt added as needed.
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Wow thanks very much for this recipe. Am trying this tomorrow unfailingly. I know this chicken must be insanely delicious.
It is the very definition of insanely delicious!
Just the appearance makes my mouth watery, Salma is right it deserves 5 stars and I must try this too! Thanks and much love to you and your family 😇❤😍👍👍
Thanks, darling. Hope you enjoy!
This should taste like an apology!with this ,there is no NO for an answer.awww the plate says "am sorry dear".kudos prescious.we love to love prescious core.
Haha it is so good, dear. Please let me know if you try it.
waooh it really test good
Glad to hear that, Mira!
Hello,all your delicacies are amazing. I want to give an applause for the passion you have for your kitchen. We live precious core
Thank you so much, dear.
Well done, can I use the raw coconut milk?
Yes, you can use fresh coconut milk.
I love this and I want more of it.
Glad you love it, Zani!
Love coconut curry, for sure i am going to make it tonight...thanks for sharing
You're welcome, Becca. Enjoy!