Make Coconut Curry Chicken in one pot in 30 minutes or less. It’s packed with delicious flavors and is the perfect weeknight dinner.
Pair Coconut Curry Chicken with rice and/or naan bread. A side of roasted carrots or roasted sweet potatoes would also pair nicely.
When you’re not sure what to make for dinner, creamy Coconut Curry Chicken always comes through.
It’s fast, flavorful, and healthy! This is one of my husband’s all-time favorite meals, and while I tend to prefer veggies over meat (hiiii there, butternut squash curry), this is one of my favorites as well.
Coconut Curry flavor
Today we’re using red curry in this dish, alongside yellow curry powder and a good amount of coriander. If you’re wondering what coconut curry tastes like, it’s a bit sweet but mostly savory with hints of spice from the red curry. Red curry is made from crushed red chilies, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, ginger and fish paste. We amp up those flavors with additional garlic, ginger, and onions.
So as far as spiciness goes, I would rate this dish as mild, but it does depend on the brand of red curry you use. I’ve found Thai Kitchen® is generally quite mild.
Coconut Curry Chicken FAQs
What makes curry sweet?
- Cooking the onions slowly and for a longer period causes the onions to brown and develop a sweeter flavor.
- Coconut milk makes this curry sweeter than using regular cream.
- We add a little bit of brown sugar (optional) for sweetness.
- Coriander is a naturally sweet spice. Curry powder tends to be on the sweeter side as well (more on this below).
What does curry powder taste like?
Curry powder has a unique flavor with both savory and sweet spices. Cumin, turmeric, and bay leaf give curry powder a deep, earthy and savory flavor while the sweet spices such as cinnamon and cloves add brightness and sweetness.
With all of the various coconut products, it’s hard to know what will work best in your coconut curry chicken. To help, I’m breaking it down below.
Coconut milk or coconut cream?
- Coconut milk has the liquid consistency of cow’s milk. It’s the basis of most Thai curries and is made by simmering 1 part shredded coconut to 1 part water.
- Coconut cream has a much thicker and richer consistency than coconut milk. Coconut cream is made from simmering 4 parts shredded coconut to 1 part water.
- Cream of coconut is a sweetened version of coconut cream. It’s generally used in drinks or desserts. With all the added sugar, it’s not a great substitute for coconut cream.
Can I use coconut cream in curry?
In this coconut curry chicken, we use full-fat coconut milk. Lite coconut milk won’t thicken and give you a rich full flavor like regular coconut milk. Coconut cream tends to be too thick (and overpoweringly coconut flavored) for this coconut curry chicken and cream of coconut is far too sweet.
Coconut Curry Chicken additions
With just a few ingredients, creamy Coconut Curry Chicken goes from good to WOW.
Our must-have additions: fresh lime juice, finely chopped cilantro (or basil!) a little bit of brown sugar.
Other great add-ins: chopped peanuts or cashews, fish sauce.
Variations
- Coconut Curry Chicken and vegetables: This curry has some red pepper in it, but feel free to increase the veggies! You can add some carrot sticks (add along with red pepper) and spinach (stir in at the very end — residual heat will cook it down).
- Coconut Curry Chicken thighs: Chicken thighs will work great instead of breast meat (use boneless skinless and adjust for cooking time).
- Chicken Curry with coconut milk and potatoes: Try adding baby Yukon gold potatoes (to do this, I microwave whole potatoes for 5-8 minutes or until tender; cut them into quarters and add them in alongside the red pepper. This helps the potatoes catch up to the rest of the ingredients and yet still absorb the delicious flavors).
- Coconut Chicken Curry slow cooker recipe: try this recipe!
More delicious chicken dinners
- Easy, One-Pot Pesto Chicken Tortellini
- Mango Chicken
- Chicken Ramen
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken over coconut rice
Coconut Chicken Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil divided
- 1/2 medium yellow onion diced, 1/2 cup
- 3 cloves minced garlic about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons
- 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger from a 1 and 1/2-inch piece
- 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
- 3 tablespoons red curry paste I use Thai Kitchen; reduce or increase as desired for spice levels
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk full-fat, not lite
- 1 lime
- 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce optional
- 1/4 cup cilantro and/or basil, diced
- Chopped peanuts or cashews, optional
- Serving suggestions see note 1
Instructions
- Start by prepping ingredients: Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and mince the ginger. I peel the ginger with a spoon or vegetable peeler, then finely mince it. Thinly slice the red bell pepper into long vertical strips and cut those strips in half horizontally.
- Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3–5 minutes or until onions begin to turn golden. Add the garlic and ginger; stir to coat everything with the oil. Lower the heat to low and add in the curry powder, red curry paste, and coriander. Stir often for 2–3 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
- Return the heat to medium high. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil and the red bell pepper. Stir for 1–2 minutes, then add the bite-size pieces of chicken. Sprinkle on salt and pepper (I add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Cook, stirring often, for about 4–5 minutes or until the chicken is browned on both sides but not cooked through.
- Pour in coconut milk, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and brown sugar (to taste; I start with just 1 tablespoon). Stir until chicken is cooked through (juices run clear and it is cooked to 165°F) and curry is slightly thickened (see note 2). If desired, stir in the fish sauce.
- Serve over rice and/or with naan. Garnish individual plates with cilantro, basil, and/or crushed peanuts/cashews. Serve additional lime wedges by the side if desired.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Whenever I want to make a good flavorful dish, I always turn to Chelsey messy apron. And my husband knows your recipes well and loves them all. He gets excited when I’m making something new from you. Absolutely loved this curry chicken dish. Thank you so much for making me a good cook.
This means so much to me! Thanks for your comment Cindy!
Loved this recipe. Great flavor and easy to put together!
So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Kelly!
Loved this recipe! I used frozen garlic cubes (3) and ginger cubes (7) and bottled lime juice because that’s what I had on hand. Also did 1T brown sugar and the fish sauce. It was a big hit in our house!
Delish! So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Katie!
I have made this a number of times, use the recipe as a base adding various vegetables and it’s always really good!
Yay! So thrilled to hear this! Thanks!
I will start off by saying I did not follow the recipe exactly as we were out of curry paste, but added a table spoon of tomato paste in its place as the rest of the family does not do spicy. It was a huge hit. The dish is delicious and the cooking method really allows for the layering of flavors. The wife made sure I saved the recipe for the future.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks Ethan!
I have made your recipe so many times. It is absolutely delicious and so quick to put together when you have guests. I follow the recipe exactly except for the brown sugar which I omit. Thank you so much!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Glenda!
Is Coconut Oil necessary OR can I sub Avocado Oil?
Avocado oil will sub great!