Mango Chicken Curry

5 from 6 votes

Mango Chicken Curry is a sweet, flavor-packed dish with a secret: blended mango in the coconut curry sauce and extra mango stirred in at the end!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Healthy, Thai

Keyword: Mango Chicken Curry

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $13.87

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 large yellow onion chopped, 1-1/2 cups
1 red bell pepper chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons garlic coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons red curry paste see note 1
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups ripe mango see note 2
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk full-fat, see note 3
1-1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces; I love thighs best
Optional additions see note 4
Cooked rice see note 5, for serving

US - Metric

Instructions

Heat coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once melted/hot, add chopped onions and bell pepper. Sauté, cooking occasionally, until soft, about 7–9 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Add red curry paste, coriander, curry powder, cumin, and salt to taste (I add 1 tsp salt). Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, 1–3 minutes. Reduce heat slightly and add a touch more oil if anything is sticking too much.
Add 1 cup of the mango and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Vigorously shake the can of coconut milk and pour it in. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil, then lower heat to a low simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Once the mixture has simmered, carefully transfer the sauce to a blender. Blend the sauce (see note 5) until completely smooth, then return the sauce to the pot.
Heat sauce over medium-low, returning it to a low simmer. Once simmering, add chicken and stir through. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 8–15 minutes. (Breast pieces are usually done around 8 minutes and thighs closer to 15—sometimes a bit longer depending on size.) Check doneness by using a meat thermometer or cutting into the largest piece of chicken—it should be white throughout.
Once chicken is cooked through, reduce heat to the lowest setting and stir in the remaining 1 cup mango. If using, add in chopped cilantro (I add about 1/3 cup, finely chopped), zest and juice of a lime, fish sauce, and/or kaffir lime leaves if using. Taste and adjust curry seasonings to preference. Add salt if needed. If too sweet, add a touch more fish sauce, and if it’s not sweet enough, add a touch of sugar—flavors should sing! Serve curry over cooked rice and garnish plates with additional cilantro if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: Curry pastes vary from brand to brand in spiciness. I use Thai Kitchen®, which is mild and has a great flavor. I’ve also used Maesri® red curry paste, which is my favorite flavor-wise, but it’s a lot spicier. When making Mango Chicken Curry for my kids, I use Thai Kitchen.

Note 2: Honey mangos (Ataulfo or yellow mangos) are my favorite for this recipe—they’re sweeter and creamier than regular mangos, but either works well. Ripe mangos give slightly when squeezed. For a sweeter curry, use fully ripe mangos. Frozen mangos are also a great option when fresh ones aren’t available. Just chop the second cup into smaller pieces for better bite-sized chunks, as frozen mango pieces can be quite large.

Note 3: Look for shelf-stable, not refrigerated, cans of coconut milk. Here’s an article outlining the best brands to use. I use Imperial Kitchen® since I can find it at my local grocery store. Use full-fat coconut milk for best flavor and thickness. Lite coconut milk won’t thicken as much. Cream of coconut is far too sweet, and coconut cream is too thick and overpowering for this curry.

Note 4: Optional additions: fresh lime juice and zest, fresh cilantro, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 2–3 kaffir lime leaves, and fine sea salt.

Note 5: Foolproof and delicious basmati rice:

Measure rice and rinse in a fine-mesh sieve until water runs clear.
Place the rice in a bowl and cover it with water to soak for about 5–10 minutes.
While rice is soaking, fill a large pot with water and set it to boil.
Once water is at a rolling boil, drain the rice and add it to the pot.
Cook without reducing the heat, 5–6 minutes (taste test a piece to ensure tenderness to preference), then drain and fluff with a fork.
Note that these cooking directions do not work for other rice varieties (long grain, short grain, jasmine, etc.).

Note 6: When blending, secure the lid tightly and select the “soup” or “hot” cycle. Heat expands, so increase speed slowly and watch carefully to avoid curry sauce exploding. Remove the lid carefully, as it will likely release a burst of steam. If your blender doesn’t have a hot/soup setting, you can replace the blender lid with a folded towel and hold it in place with your hands. This will help reduce steam pressure.

Nutrition Note: Nutrition information does not include rice.

Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–5 days. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge before reheating.

Nutrition