Today’s Thai Chicken Curry is a healthy, one-pan dinner that’s dead simple to prepare and outrageously tasty. Ready in under an hour, this easy Thai curry recipe is fast enough for a weeknight but special enough for company.
The first time I made this Thai chicken curry, I was worried I would find it lacking.
Having eaten copious amounts of authentic Thai curry (and Vegetarian Pad Thai) in Thailand, I know how fabulous a perfect chicken curry can be.
With a short and simple ingredient list, at least compared to many Thai recipes, I had to wonder how this easy Thai chicken curry could measure up.
Well, to put it simply, this Thai curry recipe BLEW ME AWAY.
Meet one of the best Thai curry recipes you will ever make at home!
It’s even better than some of the best authentic chicken curry I ate in Thailand—seriously, compared to a few popular places we tried in tourist Chiang Mai, I like this one more!
Tip!
Looking for a vegetarian Thai curry? Check out Coconut Curry.
5 Star Review
“A winner! Put it into the rotation, asap. My kids are picky. My husband knows and loves Thai food. There was none left.”
— Ann —
About This Thai Curry
Aside from being downright delicious, I love this recipe for its short, approachable ingredient list (you can find everything you need at your local grocery store) and simple one-pan cooking method (like this Egg Roll in a Bowl).
- Yes, I realize Thai curry purists will (correctly) point out that authentic Thai curry chicken has many more things added to it than this recipe does.
- However, I love that this easy adaptation can quickly come to life in your kitchen regardless of where you are located and how much time.
In summary: If you can chop vegetables and stir coconut milk, you CAN make this easy Thai chicken curry recipe! (With those skills, this Chickpea Curry is also within reach.)
The Difference between Red Curry and Panang Curry
- Panang Curry (also called Penang or Penaeng curry) is a red curry that originates from Penang, an island located off the west coast of Malaysia.
- Panang curry is usually less spicy than traditional red curry because it uses fewer red chiles. Panang curry sauce includes coconut cream and peanuts and tastes sweeter.
- While red curry (which does not have peanuts in the sauce) is more spicy, this particular recipe is not overly so. If you ask me, it’s the best of both worlds.
How to Make Thai Chicken Curry
This Thai curry chicken recipe with coconut milk is a breeze to prep (like many of my other stir fry recipes).
The final effect is deeply rewarding: a rich, not-too-spicy, yet-oh-so-flavorful thick coconut sauce brimming with ginger, garlic, and authentic Thai curry flavor.
My dear friend, Jessica of How Sweet Eats, created this fantastic curry chicken skillet recipe. It originally appeared in her excellent cookbook, The Pretty Dish. Please support her and check it out!
The Ingredients
- Chicken. You can make this Thai curry chicken with chicken breasts or swap it for chicken thighs.
- Red Curry Paste. Thai red curry paste is the star flavor-maker in this Thai red chicken curry recipe. Curry paste is available in the Asian food section of most major grocery stores or online here.
- Coconut Milk. While I’m all for a healthy swap, for this curry you need full-fat (not light) coconut milk or the sauce will be too watery. (If you love recipes with coconut milk, try these other creamy, dreamy delights.)
- Bell Pepper. Loaded with vitamin A and vitamin C, tender red bell peppers add lovely flavor and color to this rich and robustly flavored Thai curry sauce.
- Leek. Provides the sauce with a mild onion flavor that lets the flavors of the curry paste really shine.
- Ginger + Garlic. Give this Thai curry sauce (and this Instant Pot Lentil Curry) so much life.
- Cilantro. For a final herby finish that ties everything together.
- Rice or Sourdough Bread. A bed of freshly steamed brown or jasmine rice is the perfect foundation for a healthy scoop of this creamy coconut Thai chicken curry recipe. A fresh sourdough baguette is also divine for soaking up every last drop of the heavenly sauce.
The Directions
- Season the chicken and sear on both sides until golden. Transfer to a plate.
- Sauté the vegetables and aromatics, then stir in the curry paste and let it bloom. Pour in the coconut milk.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, then bake the Thai curry at 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes, until cooked through. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice and/or fresh sourdough bread. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Leftovers may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Warm gently on the stovetop in a saucepan or wok until steaming. Alternatively, you can also microwave until heated through in a microwave-safe container.
- To Freeze. I do not recommend freezing, as I have not had the best luck freezing sauces with a coconut milk base.
What to Serve with Thai Curry
- Rice. Saucy Thai curries like this one are traditional and delicious over rice. See How to Make Brown Rice, How to Cook White Rice, or Instant Pot Brown Rice.
- Asian-Inspired Salads. For a refreshing side, enjoy your curry with Asian Cucumber Salad or Asian Cabbage Salad.
- Appetizers. While not necessary, for a fun Asian-inspired feast, start your meal with Chicken Satay or Air Fryer Tofu.
Recommended Tools to Make this Curry Chicken
- Skillet. All you really need is a quality skillet. I used this one; this brand is also excellent. For an affordable, quality option, check out this one.
- Knife. A sharp chef’s knife will make chopping up the bell peppers and herbs a breeze.
- The Pretty Dish. I hope you check out more of the tasty recipes from Jessica’s cookbook. It has brought so many yummy recipes into my life.
Far quicker than ordering takeout (and definitely faster than a flight to Thailand), this is simply the BEST easy Thai curry recipe you’ll find.
Thai Chicken Curry
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, or a mix!
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 leek thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk (14 ounces) (do not use light, or the sauce won't thicken properly)
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro torn
- Prepared brown rice for serving
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper.
- Melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat in a large, ovenproof skillet. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until deeply golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the bell pepper, leek, garlic, and ginger, and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Stir in the curry paste. Cook for 5 additional minutes, stirring often. Slowly pour in the coconut milk while stirring to combine. Return the reserved chicken to the skillet.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. The chicken will be fully cooked when a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F, and the juices run clear. (Note: Smaller chicken breasts may be done closer to the 15-minute mark.)
- Top with cilantro. Serve with rice, spooning lots of the yummy curry coconut milk sauce over the top.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Leftovers may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Warm gently on the stovetop in a saucepan or wok until steaming. Alternatively, you can also microwave until heated through in a microwave-safe container.
- TO FREEZE: I do not recommend freezing, as I have not had the best luck freezing sauces with a coconut milk base.
Nutrition
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Sign Me UpFrequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, in my experience, sauces made with coconut milk simply do not hold up well to freezing. They tend to separate upon reheating (even when done gently) and lose some of their silky, creamy texture. If that does not bother you, however, feel free to experiment.
Yes! So long as you skip the sourdough bread and check the label of your curry paste, this recipe can be made entirely gluten free.
If you have a coconut allergy or want to omit the coconut milk for any reason, you could experiment with swapping it for half and half. The taste will be a little different, but the half and half would keep the sauce nice and creamy.
I have not experimented with making this curry chicken recipe with bone-in chicken, but I think that would work nicely. The cooking times to both sear and bake the chicken will need to increase to ensure the chicken gets fully cooked. For suggested cooking times, see Baked Bone In Chicken Breast and Baked Chicken Thighs.
I have not made this recipe in a slow cooker before. For best results, I would suggest starting the chicken on the stovetop to get a nice sear and then finishing the recipe in a crockpot. Cook until the chicken registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Alternatively, you could also try my Slow Cooker Chicken Curry.
Related Recipes
For more flavorful Thai-inspired recipes, try one of these other healthy stir fry recipes.
Quick and easy for sure, we found it didn’t have the flavor we were looking for as written so we added lime zest, cayenne and Thai basil leaves. That gave it the wow we were looking for!! Thank you for the inspiration and the easy basic recipe!!! Can’t wait to try it with shrimp and tofu!
Thanks for the feedback Jen!
This was such a delicious recipe. Thanks so much. Will definitely make this again. It was grrreat. Lol. Scottish!!!
Hi Isabel! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I’ve left reviews but they never see the light of day. Giving up.
Hi Isabel, I’m sorry, we don’t review comments over the weekend, typically. Thanks for leaving a review!
I added green beans and Brocolli. But this was not edible. I am not sure what I may have done but yuck
I’m sorry to hear that this recipe wasn’t to your tastes, Holly. I (and many other readers) have really enjoyed the flavors in this dish, so I wish it would’ve been a hit for you too!
Used green curry for my dish – unfortunately and sadly ran out of coconut milk so used regular 2%. I also added carrots and zucchini to mine, along with cilantro, Thai basil, fish sauce and chicken broth. Next time will have to keep more coconut milk handy – they don’t last long in the kitchen!
Hope you enjoyed it Lucy!
Very oily, bland, thin and not much flavor (we have many great Thai restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area, so our bar is set high). My son and I rated this maybe a 4 or 5 out of 10.
Coconut oil is unbelievably expensive these days, too.
I would only make this again with a lot of adjustments and additions. I found another recipe that is similar but uses 1 T minced fresh ginger root, 1 T fish sauce, ½ tsp Thai red chile paste, 2 T Thai yellow curry paste, ⅓ tsp ground coriander, 2 red potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes), 2 carrots (sliced). I’m going to try to salvage our leftovers by adding these other ingredients and reheating. This other recipe used sesame oil instead of coconut oil.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!
Made for company and turned out excellent
Hi Connie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Tried this with yellow curry paste and 5 chicken thighs in a mid-size cast iron dutch oven. Used basil instead of cilantro to garnish (because it’s what I had handy).
Fantastic result, and quite a different flavour and spice level than when I tried this earlier with red curry.
Glad it worked out for you Greg!
Followed the recipe exactly but sadly it was very bland. There are definitely a few ingredients missing here to really give it a flavour closer to a real red Thai curry. Only positive I can say is that it looks nice but taste very disappointing
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, MF. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!
I found this recipe to be too bland. Do not use leek, it dissolves. Instead use half a large sweet vidalia onion chopped finely. Add additionally a quarter of a green bell pepper chopped finely. Double the amount of red curry paste. Add two additional large cloves of garlic, make sure all of them are the largest available or substitute as many others as will produce a decent amount of it. Do not bake, simmer only. Additionally add about, I’m guessing here, 1/2 tbsp of italian cayenne pepper, after setting said pepper in a few tbsp of olive oil in the fridge to dredge the essence out of it. Add all these additional components in the first stage and cook them together on medium heat, excepting the curry paste which add as directed. The coconut oil is a must, even with the added olive oil.
Note the oil does not combine with the coconut milk, but produces a perfectly flavored sauce. Again, do not bake, but simmer after adding the coconut milk and chicken for about 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked. The green bell peppers, not being as ripe as the red bell, will add an extra layer to the flavor. This recipe otherwise is far too bland and flavorless. Do not add the cilantro at all, it messes with the taste. The final result will remind a person more of a blend between indian and thai curry, and will add a few beads of sweat to your forehead. I didn’t really measure the amount of red cayenne pepper I added, I just gave a good healthy dash to the oil, tasted the mixture while it was cooking and added a little more at the final stage when the chicken was cooking. The end result is delicious and flavorful.
Be careful with the cayenne, as I stated before I didn’t so much measure as pour what seemed a healthy proportion into the olive oil, adjust for the level of heat desired. One way or another this recipe kind of messes up the principle which is proper Thai food is supposed to be hot. This recipe will not produce the creamy sauce one would see in a professional restaurant either, it will produce the same kind of meddley as I described.
Also use thinly cut chicken breasts, no greater than a 1/4 inch thick. These can be purchased pre-cut at places like Wegmans, and are perfect for this recipe. Baking I found just reduces the sauce to a rather crusted over state whereas simmering it on medium to medium-low heat depending on the stove causes all the various spices to be absorbed into the oil and coconut milk. Very important. Remember that these people really don’t know how to cook and put starting points rather than recipes up.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, John. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
Your comment is beyond ridiculous. If you didn’t like the recipe, simply say so. If you want to post a different recipe that you think is better, go ahead and post it. But to give this kind of response, clearly just offering a whole different recipe, is quite ridiculous in my mind.
Hope you enjoy it Annemarie!
Whom ever posted this recipe is over zealous. The spice quantity was way off. It needed more salt and a ton more spice. With out it, it was coconut milk forward. I had to tweet it a bunch. Go back to the drawing board.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, John. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!